Yeah its mad late. STFU.

Week 23's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 22 – Yahoo!'s tiebreaker system ruins a fantastic finish to the regular season

The Match-Up: Adrian (3^rd) vs Ben (6^th)

After a confusing end to the regular season, Ben has apparently secured 6^th place and the right to play for the Chalice. When I started keeping stats in week 10, Ben was in 5^th place. By week 12 he was in 7^th, and didn't regain sole possession of 6^th until this week! Pretty good timing by Mr. Ben. But boy, did he earn it! With 5 weeks left in the year, Ben was staring down a 4.5 game playoff deficit and rose to the occasion, posting a 3-0-2 (32-18) record to edge out Alex (7^th) for the final spot in the playoffs. That end of season record included a 5-5 tie against Adrian (then 3^rd) in week 21, and an uber-clutch 8-2 beat down over Drew (then 1^st) in the final week of the season.

Adrian endured tale of two seasons: 9-0-3 in the first 12 weeks, and 3-6-1 in the final 10. His early season play afforded him the late season struggles, and he was really on an island for 3^rd place – 7 games out of a bye, and 7 games up on 4^th. He only has one win over the past 5 weeks, and that was against James (10^th). He was never worse than 3^rd place all year, pretty impressive. It'll be interesting to see if Adrian has been underachieving, or if he was playing over his head earlier in the year. Ben's playing well and Adrian is struggling – if there was an upset to be had, I think this would be it. These guys went at it 3 times in the regular season; week 3 (Adrian 8-2), week 12 (Adrian 6-4), and week 21 (Tie 5-5) (season: Adrian 19-11).

The Match-Up: Kurt (4^th) vs Colin (5^th)

Kurt held 4^th place for the majority of the season, losing it briefly to Colin before regaining it 2 weeks later. The Commissioner has been pretty steady all season, without any major winning or losing streaks to his record. It's hard to say exactly what we'll see from Kurt over the playoff run. He beats the good teams just as often as he loses to the bad teams. Last week's loss to Jarrett (8^th) was his first loss since losing back to back weeks to Drew (1^st) and Adrian (then-2^nd) in weeks 16 and 17. I can't seem to find any outlying statistics that can tell us just how good he is – we'll have to see what kind of noise he can make in the playoffs. We'll see if his activity at the trade deadline pays off.

Colin rebounded from a rough start (0-4) to prove that he is a worthwhile contender. He propelled himself to the middle of the pack with solid mid-season play, and played .500 ball to close out the year. August was feast or famine for Lancey, with weekly scores of 8-2, 8-2, 1-8, 2-8, and 9-1. As far as I'm concerned, this match is a toss up. Can't wait to see who makes it to the final four! Kurt has taken 2 of their 3 match ups this year, but they're at a stalemate (season: 14-14). This weeks winner will take the season series and move on to the next playoff round.

Nice Knowin' Ya

And now, a weekly salute to the managers eliminated from their quest for the 2011 Diamond Dynasty Chalice for Fantasy Baseball Excellence.


Nice knowin' ya...

James Maimonis (10^th place) – A difficult year for the defending champion who suffered the always embarrassing first-to-worst transgression. He finished the year with one winning week over the final 2 months of the season, and never climbed higher than 9^th place in the second half of the year. He finished the year 36 games behind first place and 20.5 games out of the playoffs. With older, albeit quality keeper choices and the first overall pick, James could be a dangerous team in 2012. Let's take a closer look at his season arc:

Weeks 1-7: 1-5-1

Weeks 8-15: 2-4-2

Weeks 16-22: 1-5-1

Streaks: 1W, 2W/T, 7L, 8L/T

Nice knowin' ya...

Richie Travers (9^th place) – Travers could never get going all year, constantly attempting to manage around keepers and high draft picks that were either injured or under performing. Acquiring Felix Hernandez at the deadline set him up for 2012, but at the expense of the 2011 season (did not win any match ups after the trade). He never made it higher than 7^th place in the second half of the year. Richie ended the regular season 31.5 games behind first place and 16 games out of the playoffs. He has young keepers (never thought we'd see the day) and the second overall draft pick, and is looking forward to 2012. Let's take a closer look at his season arc:

Weeks 1-7: 3-4-0

Weeks 8-15: 5-3-0

Weeks 16-22: 1-5-1

Streaks: 3W, 3W/T, 4L, 5L/T

Nice knowin' ya...

Jarrett Staff (8^th place) – Jarrett's squad just waited too long to be good this year! Over the last 5 weeks of the season, he picked up 10 games on first place and 4 games on the playoff contenders. If he wasn't so mediocre for the first 2/3 of the year, he would have probably been in that clusterfuck that was 4^th-7^th place this year. That being said, he ended the year 23 games behind first place and 7.5 games out of the playoffs. He should be able to add a premier player with the 3^rd pick next year. Let's take a closer look at his season arc:

Weeks 1-7: 1-3-3

Weeks 8-15: 3-4-1

Weeks 16-22: 3-3-1

Streaks: 2W, 3W/T, 2L, 4L/T

Nice knowin' ya...

Alex Gentili (7^th place) – The latest victim of Yahoo!'s tiebreaker system, Alex mortgaged a part of his future (Felix Hernandez) for a run at a 2011 championship. Despite having the 6^th highest winning percentage in the regular season, he did not qualify for a ticket to the big dance. In fact, it's the first time in 10 weeks that Alex isn't in at least 6^th place. He finished 15.5 games behind first place and mere percentage points out of the playoffs. Alex is only the third team since week 11 to move 2 places in the standings in just one week. Let's take a closer look at his season arc:

Weeks 1-7: 3-4-0

Weeks 8-15: 2-4-2

Weeks 16-22: 3-4-0

Streaks: 2W, 5W/T, 4L, 4L/T

Author's Note: It is 12:37 AM on Monday night/Tuesday Morning. I've been without power for 40 hours. We've lost everything in the fridge. I'm waking up to fly to South Carolina in 6 hours. I will upload this ASAP, sorry for the delay.

UPDATE: 10:07, at the airport, free WiFi FTW.

Week 22's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 21 – Colin suffers an untimely slump to pave the way for a fan-fucking-tastic finish

The Match-Up: Adrian (3^rd) vs James (10^th) *5*

The once-mighty Adrian hasn't won in a month, and he has no shot at a bye week. He's win-less in his last month, 2-6-1 in his last 7 weeks, and stumbling into the playoffs. He closes the season with James, who has been a cellar-dweller all season. Jimmy's 7-3 victory over Richie (9^th) broke a streak of 7 weeks without a win. It was also his largest margin of victory of the year, trumping victories over Ben (6-3 week 2 and 6-4 week 11) and Adrian (6-4 week 13.) Adrian might drop to 4^th with a bad week, but it's hard to imagine he'd fall further than that. James is 6.5 games behind Richie for 9^th, so he's all but locked in to the lead-off position in the 2012 DD Draft. Adrian beat James 7-2 in week 4, but James was the first one to beat Adrian this year when he posted that 6-4 victory in week 13 (season: Adrian 11-8).

