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Although my gritty 2005 Senators made a valiant push during Week 26 to try to eclipse the Redbirds for second place, it was too little, too late.  While my team closed the gap to less than 100 points with the final two days of play to go, having Scott Kazmir and Brad Penny scratched as Sunday starters effectively eliminated any chance that my team had to catch the accursed Redbirds. 

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Mouse was able to use a final-week total of 382.0 and a lackluster week by the Reds (288.0) to rocket past the Commies and claim sole possession of fifth place, the only position change in the standings for the final week.   Hearty congratulations to Mouse for his team’s fifth place finish, the highest ever for the Bronx Bombers. 

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The most compelling storyline for the final weekend had to do with the frenzied fight for that coveted seventh spot between the Tigers and Wahoos.  These two original franchises were precisely tied after 25 weeks with 8476.5.  Going into Sunday’s final day of play, Big Guy’s Tigers enjoyed a seemingly safe cushion of ______ points.  (Oops.  Dave left town and forgot to fill in this blank.  Rest assured it will be filled in later.  Linda)  Believe it or not, the Wahoos scored 1/2 more point during Sunday’s games, but Big Guy was able to tap his savings account for one extra point because his RBIs exceeded his runs scored through Saturday’s games, producing his 1/2 point margin over the Wahoos.  Now that was a close one.  Congrats to Big Guy on the finish.  That’s the way the cookie crumbles, sometimes, Blogger Boy. 

Skipjacks

18

5

7

12

6

+4

Itchie now has five titles to his name, and has never finished in 2nd.  No wonder they call him “The Closer”  at Punjab Telemarketing.  This was the Skipjacks’ seventh straight Upper Division finish.  Child's play.

Redbirds

13

0

5

9

4

0

This is Jim Ed’s fifth 2nd-place finish in 13 years of competition, a remarkable yet somewhat infamous achievement.  The Brooklyn Dodgers of the modern era. 

Senators

21

4

12

13

8

-2

This year was the Senators' fifth 3rd-place finish, to go along with four titles and three 2nd-place finishes for an unsurpassed twelve finishes in the money.  Call it Money Ball

Chiefs

21

1

6

10

11

+3

Despite a shaky last week which cost them 3rd place and nearly cost them 4th, the Chiefs finished in the Quatro hole for the third time in their 21 years of competition.  As a reward, Steinbrenner has already given Screech a vote of confidence for 2006.

Bombers

13

0

0

2

11

+3

2005 marks the Bombers’ top finish in 13 years of competition.  Congrats to Mouse for improving three spots over last year, and serving notice that this franchise is poised to take it to the next level. 

Reds

18

3

10

17

1

0

Although Magpie’s Reds lost their grip on 5th place during the waning moments of the season, this franchise completed its 18th year of competition with its 17th Upper Division finish.  Astounding.  Just as sure as the sun comes up in the east each morning, the Reds will finish in the Upper Division in the Hot Stove League.

Tigers

21

3

7

11

10

-4

Together with the Wahoos, the Tigers experienced the biggest drop in terms of their finish position this year, falling four spots from 3rd to 7th.  However, their 1/2 point victory over the Wahoos and the opportunity to draft seventh instead of eighth next year may mean the difference between winning it all or not in 2006. 

Wahoos

21

3

9

16

5

-4

Like the Reds, this franchise is incredibly consistent, with 16 Upper Division finishes in 21 years of play, and 9 finishes among the top three.  This year’s 8th place finish is the Wahoos’ lowest since 1999, and perhaps indicates a chink or two in the armor of this organization.  If the Wahoos’ bloggerophile manager would spend as much time preparing for the Draft as he does polluting our Message Board, you could look for an instant return to respectability. 

Pirates

19

0

1

6

13

0

SloPay is thinking of changing his team name to the Niners.  This is their third 9th-place finish in the last four years, and their sixth 9th-place finish in 19 years of competition.  Candidly, SloPay is tickled pink simply to finish ahead of the Tribe for the third year in a row, and to avoid the cellar spot for another season.

Tribe

20

0

2

4

16

+2

Like SloPay, U-Bob has landed once again in his comfort zone, finishing in 10th place for the third time in the last four years, and for the sixth time overall.  I propose a new nickname for U-Bob:  Tenor.  Short for Tenor Below.  Just kidding. 

Cubs*

21

1

3

9

12

0

A season that started with great promise for the Cubs* ended up in a vale of tears, as the Cubs* stumbled to their second consecutive 11th-place finish.  But hey, it could be worse.  Just ask around. 

Blues

19

1

1

4

15

-2

No way to put a positive spin on this, except to remind Stretch that he will be the benefactor of the swinging gate in Rounds 5 and 6 of next year’s Draft, so at least he has that going for him.  Seriously, great effort again this year, Stretch, even if the results were not all to your liking.