NLD XXXVI - The Fun Continues

Ugh, split the first two with Big A and then Carpenter makes his 20th Error of the season (he's an e12 ) to cost me three unearned runs in the finale. Of course, we only scored one run (also unearned) against Cashner in our LH favoring park with 6 LHB in the lineup so there was a LOT that didn't got right that game I guess. (like losing Chris Davis and his back up Swisher for the last game)

Well, almost impossible to catch Big A now. He holds the tie breaker. It would take a double sweep to pass him.

Two games up on AT/GB and one on Corky for the WC. I have the tie breaker on AT, but not on either of the other two so..... Our magic number is 3 with Corky, 2 with GB and 1 with AT.

I'll be rooting hard for JMP, Semper, and GMAC. Plus we'll have to take care of business versus Smokey, no easy task.

Drama in all 3 divisions and the WC down to the last day, great season in the NLD!

Drama in all 3 divisions and the WC down to the last day, great season in the NLD!

Yep! It has been a great season! Lots of drama. The BlueBombers record with 1 run wins has changed dramatically down the stretch. Perkins and Furbush had great starts to the season, but they've had a so-so (ranging to bad) second half. Team offence has dropped off massively in the second half. I posted earlier in the season that it's hard to measure luck with the game stat measures, because so much of the luck is simply the die rolls that you get - whether it's on the batter card or pitcher card, either way. But the team hasn't changed, and my strategies haven't changed, so it's pretty clear that the good luck through the 120 game mark has turned to bad luck at some point.

Overall, I certainly can't complain, and I'm still very pleased with the overall positive run differential for the team. I still feel really good about the concept for the team, and I intend to try it again sometime soon (although for variety's sake, probably not the same team concept at NLD next time, or at least not for the very next league that we do).

I still want to do a lot of analysis for this team and this league, because I think it's really interesting. But not now. Too much craziness in my life. Really swamped.

Really looking forward to seeing how the games play out tonight! Great drama!

Good luck, AT! You deserve the good luck for sticking with your team - well done, pal!!!!!!!!

Drama in all 3 divisions and the WC down to the last day, great season in the NLD!

Agreed!

Drama in all 3 divisions and the WC down to the last day, great season in the NLD!

Yep! It has been a great season! Lots of drama. The BlueBombers record with 1 run wins has changed dramatically down the stretch. Perkins and Furbush had great starts to the season, but they've had a so-so (ranging to bad) second half. Team offence has dropped off massively in the second half. I posted earlier in the season that it's hard to measure luck with the game stat measures, because so much of the luck is simply the die rolls that you get - whether it's on the batter card or pitcher card, either way. But the team hasn't changed, and my strategies haven't changed, so it's pretty clear that the good luck through the 120 game mark has turned to bad luck at some point.

Overall, I certainly can't complain, and I'm still very pleased with the overall positive run differential for the team. I still feel really good about the concept for the team, and I intend to try it again sometime soon (although for variety's sake, probably not the same team concept at NLD next time, or at least not for the very next league that we do).

I still want to do a lot of analysis for this team and this league, because I think it's really interesting. But not now. Too much craziness in my life. Really swamped.

Really looking forward to seeing how the games play out tonight! Great drama!

Good luck, AT! You deserve the good luck for sticking with your team - well done, pal!!!!!!!!

Good luck to you too! I am feeling a litle confident as my 2 aces start tonight at home but we all know how wierd HAL can be so I wouldnt be surprised to go 0-3 LOL.

Just noticed how many injury days I have accumulated! I think I pretty much double almost any other team in the league!

Just noticed how many injury days I have accumulated! I think I pretty much double almost any other team in the league!

Wasn't that your plan????

Ugh, going to be a nerve wracking night tonight!

So, I watched all the games on replay tonight very nerve wracking.

First game fell behind 3-0, getting no-hit through 5 2/3, but rally to tie. However, Kipnis can't turn a DP and Moss doubles in two to beat us.

Game two, fall behind again! 2-0 this time. Getting only one hit until the 5th. C. Davis hits 2b to tie in the 6th. In the 7th, Desmond hits a two out double off of Medina's card, Kipnis is walked intentionally and Crips also walks to load 'em up! C. Davis up again and..... singles (1-14) to put us ahead! Wainwright gives up a 2 out single in the 8th and Jansen comes in to retire 4 straight.