The Match-Up: Jarrett (8^th) vs Kurt (4^th) *4*

Jarrett has actually been playing some pretty decent fantasy baseball over the past 2 months, posting a 4-4-1 record (48-39 category record). He battled Drew (1^st) last week, losing just 4-6. At 6.5 games out of the playoffs, its hard to imagine that both Ben (T-6^th) and Colin (T-6^th) would get blown out but hey, anything could happen. Conversely, he's 2.5 games up on 9^th place, so a bad week here could slot him into the second spot in next year's draft. Kurt has quieted the skeptics after a late season win-less slump. He hasn't lost in a month (2-0-2) and he'll most likely be in the 4 vs 5 first round playoff match up. Last week, he fought TJ (2^nd) to a 5-5 tie. Ultimately, neither of these teams are going to drastically change their immediate futures: Kurt is playing for 2011, Jarrett is playing for 2012. Kurt has yet to register a win against Jarrett this year, tying 5-5 in week 4, and falling 3-7 in week 13 (season: Jarrett 12-8).

The Match-Up: Alex (5^th) vs TJ (2^nd) *3*

Alex proved he was ready for pressure match ups as he dismantled Colin (T-6^th) in what was one of last week's most intriguing match ups. The win gave Alex a huge (read: important) playoff cushion for this week; a 3-7 loss (or something like that) doesn't spell the end for Mr. G. With TJ on the docket a win might be a tall task, but if Alex can put up 4 category victories, he should glide into the playoffs with no worries at all. TJ has slipped slightly at 0-1-1 in the last two weeks but Adrian shit the bed much worse, so he's pretty much got that second bye spot. Nice goin' TJ. Pay your dues (you too Jarrett). Personally, I'm rooting for a big TJ win so the playoff picture gets nice and fucked up, total chaos. Speaking of blowout losses, I happened to glance at Alex's weekly scores for the season, and the last time his opponent put up a 7 spot or better was way back in week 10, when Kurt (then 4^th, still 4^th) beat him 3-7. The kid just doesn't get blown out. In fact, there's only been one other time Alex gave up at least 7; week 4....when he lost 0-8.....TO TJ! God I love it when that happens. Aside from the 0-8 shutout, these teams tied 5-5 in week 13 (season: TJ 13-5).

The Match-Up: Ben (T-6^th) vs Drew (1^st) *T-1*

And hereeeeee we go! Yippee-kie-yay mother fuckers! Ben and Colin are dead, and I mean dead even. 99-104-7. Who the hell could have predicted that. Unfortunately for Ben, he really gets fucked with his match up. Colin gets Richie (9^th) who sold aggressively at the deadline (and his record since has reflected it), and Ben gets Drew, who has lost once in the last like 3 months. Sucks, Ben. Just sucks. I'll do the best I can with Colin, but Joe Mauer is a dyke. My apologies. Ben hasn't lost in a month and has played well in the past 6 weeks (3-1-2), against admittedly lesser competition. The last time Ben beat someone who was above him in the standings, Osama Bin Laden was still alive. That's not true, I just thought it was funny. He beat Colin 6-3 in week 16, but that's as far back as my stats go (guesstimating, Alex might have been ahead of him in week 6 when Ben won 6-4, but I really don't know). Drew beat Jarrett 6-4 last week, making it 10 of his last 11. Yowzers. He's officially clinched a first round bye, so hat's off to the leader of the DD, DD. Drew has taken care of Ben in both of their meetings, winning 5-4 in week 4 and 7-3 in week 13 (season: Drew 12-7). I'll have one eye on this match up; the other will be focused on...

The Match-Up: Colin (T-6^th) vs Richie (9^th) *T-1*

The other half of the playoff pandemonium. Colin is reeling. 3-16 the past 2 weeks. Dropped 9 games in the standings. And now, he's fighting for his playoff life. Colin has been the most unpredictable team over the past 7 weeks, going 0-2-1 against the bottom 3 teams of the league, then beating the top two teams 8-2 in back to back weeks, and most recently getting his doors blown off by the middle of the league by the aforementioned 3-16 tally. Which Colin will show up? Richie on the other hand has been Mr. Consistency over the past 3 weeks, losing each week worse than the next. He hasn't won a match in a month and is watching his team limp to the finish line. With his playoff dreams dashed, he can only play the spoiler role. Richie beat Colin 6-3 in week 4, and Colin beat Richie 6-2 in week 13 (season: Colin 9-8).

This concludes the Regular Season Weekly Previews. I've had tons of fun writing them up, I hope you've enjoyed reading them. If you have any feedback, positive or negative, I'd really like to hear it – I was a journalism major and I'm curious to see if you guys think any of the skills have stuck with me. I still plan to do non-consolation playoff weekly match ups, which will allow me to really research the squads a lot more in-depth seeing as there will only be two match ups a week that I'm focusing on. Good luck to Ben and Colin this week, still can't believe they're absolutely square in the standings. Totally awesome.

Week 21's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 20 – Big blowouts across the board set up the league for a fantastic finish

The Match-Up: Richie (9^th) vs James (10^th) *5*

Richie's playoff door finally slammed shut last week after being tantalizingly close virtually the entire season. Alex took him down, 6-3-1 behind the stellar play of his newly acquired players via last week's blockbuster trade. Richie is now 8.5 games out of a playoff spot with only 2 weeks to play, but I am begrudgingly adding myself to the consolation committee, already populated by Jarrett (8^th) and James (10^th). Speaking of Mams, he takes place in the ultimate basement battle for the second time in three weeks (week 19 against Jarrett (then-9^th)). He's lost 3 in a row, and he's win-less in his last 7 match ups (0-5-2). He's a shoe-in to have the first pick in next year's draft at 10.5 games behind Richie for 9^th, so he's got that going for him, which is nice (manananana). Richie has beaten James in weeks 3 and 12 by a score of 6-4 (season: Richie 12-8).

The Match-Up: Jarrett (8^th) vs Drew (1^st) *4*

In what was probably the most unlikely result of the entire season, Jarrett kicked Adrian's (3^rd) ASS last week 10-0, posting the league's third shutout of the year (previous shutouts: Alex 10-0 against James, and TJ 10-0 over Jarrett). It's the first time in Diamond Dynasty history that a team has been on both ends of a shutout in a single season. I totally made that up, I have no idea if that's true, but it seems like it could be. With the win, Jarrett leap frogs Richie for 8^th place, the highest he's been since at least week 10, when I started keep track. I can't believe I'm typing this, but he's 7 games out of the playoffs...I'm just saying. But a serious uphill battle lies ahead – the mighty Drew. TJ came to challenge the throne last week and was turned away, 6-3. The win gives Drew 9 victories in his last 10 match ups, and 11 in his last 13. But most importantly, Drew is officially the first one to the playoff party, receiving the Yahoo! asterisk shortly after midnight. He also has a 12.5 game cushion on a bye week so unless Jarrett can pull another shutout out of his ass, Drew will have the luxury of letting the rest of the league beat up on each other for a week. Drew beat Jarrett 7-3 in week 3 and 5-4 in week 12 (season: Drew 12-7).

