TED LASSO LEAGUE 2023-2

Posting this here because it deserves to go to all 18 teams, not just our cursed division.

Gentlemen.

So we (Plaguemarines) was at my highest WL% point of the season yesterday, (58-41) and figured we had a puncher's chance to keep up if we could get a series win from the Hornets. They swept us. A sweep would have gotten us within 3 games. Instead we're now 9 games back. The rest of the division is nowhere close.

So, just to be clear, they have now won 30 of their last 32. THIRTY wins in 32 games.

30-2.

They are indeed the RED HOT Hornets!

That is a 150-10 pace.

Dear Friends:

The time has come for me to retire from StratOMatic. I will miss you all and wish the best for each and every one of you. My health is ok but I have headed into the "whats next" period of my life and I need to make some adjustment.

Respectfully
Mike Lopp

Dear Friends:

The time has come for me to retire from StratOMatic. I will miss you all and wish the best for each and every one of you. My health is ok but I have headed into the "whats next" period of my life and I need to make some adjustment.

Respectfully
Mike Lopp

Mike, I'm sorry that you will be leaving this great group but understand that you need to do what is best to keep your life in balance. Best wishes to you and your future. Although we've never met face-to-face, I think you live the closest to my location of any participant I'm aware of. Thanks for being a fine competitor.

Richard Paulette

Dear Friends:

The time has come for me to retire from StratOMatic. I will miss you all and wish the best for each and every one of you. My health is ok but I have headed into the "whats next" period of my life and I need to make some adjustment.

Respectfully
Mike Lopp

Best wishes, Mike, and I hope you enjoy that next chapter!

100 SB for Acuna!

100 SB for Acuna!

Wow! Next closest across the 18 teams is Witt with 65.

The Red Hot Hornets lived up to their name, as jodynadu's team won 108 games in the Premier Div, finishing 12 games ahead of the closest competitor. In much closer races, other titles were claimed by:
AAA Div - padrenurgle1/Carjackers
AA Div - tcochran/Bums

For those who don't seek out the separate league pages, highlights were as follows:

PREMIER DIVISION
108-54 jodynadu
96-66 padrenurgle1/Plaguemarines
81-81 oldmansmith2
71-91 Rant
66-96 baseball cfo - to AAA next season
64-98 Spider 67/Conquest - to AAA next season

Batting in MLB improved in the 2023 season, but it was really the name of the game in the Premier Div this time around, with team OPS up to .761 (vs. 734 in MLB) and ERA/WHIP falling to 4.55/1.33 (vs. 4.33/1.32 in MLB). HR/team were also up, at 240 (vs. 196 in MLB).

Individual highlights included:
Matt Olson winning MVP, with top honors in HR (66), RBI (159), and OPS (1.045),
Ronald Acuna with top BA (.322), hits (209), and SB (101), and
Shohei Ohtani winning the CYA with an 18-3 record and 281 Ks (while, as a batter, finishing 2nd in HR & RBI and 3rd in OPS)

Honorable mention goes to Logan Webb with a remarkable 11 CG, more than the total of all other CG in the league!

AAA DIVISION
88-74 padrenurgle1/Carjackers - to Premier next season
84-78 jflatour99 - to Premier next season
82-80 ironwill1
82-80 Terry101
76-86 thisisray - to AA next season
74-88 tcochran/Sugar Kings - to AA next season

Batting in AAA was almost exactly on par with MLB, with OPS of .732 and ERA/WHIP of 4.26/1.30. Only HR/team varied a bit, at 220 in AAA.

Bobby Witt won MVP for his endurance, leading in G (162), AB (722), R (118), H (191), and SB (65),
Yordan Alvarez had the top BA (.287) and OPS (.972), and
Camilo Doval won the CYA as a closer, with 34 SV and an .895 SV%, appearing in 81 G

AA DIVISION
91-71 tcochran/Bums - to AAA next season
88-74 unctarheel - to AAA next season
88-74 KellysHeroes
82-82 Spider 67/Brew
74-88 jmlopp
63-99 Palmtana

Pitching dominated again in AA, even if not quite as much as in 2022, with team OPS of .705 and ERA/WHIP of 3.83/1.19. HR/team did increase, though, to an average of 220.

Paul Goldschmidt won MVP on a consensus vote, because HAL does not like platoon guys or unleashed unicorns. Goldschmidt finished in the top 7 in H, HR, R, RBI, and OPS, while leading in none of them.
Evan Carter and Ernie Clement both had outstanding seasons as strong-side platoon batters, earning the top 2 spots in many categories, with
Clement leading in BA (.355), H (191), and 3B (24), and Carter leading in R (95), SLG (.621), and OBP (.414).
Tanner Scott, another closer, won the CYA with 34 SV and a .919 SV%

And as an award for having 2 fine teams this season, padrenurgle1 gets to choose which one he wants to keep, since both are assigned to Premier Div in the 2023-2 season.

Note: I'm about halfway through the 2020 Glory Days' draft and just getting ready to start the Ted Lasso ATG draft for season 9.

I'll work on the 2023-2 season in this league after those others quiet down a bit.