Need game three to advance (or I so I figure). Fall behind again, but Navarro, who has hit 2 HRs already gets injured. Oberholtzer on the mound for us against Alavarez. 1-0 in the second, but we get 2 runs (helped by a 1-4 single) and a big two out single by Kipnis off of the pitcher's card. Bogusevic is thrown out 1-15 at the plate! "Obie" pitches well, but Smokey ties on a sac fly in the top of 5th. Obe gets Calhoun with the bases loaded!

Kipnis hits a bphr to start the bottom of the 5th, Crisp gets an error from Raburn and C. Davis no doubts a 2-5 HR. We lead by 3. we get two more on a C Davis single after a Freeman error to make it 7-2. Freeman makes it a 4 run game with a bphr of his own, but Jansen comes in to retire 6 of the last 7 for the win!

I have to say that I much appreciate Kershaw throwing a shutout against Corky (I'm glad he's not the Cardinals! ) to get us into the playoffs!

Stoney will be a stiff challenge for us for sure.

It was a very unbalanced league, but among the top six teams, what a race! GB and Corky finished one game out of a playoff spot! I think we were a bit lucky to out perform our Pythag by 3 games.

I'm very surprised that we finished 8th in offense, but I'm also surprised that we finished fourth in pitching so.... Actually, interestingly, we have the second best pitching in the playoffs! Of course, offensively, we were only 18 runs out of sixth so, there probably isn't that big of a difference. AT has the best O of the playoffs with Stoney slightly ahead of me and Big A (of course) in last.

What a crazy finish, I'm surprised that AT was overcame that hole that he was in. It looked certain that GB would coast to a first place finish. Of course, he finished 7-3 and GB 4-6, that made all the difference in the world. I finished tied for the best record in the league, but, finished in the WC. Not sure if we've ever had a three way tie for the best record before. If AT doesn't win it, the best record is certain to get another notch in it's belt. Of course, AT only finished 1 game behind us!

Look at those records:
88 Wins - Big A, JTJ, Stoney
87 Wins - AT, Corky (and out of the playoffs! )
86 wins GB

Joe,

I have Kershaw. He actually pitched for me in the game I lost in the final series. So I guess you can still thank him, but for losing, not winning.

What a crazy season for my squad with a lot of ups and downs. My team was awful for a long time in the beginning of the year. I'm glad I didn't panic and rush to make moves. I knew my team was better than what they were showing so I decided to stand pat. After starting 0-9 at home, then 20-32 overall we managed to go 67-43 the rest of the way and tied for 3rd best run differential. Being that I thought preseason the west was the toughest division this year, and the NLD as a whole always being tough I'm ok with how things finished up. Was a very exciting year.

I was much less active on the boards this season, I apologize for that. I didn't mention it here but a few weeks back I suffered the loss of my dad only 1 week before the birth of my first child. Things were pretty chaotic here for a while.

Congratulations to all the playoff teams. I don't remember a crazier finish in the NLD. Between GB's tumble, Arryl's revival and all races going down to final day it was pretty fun to be a part of.

Good luck to all those moving on!

Joe,

I have Kershaw. He actually pitched for me in the game I lost in the final series. So I guess you can still thank him, but for losing, not winning.

What a crazy season for my squad with a lot of ups and downs. My team was awful for a long time in the beginning of the year. I'm glad I didn't panic and rush to make moves. I knew my team was better than what they were showing so I decided to stand pat. After starting 0-9 at home, then 20-32 overall we managed to go 67-43 the rest of the way and tied for 3rd best run differential. Being that I thought preseason the west was the toughest division this year, and the NLD as a whole always being tough I'm ok with how things finished up. Was a very exciting year.

I was much less active on the boards this season, I apologize for that. I didn't mention it here but a few weeks back I suffered the loss of my dad only 1 week before the birth of my first child. Things were pretty chaotic here for a while.

Congratulations to all the playoff teams. I don't remember a crazier finish in the NLD. Between GB's tumble, Arryl's revival and all races going down to final day it was pretty fun to be a part of.

Good luck to all those moving on!

Hey Corky,

Congrats on your first baby and my condolences for your Dad. I lost my Mom in May so I know how hard that can be.

Yes a crazy finish. We've had only one tie EVER for the best record, never had a three-way tie! I'm quite sure the playoff race has never been this close before.

Yes, sorry about Kershaw, I was looking at your schedule and saw that Kershaw pitched. Know that Semper had a ton of LHSP, I just figured it was Kershaw on his side. Turns out it was Mad Bum and Torres that shut you out.

Speaking of Mad Bum, He was very good tonight and I've been enjoying the Giants' run and will be going to Tuesday and Wednesday's Games!