The Match-Up: Kurt (4^th) vs TJ (2^rd) *3*

It seems as though Kurt's mid-season acquisitions have helped him right the ship, as he laid an 8-1 whooping on Colin (5^th) last week. He's on a modest 2 week winning streak, and barring an epic collapse, will be in the 2011 DD playoffs. He closes the year with TJ this week and Jarrett (8^th) next week, and a lot could change by then. Kurt is 1.5 games behind Adrian for 3^rd, 3.5 games ahead of Colin (5^th), and 5 games ahead of Alex (6^th) - he could finish in 3^rd just as easily as 6^th. TJ couldn't take advantage of his first-place opportunity last week, as he lost to Drew (1^st) 3-6. It was his first loss in a month, but he still has substantial distance (7.5 games) between himself and Adrian (3^rd) for the second bye spot. He closes the year with Kurt and Alex (6^th). These teams played to a 5-5 tie in week 3, but Kurt Timbuktu-ed TJ 9-1 in week 12 (season: Kurt 14-6).

The Match-Up: Alex (6^th) vs Colin (5^th) *2*

With Ben (7^th) breathing right down both of their necks, neither team can afford to have a bad week. Alex has reloaded his roster with talent after last week's deadline deal with Richie (9^th), and he saw what his new additions could do. Jimmy Rollins hit .333 for the week, adding a home run, a stolen base, 4 runs scored and 4 RBI's, while Hiroki Kuroda, John Axford, and J.J. Putz combined for 1 win, 4 saves, 11 K's, and an ERA of (estimating) under 2.00. Their efforts helped Alex dispose of Richie, 6-3, for his first win since beating James in week 16. Colin is coming off a down week, losing 1-8 to Kurt. It's his first loss since taking out Adrian (then-2^nd) and Drew (1^st) 8-2 in successive weeks. In the last week of the season, Colin faces Richie while Alex has to go up against TJ (2^nd). Alex has a tougher draw to end the year, going up against TJ (2^nd) while Colin draws Richie (9^th). Ben lurks just 1.5 games behind Alex and 3 games behind Colin in what should be a great end to the regular season! Alex has Colin's number this year, taking him 8-2 in week 3 and 6-4 in week 12 (season: Alex 14-6).

The Match-Up: Ben (7^th) vs Adrian (3^rd) *1*

Ben took advantage of his match up last week, beating James 8-2 and thrusting himself to just a game and a half out of the playoffs. He hasn't been this close to a playoff spot since week 12, when his loss to Adrian (then-1^st) put him half a game out. He really has to earn his spot in the playoffs this year though, going up against Adrian and Drew (1^st) to close out the year. He's won 2 weeks in a row and this week runs into a slumping Adrian, who has lost 3 in a row (by a combined score of 6-24) and 6 of his last 8. He's in little danger of dropping out of the playoffs, but he is definitely not playing his best ball right now. Adrian gets the golden ticket – James (10^th) to close the year, so he can rest assured that he'll still be playing meaningful fantasy baseball in September. Because of both team's recent play, it seems as though Ben might be able to finally crack the top 6 if he can just get a little help from Alex or Colin. Adrian beat Ben 8-2 in week 3 and 6-4 in week 12 (season: Adrian 14-6). These last two weeks should be an old fashioned hootenanny! Should be a blast!

Week 20's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 19 – The trade deadline comes and goes in an otherwise stagnant week

The Match-Up: Adrian (3^rd) vs Jarrett (9^th) *5*

With his loss last week, Adrian continued his streaky play this year. After not losing for the first 12 weeks of the year, he's dropped three, won two, and most recently lost the last two. Despite the loss, he still picked up two games on first place, and he's still within striking distance of the bye spots. He closes the season with Ben (7^th) and James (10^th), so he's got a great shot at stealing second place. Adrian also made a move at the deadline, picking up Alexi Ramirez and Jordan Zimmerman for B.J. Upton and Wandy Rodriguez. Kurt tried to trade Zimmerman to me before I found out that the Nationals put an innings limit on him, so they either took off those restrictions (doubtful) or Adrian may have gotten duped. Jarrett edged out James last week in the snoozer-bowl 5-4 for his first win since week 15. With Drew (1^st) and Kurt (5^th) on the schedule to close the year and a 4 game lead over James for last place, Jarrett may be in the driver's seat for the 2012 Diamond Dynasty draft, which could be a good or a bad thing, right? These two teams played to a 5-5 tie in week 2, and Adrian took care of business in week 11, winning 7-3 (season: Adrian 12-8).

The Match-Up: Ben (7^th) vs James (10^th) *4*

The match up with the least playoff implications features two teams going in opposite directions. Ben notched an important win last week against Richie (8^th), one of his direct competitors for that elusive 6^th seed. He's 2-1-1 over the last month but his next two tests - Adrian (3^rd) and Drew (1^st) - might keep him out of the party. James carries a 0-4-2 record into this match up, dropping last week to Jarrett, 4-5. James has managed only 3 winning weeks over the entire season, and his season weekly win/loss is an ugly 3-12-4. Surprisingly, neither of these teams made moves at the deadlines. James could have set himself up for next year by acquiring draft picks or a possible keeper, and Ben could have been either a seller or a buyer, but both teams chose to stand pat and ride out the end of the year. Of James' 3 wins on the year, 2 of them have come from this match up! James beat Ben 6-3 in both weeks 2 and 11 (season: James 12-6).

The Match-Up: Kurt (5^th) vs Colin (4^th) *3*

Kurt was the most active during the trading deadline, acquiring two stud starters (Dan Haren and Zack Greinke) for...some closers...He also picked up Wandy Rodriguez, really bolstering his pitching staff for the stretch run. He also broke out of a brief 3 week winless streak, beating Alex 5-4 last week. He's got an 8.5 game lead on Ben (7^th), so it seems as though one or two more solid weeks will guarantee a spot at the final table. Colin didn't make any moves at the deadline, but he didn't necessarily have to given his recent play. After failing to beat either Ben (then-8^th), James (10^th), or Jarrett (9^th) in successive weeks, he beats Adrian (then-2^nd) and Drew (1^st) by a combined score of 16-4. He's shot up the standings, cutting his first place deficit from 21 games to just 12.5. He's 10.5 games out of a bye spot, and if he keeps playing like this it's possible he might legitimately be in the mix. Kurt beat Colin 4-5 in week 2, but Colin came back to smoke Kurt 9-1 in week 11 (season: Colin 13-6).

The Match-Up: Richie (8^th) vs Alex (6^th) *2*

These two squads were on opposite ends of the biggest trade of the year. Alex and Richie were able to strike a deal a few hours before the deadline, and both teams stand to gain a lot. Alex added two of the best-performing closers this year, adding John Axford (29 consecutive saves) and J.J. Putz (29 saves on the year). He also added Jimmy Rollins and Hiroki Kuroda, who are above-average options at their respective positions. While the move may have given him enough firepower to finish in the money this year, he had to deal away King Felix, thus ending a marriage that lasted for quite some time. Everyone has their no-doubt keepers – TJ has Pujols, Colin has Cabrera, Richie had John Smoltz. I think everyone thought of Alex when Felix was throwing up his gaudy numbers, and a divorce such as this is a somber moment...unless you're the one adding one of the best young arms in the game, then you're happy to hear the news! If that wasn't enough, this match-up has the heaviest playoff implications of the week. After last week's loss to Kurt (5^th), Alex has dropped 3 in a row, and holds a 3 game lead over Ben for the final playoff spot. He's got a tough road ahead of him, battling Colin (4^th) and TJ (2^nd) to close out the year. A win this week would go a long way toward fending off Ben (7^th) and Richie, who are still within striking distance. After the trade, Richie definitely lost some weapons that have kept him in the race this season. He's winless in his last 2 weeks, and 5.5 games out of the playoffs. This week is a must-win for him, or else he'll join Jarrett and James in the consolation bracket. This is the rubber match for the season – Alex beat Richie 6-4 in week 2, and Richie beat Alex 5-4 in week 11 (season: Alex 10-9).

The Match-Up: Drew (1^st) vs TJ (2^nd) *1*

Yet another 1-v-2 match up for the DD to keep an eye on. Drew finally lost, snapping an 8 week winning streak. The 2-8 beat down at the hands of Colin cost Drew big-time, as his 6 game lead over TJ was cut to just 2. There's no question Drew was dealing from a position of strength when he dealt Haren and Greinke to Kurt, but I have yet to talk to anyone who thinks Drew made a good deal. The other thing that surprised me about the deal was the sheer magnitude of it. For a guy who had won 8 weeks in a row at the point of the trade and had a solid hold on first place, it would have been difficult for me to pull the trigger on any trade almost regardless of what I was getting in return. It was obvious that he had good balance on his team and, whether they're connected or not, he did end up losing in the week of the trade. He closes the year with Jarrett (9^th) and Ben (7^th), a favorable end to the year. TJ is on a great run, winner of 4 straight weeks. He's picked up 5.5 games over the past month, and can now take control of first place with a solid week against Drew. He closes the year with Kurt (5^th) and Alex (6^th), so a win this week would all but solidify a bye week position for him. TJ beat Drew 6-4 in week 2, and Drew beat TJ 5-4 in week 11 (season: TJ 10-9).

The Sheridans!

Cue Keenan and Kel cuz "Aw here it goes". From here on out, Im devoting my time to creating articles about to players who have pissed me off. Inspired by Kurt and named after everyones favorite high school bag of douche, Im hoping to produce these esteemed awards this weekly. Or atleast every once in a while.

Chone Figgins - For starters, his name should be pronounce CHA-own, but his mom decided to slap the English language in the face and make it "Shawn". You shouldn't be allow to arbitrarily make up your own rules for an established language. Its crap. He doesn't even steal bases anymore, notching only 11 in half a season. Why on earth does he make $9.5 millio... Oh wait, that's right, he's on the Mariners. Yeah, that sounds about right for that franchise.

Bobby Jenks - He would've been better off eating his right arm than suiting up for the Red Sox (probably way happier too, the fat fuck). I'd tell him to jump off the Golden Gate bridge, but the last thing Japan needs is another tsunami. Guy should volunteer as live bate on Shark Week, but that would be way too glorious for him. I can't wait till I see the TLC special "Half-ton Bobby: A story of perpetual futility".

Brian Matusz - Way to lose 6 MPH off your fast ball, ya dick. Yeah, that'll really improve your stuff. You're 24 years old and you've already peaked. What the fuck? I didnt realize progeria could strike grown men. Way to live up to your potential...

Well thats a wrap on this weeks edition of the Sheridans. Tune in next time, and please feel free to submit your own submissions/nominations to me on facebook!

Strength of Schedule

I wrote an article at the midway point of the year analyzing how keeper performance impacted overall team performance. If I had gone back through the years and looked at a bigger sample size, I'm sure I would have gotten more conclusive results, but this year keeper performance basically meant nothing - James' keepers were performing beyond expectations as dictated by their O-Ranks and Ranks, and he was in last. All in all, the article was basically a waste of time.

Kurt did the same thing last week when he took a look at statistical milestones and the players that posted those numbers, and it meant "Pretty much nothing. The findings were inconclusive."

I type all this while preparing to give you yet another possibly interesting, yet probably useless article for your (and my) enjoyment - the Strength of Schedule.

As I sit in playoff limbo, 5 games out, Kurt falling fast, Alex within striking distance, and Ben just .5 games ahead, I've been passing on a few enticing trade offers, nervous that the trade will take me out of the playoff race that I probably have no business being in. I thought to myself:

"How much longer can I play this game with myself? I'm out of the playoffs, right? I mean I have to be, I'm in 8th. Well, wait a minute. I'm not playing the top 3 from here on out. Ok, good. This week I have Ben, that's a toss up. Then Alex, another good match. Then James - wow! I have a chance! Colin is a tough draw to end the year but hey what can you do...hold on, what about Ben? And then Alex and Kurt? And then..."

And so, this article wrote itself. It's more food for thought, as we've already seen these types of articles fail to reflect worthwhile information, but hey, third time's a charm, right? The chart is organized by lowest number of wins of remaining match ups (ex - Team A plays Team B (1 win) and Team C (2 wins) - strength of schedule would be 3). I can't figure out how Yahoo! arrives at it's winning percentage - it's not wins/total categories. I think they weight ties differently, so I went with the next best thing I could think of. So without further adieu, here's the remaining strength of schedule for the rest of the league, with a pinch of analysis from yours truly:

8th - Richie......320

3rd - Adrian.....323

10th - James....331

1st - Drew........342

5th - Kurt.........345

7th - Ben...........351

4th - Colin.........352

6th - Alex..........352

9th - Jarrett......357

2nd - TJ.............371

My fears were confirmed - I have a shot at the playoffs. I have the easier SOS, and therefore the best chance to move up in the standings. In fact, of the 5 teams that are in the mix for the last 3 spots, the next closest is Kurt, who has the 5th easiest SOS (25 wins tougher). TJ's toughest SOS might suggest that the bye week will be hard to hold on to, while Drew and Adrian have much easier ends to their seasons.

Prediction

1-Drew

2-Adrian

3-TJ

4-Colin

5-Kurt

6-Richie (I can dream, damn it)

7-Alex

8-Ben

9-Jarrett

10-James

Like I said, probably more of a food for thought-type article, but it looks delicious to me! (that sounded more clever in my head).

Week 19's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 18 – Colin jumps, Kurt slides, and TJ says hello, bye

The Match Up: James (10^th) vs Jarrett (9^th) *5*

In a week chock full of HUGE match ups, this one is the only snoozer. The two last-place teams are a combined 1-6-3 since week 14, and neither teams will be in the playoffs. James hasn't won since his big upset over then-first place Adrian 6 weeks ago, and Jarrett last won in week 15 against Colin. Since I started keeping stats to help write these articles, neither of these teams have been better than 9^th place, and Jarrett had the best sniff of the playoffs, just 7.5 games out after the aforementioned victory over Colin. Not surprisingly, but still interestingly, the match-up of the J's has resulted in two ties: 5-5 in weeks 1 and 10.

The Match Up: Drew (1^st) vs Colin (4^th) *4*

Hard to believe I'm rating this as the 4^th best match up this week, but the contests are really THAT good. Colin had a great week, upsetting Adrian 8-2 AND jumping two spots to 4^th. He's the only one to jump two spots in one week (since I started keeping stats week 11) and he's done it twice; the other time was in week 11, when he went from 7^th to 5^th. Hard to imagine that he posted an 0-2-1 record over the past month against Richie (8^th) Jarrett (9^th) and James (10^th), and then turns around and beats the pants off of Adrian (then 2^nd). Makes no sense. While Colin won't be sniffing a bye spot, he can't take his foot off the gas pedal yet as there's still a month to play. He'll take on Kurt (5^th) Alex (6^th) and Richie (8^th) to end the year. Drew has extended his winning streak to an incredible 8 weeks, edging out Alex, 5-4. After this week, he'll most likely have another titanic match up (the other was week 15 against Adrian, who he beat 6-2) for first place against TJ (2^nd). Jarrett (9^th) and Ben (7^th) close out his season, so if he needs those couple extra wins at the end of the year, he might be able to squeak them out. Drew beat Colin 8-2 in week 1, and Colin beat Drew 6-4 in week 10 (season: Drew 14-6).

The Match Up: TJ (2^nd) vs Adrian (3^th) *3*

I ranked this one third because while a bye week is at stake, both of these squads are in the playoffs. The other two match ups could yield a completely different playoff picture. After a 7 week absence, TJ is back in a bye spot. He's won 3 weeks in a row and it looks like his squad is peaking at just the right time. He's got one of the tougher schedules to end the year, going up against Drew (1^st), Kurt (5^th), and Alex (6^th) to end the year, and as far as I'm concerned it's a total toss-up for the two byes (between Drew, TJ, and Adrian). Adrian got his doors blown off by Colin last week, losing 2-8 and dropping to third place. Luckily for him, he closes the year with Jarrett (9^th), Ben (7^th), and James (10^th), so the schedule definitely lines up favorably for a late season push. Adrian has beaten TJ 6-3 in both weeks 1 and 10. These two are only separated by 2 games, so this should be a great match up, not unlike......

The Match Up: Kurt (5^th) vs Alex (6^th) *2*

Kurt's struggles continued last week as he could only manage to tie Richie (8th), 5-5. He's 0-2-2 in his last month and he finally dropped out of 4^th place – he was the only one to keep his exact spot in the standings since I started these articles. 6 weeks ago he was fighting for a bye, and now he has to fight just to make the playoffs. He's 2 games up on Alex (6^th) and 6.5 games up on Ben (7^th) for the final playoff spot. After this week he's got Colin (4^th), TJ (2^nd), and Jarrett (9^th) – certainly not an easy ride home, despite getting Jarrett to close the season. Alex put up a good fight against Drew's (1^st) great squad last week, dropping a tough 4-5 decision. A blowout there would have been big trouble, as he has to take on Richie (8^th), Colin (4^th), and TJ (2^nd) to end the season. He's got a 4.5 game lead over Ben (7^th) and a 5 game lead over Richie for the last spot in the 2011 playoffs, and I expect – nay, hope – that the picture gets foggier before it gets clearer (sorry boys, you understand). Kurt has held his own against Alex this year, beating him 6-2 in week 1 and 7-3 in week 10 (season: Kurt 13-5). With all the pressure on both teams to avoid a heart-breaking late season collapse, what could possibly be a more heart-wrenching, cut throat, desperate match up than that?

The Match Up: Richie (8^th) vs Ben (7^th) *1*

It's my fucking article, of course my game is the most important! Richie trails Ben by a mere .003 percentage points – Richie with one more tie, one less win. He trails ziggy by .5 games, and they're both trying to figure out if they'll be playing for 2011 or 2012. Ben has had a lot of trouble since the midway point of the season, going 1-6-2 since week 10. He tied Jarrett (9^th) last week, but he really needs to win this week – he finishes the season with James (10^th), Adrian (3^rd), and the unlucky short straw – Drew (1^st). Richie has been on a mirage-like streak, posting a 6-3-1 weekly record since week 10 (not bad!) but a 42-43-15 category record (not great!). He closes the year with Alex (6^th), James (10^th), and Colin (4^th), so he remains foolishly hopeful that he won't be on the outside looking in a month from now. Ben beat Richie 8-2 in week 1, but Richie came back with a 6-4 win in week 10 (season: Ben 12-8).

This week and next week have some fantastic match ups with huge playoff implications. Weeks 21-22 don't have the big head-to-head games, but everyone's going to be so close to each other in the standings that every single match-up, every category, every retarded RBI and WHIP percentage point is going to matter (as I type this sentence, I'm watching the Red Sox pound the shit out of Joe Nathan. Owwwwww). I've heard more chatter this year than any other regarding the trade deadline. We've already had a couple moves earlier in the year. This is turning out to be one of the best regular-season finishes that I can remember. As the great Kenny Blankenship and Vic Romano used to say, “DON'T! GET! ELIMINATED!”

Weekly Match-Ups to be posted tonight

I try to get them done in the mornings so you guys can stay sane at work all day (and it gives me something to do other than what I'm supposed to be doing), but I probably won't be able to get them up until tonight :(

A Lot Has Happened in Ten Years

Baseball is all about statistics.  We display our fanhood by fantasizing over the accumulation of numbers.  Nearly every ball that leaves the yard impacts our statistics in some way, and we know it.  Nowadays, the players know it as well.

We also know that our players aren’t playing for fantasy number, but for the numbers on their paychecks.  However, in most cases the biggest fantasy numbers will get you the bigger paycheck.  It is not far-fetched to claim that each member of your fantasy team is devoting their tireless efforts to you.  In some ways, it’s the truth.

As our teams developed from 2006 to now we grew attached to certain players, and truly believed they were just playing for us.  In all likelihood, Miguel Cabrera will never play another game where numbers aren’t accumulated by Colin’s Team.  An appropriately named “I Still Love Cabrera” kept him in 2006, after “Please Cabrera” enjoyed his success in 2005. 

We grow attached to these players, because we were smart enough to take them.  Everything that they have done well has benefitted us in a major part of our lives.  But, some players aren’t as embraced in our fantasy community as most would expect.  This begs the question; How important are these milestone season in terms of fantasy value?

Recently we witnessed Derek Jeter’s 3,000^th hit.  The Captain has been the face of baseball for over a decade, at least in terms of positive publicity.  There have been bigger names, but they were only positive when being tested for steroids.

Jeter had never been a top fantasy pick, but has surprisingly never been kept.  The first 3 years of keepers Jeter was a legitimate keeper option, but was never embraced by a Boston-born manager.  This can’t be entirely blamed on loyalty to the Nation, as there have been quite a few of our pinstriped neighbors to the South kept in the Diamond Dynasty.  This year Jeter reached 3,000 hits in a less-than-mediocre season for Richie’s 8^th place team.    The career accomplishments obviously mean less in fantasy perspective, as you can’t use past success in any given season.  But, Jarrett certainly enjoyed Bonds’ career home run record, as he finished in 4^th place.

There have been several single-season accomplishments since the inauguration of the Diamond Dynasty.  K-Rod set the single season saves record in 2008, but the one category star couldn’t help Alex reach the playoffs.  This underlines the no closer pitching staff that some managers have tried, and Adrian has succeeded with.

Ichiro set the single-season hits record in 2004.  This happened while on Chuck’s team, so the results area somewhat skewed.  Chuck finished in tenth, ahead of Jarrett and all-time loss leader, Paul.  Other feats of note: Barry Bonds set the single season walks record for Richie in 2004.  Tam Names=Overrated finished 3^rd.  Jimmy Rollins, in 2007, set the all time record for At-Bats in a season, and led TJ to a 4^th place finish and third round loss.

But, not every milestone was a positive one.

In 2004, Adam Dunn set a single-season record for strikeouts by fanning 195 times.  Dunn accomplished this feat for Tam names=Overrated, a team captained by Richie that finished in 3^rd.  The incredible number of punchouts didn’t hurt Richie’s season, as Dunn clubbed 46 homers.

Three years later Ryan Howard struck out 199 times, setting a new single-season record in Major League Baseball.  James managed the newest strikeout king, and rode his 47 home runs to a championship.

The following season Mark Reynolds made his mark on the record books, striking out 204 times, and taking Jarrett to a six place finish, and first round loss. 

It doesn’t end there, Mark Reynolds followed his 2008 campaign with an insurmountable 223 strikeouts in 2009.  Jarrett didn’t learn his lesson the year before, but was rewarded for his loyalty.  Jarrett managed Reynolds & Co to a Yahoo! Championship and the most controversial third place trophy of all time.

So what do all these milestones mean in terms of fantasy value?

Pretty much nothing.  The findings were inconclusive.

Week 18's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 17 – The favorites take care of business and the top 6 start pulling away

The Match-Up: TJ (3^rd) vs James (10^th) *5*

TJ is taking advantage of his soft schedule, beating Jarrett (9^th) and Ben (7^th) in consecutive weeks to keep pace with the first and second place teams. If he could have avoided a nasty 6 week win-less streak in June and July he might have been sitting in the driver's seat, but he's only 7.5 games out of first and 3 games out of a bye. TJ will have the toughest last month of the season, facing Adrian (2^nd), Drew (1^st), Kurt (4^th), and Alex (5^th), so it would seem that a big win this week is vital to his bye-week chances. James has been scuffling all season and the last month has been no different, posting an 0-2-2 record and remaining in last place. He's got some nice pieces on his squad and he should be a seller at the deadline, so his impact on the 2011 playoffs remains to be seen. And James knows better than anyone that anything can happen in October September. TJ beat James 6-4 in week 9.

The Match-Up: Colin (6^th) vs Adrian (2^nd) *4*

Colin has faltered at the most critical point in the season, posting a 0-2-1 record over the last three weeks against the bottom of the league (Jarrett (9^th) Ben (8^th) James (10^th)). He might have the hardest schedule coming in, drawing Adrian (2^nd), Drew (1^st) Kurt (4^th), Alex (5^th), and Richie (8^th). He's 1-3-2 in his last 6 weeks overall, and holds a 4.5 game lead over Ben (7^th) for the last playoff spot. It'll be interesting to see if Colin can right the ship and hold his ground against these hard-hitting opponents. After what seems to be a fluke losing streak, Adrian has won 2 in a row and is keeping pace with Drew after losing first place. He closes the season against Jarrett (9^th), Ben (7^th), and James (10^th), so a late season run for #1 is in order. He's got a fantastic match-up next week, facing off against TJ (3^rd) in a battle that could go a long way towards determining who gets that important bye-week come playoff time. Adrian and Colin played to a tie in week 9, 5-5.

The Match-Up: Ben (7^th) vs Jarrett (9^th) *3*

Ben lost last week to TJ (3^rd), 3-6. It's his 6^th loss in the last 8 weeks (1-6-1) and his schedule relief is coming at the perfect time. After battling the top/middle of the league, he gets Jarrett, Richie (8^th) and James (10^th) before closing out the season with a kick-in-the-balls Drew (1st)-Adrian (2^nd) combo. If he has any shot of making the playoffs, he needs to prepare for his last 2 weeks by really turning on the jets over the next three. He'll probably need to put up 20 category wins over the next three weeks in order to survive the end of the season. Jarrett has been scuffling lately, losing 2 weeks in a row and kissing his playoff hopes goodbye. He's battling James for the first pick in next year's draft, and he could pick up a couple more draft picks by selling off some of his more valuable pieces. Ben crushed Jarrett in week 9, 9-1, and he needs to do it again to insert himself back into the playoff picture.

The Match-Up: Drew (1^st) vs Alex (5^th) *2*

Drew continued his torrid stretch of dominance last week, beating Kurt 6-3 for his 7^th straight win. No other team has won more than 4 in a row this season. He's 21-3 over the past 3 weeks and downright SCARY. Does it really matter who he's playing the rest of the way? Drew is my pick to lock up the number one spot, and it's going to take a 2010 Troy Tulowitzki to knock him out of the playoffs. Alex has been playing decently as of late, despite losing 4-6 last week to Adrian (2^nd). The loss was his first in 6 weeks, but he's not blowing anyone away. He posted a 3-2-1 record over that span, but is outscoring his opponents just 30-27. Alex doesn't have a favorable schedule to improve upon his standing, drawing Kurt (4^th), Richie (8^th), Colin (6^th), and TJ (3^rd) to end the season, but a .500 record over the remainder of the year will ensure a playoff spot for the Bates graduate. Drew beat Alex 6-4 in week 9.

The Match-Up: Richie (8^th) vs Kurt (4^th) *1*

Richie got back to his winning ways last week, holding on to a 5-4 victory over Jarrett. He's 6-2 over the last 2 months, but he can't seem to close the playoff gap. He sits 5 games out with 5 weeks left, but Kurt is his toughest test (on paper) for the rest of the season. After this week, he plays Ben (7^th), Alex (5^th), James (10^th), and Colin (6^th) to close out the season. A big loss this week could mean he'll be a seller at the August 14^th trade deadline. Kurt had to face off against Adrian (2^nd) and Drew (1^st) the last two weeks and dropped both match-ups by a combined score of 4-15. He's only won 2 of his last 7, and he no longer has a shot at a bye week. Over the past month, he's gone from 6 games out of first to a whopping 19. After this week, he plays Alex (5^th) and Colin (6^th), all three teams separated by a mere 2 games. It should be an exciting finish to the season! Kurt edged Richie 5-4 in week 9.

Everyone but Alex sucks.

Random Thoughts:

-The Chicago White Sox arguably have the worst 1-2 punch I have ever seen, both of which have been absolute fantasy killers this season. Adam Dunn makes headlines with his plentiful strike-outs, putrid average and pants-shittingly failure to meet even the most modest of expectations, Alex Rios has been worse. Way worse. Dunn’s OPS+ of 66 dwarfs Rios’ 52. These two coupled in with the revolving door at 3b (Starter Brent Morel has an OPS+ of 56 while back-up Mark Teahen is has an OPS+ of 59) have provided the worst 3rd of a lineup in recent memory. I simply cannot fathom how they are only 1 game back of .500.

-I’ve watched the video of the “blown call” from the Pirates-Braves the other day probably 25 times. Yeah, the throw definitely beat Lugo home. I still can’t tell definitively if he tagged him out or not. That ump definitely doesn’t deserve the amount of shit he got, and the call was not as easy as people are claiming. Shitty job by the catcher there, make sure you get the out. And Scott Proctor, learn how to fucking run the bases, that was pathetic.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/27/braves-pirates-julio-lugo-controversial-call_n_910617.html

-How the hell does Hiroki Kuroda have 13 losses while John Lackey has 9 wins? God the Dodgers suck.

-I’m calling it right now, Adrian wins the regular season and TJ comes in second. Drew falls to third and loses in the first round of the play-offs, bringing a smile to everyone else’s face. I think Kurt and I will battle for 4th and 5th, and Colin will come in 6th with a team that no one will want to face in the play-offs.

-Is anyone else down for throwing a championship party for the winner of the DD this year? Most of us should be around and I think it would be a real fun time.

New Article Coming Soon

I promise...

Week 17's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 16 – The top three win big, and four different teams have new homes in the standings

The Match-Up: Richie (8^th) vs Jarrett (9^th) *5*

The closest on-paper match-up of the week features two teams coming off of losing weeks. Richie had his modest 2 week winning streak snapped – no, obliterated – by Drew, 9-1. Richie drops out of a 2-week stay at the 7^th spot in the standings, falling one spot (8^th). He's 5.5 games out of the last playoff spot with 6 weeks to play. Jarrett has been in the basement all season long, but he has managed to play .500 ball over the past month (2-2). He plays Richie, Ben (7^th), and James (10^th) in the next three weeks, but then plays the top half of the league to close out the season. Jarrett is 11 games out of a playoff spot, and barring any miracle comeback, he will miss the 2011 playoffs. Jarrett beat Richie in week 8, 5-4.

The Match-Up: Colin (6^th) vs James (10^th) *4*

Colin is playing terrible fantasy ball over the past month, win-less in his last 3 contests (one tie), and just one win in his last 5 weeks. His poor play has dropped him down one spot to 6^th, and he has only a 3 game hold on the 6^th and final playoff spot. Luckily, he gets James this week, who has been equally as bad, posting the same exact stats over that 5 week stretch (although James had much stiffer competition). James has been battling with Jarrett for not-10^th the entire year, and with 6 weeks left and TJ (3^rd) and Adrian (2^nd) on the end-of-season schedule, he is all but eliminated from playoff contention. Colin beat James in week 8, 6-4.

The Match-Up: Ben (7^th) vs TJ (3^rd) *3*

Ben is finally starting to come around, following a 5 week losing streak with a tie two weeks ago, and finally a win last week against Colin (then 5^th). Ben has an interesting schedule to close out the regular season. He draws the 3^rd place team this week, faces the bottom three teams in the league (Jarrett (9^th), Richie (8^th), James (10^th)) but then plays Adrian (2^nd) and Drew (1^st) to close the season. It'll be interesting to see what Ben is able to do before his match-up with Adrian, and at just 3 games out of the playoffs, Ben is still very much alive. The Teej was also able to get off the schnide last week, beating Jarrett for his first win in 2 months. Prior to last week, he had posted a 0-4-2 record, and fell from 1^st to 3^rd. His schedule is all over the place to end the year, so it'll really show exactly how good his team is – he won't be beating up on the shitty teams or battling week after week with the good ones. TJ dominated Ben 8-2 in week 8.

The Match-Up: Kurt (4^th) vs Drew (1^st) *2*

Drew came off a convincing 9-1 victory over Richie (8^th), and he maintained his 4 game lead over Adrian for first place. He's got the hottest team in the league right now, winners of six in a row (37-18, (.673%) and eight of his last nine (54-31, .635%). If he can carry this level of play into the post-season, it'll be extremely difficult for anyone to upset this runaway train. Kurt took a 9-1 beat-down last week (his second 9-1 loss in 6 weeks), and his fourth place spot is now in jeopardy. He's only 2 games up on Alex (5^th), 3.5 games ahead of Colin (6^th), and he's 12 games out of a bye-week spot come playoff time. He's 2-3-1 in his last 6 weeks, and he needs to right the ship before taking on too much water. If he can maintain a .500 record over the remaining 6 weeks, he should find himself right in the middle of a playoff pack. Drew beat Kurt 3-7 in week 8.

The Match-Up: Alex (5^th) vs Adrian (2^nd) *1*

Adrian responded in a big way last week, snapping his 3 week losing streak with a 9-1 win over Kurt. Unfortunately, Drew won by the same margin, so he couldn't make up any ground despite the big win. His next 3 opponents are middle-of-the-pack teams, but he closes out the schedule against Jarrett (9^th), Ben (7^th), and James (10^th), so a late run is a definite possibility. Alex has been playing lights out lately, enjoying a 3-0-2 undefeated streak. But he'll really be tested in the next month, drawing Adrian this week, Drew (1^st) the week after, and a struggling-but-still-4th-place Kurt (...4^th). He was able to leap-frog Colin for the 5^th spot in the standings, but time (and his schedule) will tell if he can hold on. Fun Fact: This match up also features the highest alphabetically-ordered managers the DD has to offer. Adrian beat Alex 6-4 in week 8.

No one writes on the blog anymore. All you guys suck.

Week 16's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 15 – Drew overtakes Adrian for first place in an otherwise stagnant, shortened week.

The Match-Up: TJ (3^rd) vs Jarrett (9^th) *5*

TJ is really struggling to hang with the elite teams this year, posting an 0-4-2 record over his last 6 weeks. He has the easiest schedule in the league over the next 3 weeks, facing Jarrett, Ben (8^th) and James (10^th) before things get really tough again. If he has any hopes of grabbing one of the top two spots come playoff time, he'll have to take care of business in the immediate future. Jarrett has been better as of late, posting a 2-1 record over the past 3 weeks. He's 9.5 games out of a playoff spot with 7 weeks to go, and with Richie (7^th) Ben (8^th) and James (10^th) on the horizon, never say never...TJ scorpion-bowled Jarrett in week 7, 10-0.

The Match-Up: Alex (6^th) vs James (10^th) *4*

Alex is treading water with a 2-0-2 record over the last month despite only outscoring his opponents 21-18. After this week, he's got the toughest schedule in the league, drawing Adrian (2^nd) Drew (1^st) and Kurt (4^th). He holds a 2 game lead over Richie (7^th) and a 5 game lead over Ben (8^th) for the last DD playoff spot, so a win this week would be a huge insurance run given his strength of schedule going forward. James fought Kurt to a 4-4 tie last week, but he needs to start putting up W's if he wants to close the 12 game playoff gap. He plays the middle of the pack for the next month, so there is still a tiny glimmer of hope. Alex ripped James 3 new ones in week 7, 10-0.

The Match-Up: Richie (7^th) vs Drew (1^st) *3*

Drew's fantasy baseball excellence over the past two months has resulted in a steady climb up the rankings and finally, last week, to the top of the standings. He's won five weeks in a row and seven out of his last 8. Last week's 6-2-2 win over Adrian (2nd) left no doubt as to who the best team in the league is right now. Before last week, Drew was beating up on the bottom half of the league (James (10^th), Ben (then 7^th) and Jarrett (then 10^th)), but last week he proved those wins were no fluke. Richie is riding a nice little hot streak too, winning five of his last six, taking out Adrian (then 1^st) and TJ (3^rd) in the process. He's staring down the last playoff spot (2GB), but he's got his toughest match-up of the year against Drew's white-hot squad. Fuck the power rankings, playoffs here I come! Richie beat Drew in week 7, 6-4.

The Match-Up: Colin (5^th) vs Ben (8^th) *2*

Colin has come back down to earth after his torrid stretch in the middle of the season. He's just 1-2-1 in his last 4 weeks, including a 4-6 loss to Jarrett (9^th) last week. He still holds onto the 5^th spot in the league, but the playoff race is really tightening up once again. Colin, Alex, Richie and Ben are separated by a mere five games, with only two spots up for grabs. As James showed us last year, all you have to do is get to the dance and let the chips fall where they may (Kurt, is it possible to take a look at/post what place the champions finished the regular season? That would be cool to see). Ben managed to stop his 5 week losing streak last week, but his 5-5 tie with Alex (6^th) gives him 6 weeks without a win. A big win this week (8-2, 9-1) could really shuffle the playoff picture. Ben beat Colin 6-4 in week 7.

The Match-Up: Kurt (4^th) vs Adrian (2^nd) *1*

In the best on-paper match-up of the week, Kurt looks to extend Adrian's 3 week losing streak. Kurt's play has been mediocre as of late, following W's with L's. He could only muster a 4-4 tie with James (10^th) last week, but he has a solid grip on the 4^th seed and would really have to implode to drop a spot or two. Adrian – what is going on? 3 week losing streak? Engine 4 is taking on water. While he's in no danger of missing the playoffs, TJ (3^rd) and Kurt (4^th) are breathing right down his neck for that second bye-week spot. It'll be interesting to see if Adrian can right the ship against a tough opponent this week. These two teams played to a 5-5 tie in week 7.

All Star Break Power Rankings

As promised, here is an epic breakdown of first half performances. 

Offensive Power Rankings:  Team, Score (Record)

1.     Adrian 39  (42-24-4)

2.     TJ 37  (42-23-5)

3.     Ben 34  (39-31)

4.     Kurt 33.5  (34-32-4)

5.     Alex 32  (35-30-5)

6.     Jarrett 30.5  (29-37-4)

7.     Richie 20  (34-32-4)

8.     Colin 19  (31-37-2)

9.     James 16   (22-46-2)

10.  Drew 14  (27-39-4)

Adrian’s offense has powered him to a first place, first half finish.  TJ, while having a better record, comes in 2 points behind Adrian in the offensive power rankings.  Ben just cannot get an offensive tie.  Kurt’s offense has been solid, coming in at #4.  If you look at the numbers you would expect his offense to be more than 2 games over .500.  Alex closes out the top half of the offenses with 32 points and an offensive tie with TJ, as they both have 5 ties.

Jarrett comes in at 6^th, with an offensive record that would suggest a low score; especially with Richie 10.5 point behind and a record of 34-32-4.  Colin’s offense also appears to have gotten lucky at times, as he is the best of the three managers with less than 20 points.  James’ offense has been awful, and he has not received any luck in his matchups with a 22-46-2 record.  Drew comes in dead last, and appears content with that.  Before the All-star break he shipped off one his best offensive threats for more pitching. 

Pitching Power Rankings:

1.     Drew 50  (52-17-1)

2.     Colin 38.5  (37-30-3)

3.     James 38  (32-35-3)

4.     Kurt 25.5  (38-29-3)

5.     Adrian 25.5  (37-32-1)

6.     Alex 24.5  (30-38-2)

7.     Jarrett 23  (27-43)

8.     Tj 21  (34-35-1)

9.     Ben 16  (22-43-5)

10.  Richie 13  (28-39-3)

Drew is dominating the pitching categories, which makes you wonder why he was shopping for pitching before the break.  Can he post better numbers than the 50 overall points and 52-17-1 record?   This writer says “No!”  Colin’s starting pitching staff has been solid, while James sneaks into third thanks to a plethora of spot starts.  The 32-35-3 pitching record suggests that start volume isn’t his problem, it’s quality.  Kurt comes in at #4, edging out Adrian by having the better record.  Adrian comes in at 5^th, getting edged out by Kurt due to an inferior record. 

Alex is at the top of the Bottom Five, and his record seems a bit unlucky.  While on the subject of bad luck, Jarrett has not had a tie in any pitching category thru the first 14 weeks.  Why is that unlucky?  I can safely assume that all the ties would have been wins.   Tj, on the other hand, has been incredibly lucky.  Despite having the third lowest point total he is just one game under .500.  Ben and Richie have just had terrible pitching staffs. 

Overall:

1.     Adrian 64.5

2.     Drew 64

3.     Kurt 59

4.     TJ 58

5.     Colin 57.5

6.     Alex 56.5

7.     James 54

8.     Jarrett 53.5

9.     Ben 50

10. Richie 33

What an incredibly close race, top to Ben.  Richie should be counting his blessings, as he is still in a position to grab a playoff spot.  Hope you enjoyed the Power Rankings!  Tune in on Tuesday for something else.