Brethren:
Because
Possum has abdicated his Guest Writer duties for the seventh consecutive
season, I am submitting this brief From the Bullpen to fill the
chasmic void.
Here are
the standings through the games of last evening, Wednesday, May 7, 2014:
|
1 |
Monarchs |
2803.70 |
|
2 |
Wahoos |
2693.90 |
|
3 |
Tribe |
2557.50 |
|
4 |
Cubs |
2523.20 |
|
5 |
Bums |
2502.20 |
|
6 |
Spineless Wonders |
2500.50 |
|
7 |
Tigers |
2426.20 |
|
8 |
Chiefs |
2369.90 |
|
9 |
Senators |
2306.30 |
|
10 |
Bombers |
2275.90 |
|
11 |
Redbirds |
2178.00 |
|
12 |
Bears |
2163.30 |
|
13 |
Blues |
2033.60 |
The
Monarchs have taken over 1st and surged to a 109.8-point lead. Could
this be the year of the Blessed Butterflies? Too early to tell.
The
Blues
have usurped the cellar spot from SloPay and his Bears, and have
slumped to a position almost 130 points below the penultimate rung on
the ladder. Too much extracurricular activity going on with our newlywed?
The rest of us can only hope.
TOP TEN HITTERS
(season)
|
1. |
Troy Tulowitzki
|
Bears |
222.90 |
|
2. |
José Bautista |
Monarchs |
173.70 |
|
3. |
Giancarlo Stanton
|
Skipjacks |
170.20 |
|
4. |
Charlie Blackmon |
Wahoos |
165.60 |
|
5. |
Paul Goldschmidt |
Tribe |
162.90 |
|
6. |
José Abreu |
Bears |
161.30 |
|
7. |
Andrew McCutchen |
Bums |
149.50 |
|
8. |
Albert Pujols |
Senators |
148.30 |
|
9. |
Brian Dozier |
Chiefs |
147.70 |
|
10. |
Carlos Gómez |
Bombers |
146.20 |
WHO’S
HOT – HITTERS
(points
over the preceding 7 days)
|
1. |
Troy Tulowitzki |
Bears |
60.30 |
|
2. |
Colby Rasmus |
Bums |
51.00 |
|
3. |
Giancarlo Stanton |
Skipjacks |
46.50 |
|
4. |
Nolan Arenado |
Bears |
46.50 |
|
5. |
Andrew McCutchen |
Bums |
44.50 |
|
6. |
CarGo |
Senators |
43.10 |
|
7. |
Paul Goldschmidt |
Tribe |
43.10 |
|
8. |
Miguel Cabrera |
Redbirds |
41.70 |
|
9. |
Starling Marte |
Monarchs |
41.10 |
|
10. |
Shin-Soo Choo |
Tribe |
40.00 |
WHO’S
NOT
|
1. |
Josh Reddick |
Redbirds |
-7.50 |
|
2. |
Everth Cabrera
|
Redbirds |
-6.90 |
|
3. |
Domonic Brown |
Chiefs |
-4.00 |
|
4. |
Allen Craig |
Skipjacks |
-3.90 |
|
5. |
Martín Prado
|
Blues |
-1.80 |
|
6. |
Ben Zobrist |
Tigers |
-0.70 |
|
7. |
Josmil Pinto
|
Wahoos |
-0.50 |
|
8. |
Billy Hamilton
|
Senators |
-0.50 |
|
9. |
Alberto Callaspo |
Bombers |
-0.10 |
|
10. |
Oscar Taveras
|
Monarchs |
0.00 |
TOP TEN
PITCHERS
(season)
|
1. |
Johnny Cueto |
Monarchs |
228.00 |
|
2. |
Adam
Wainwright |
Cubs |
220.00 |
|
3. |
José Fernández |
Skipjacks |
205.00 |
|
4. |
Max Scherzer |
Blues |
202.00 |
|
5. |
Tim Hudson |
Senators |
193.00 |
|
6. |
Félix Hernández |
Tigers |
179.00 |
|
7. |
Masahiro Tanaka |
Senators |
179.00 |
|
8. |
Sonny Gray |
Tribe |
173.00 |
|
9. |
Julio Teherán |
Wahoos |
169.00 |
|
10. |
James Shields |
Bums |
166.00 |
WHO’S
HOT
(last 7 days)
|
1. |
Bronson Arroyo |
Blues |
67.00 |
|
2. |
Tom Koehler |
Bombers |
66.00 |
|
3. |
Mark Buehrle |
Senators |
58.00 |
|
4. |
Roenis Elías |
Bears |
57.00 |
| |
Rick Porcello |
Tribe |
57.00 |
|
6. |
Jon Lester |
Wahoos |
49.00 |
|
7. |
Stephen
Strasburg |
Blues |
48.00 |
|
8. |
Wily Peralta |
Bombers |
48.00 |
|
9. |
Henderson Álvarez |
Tigers |
47.00 |
|
10. |
Juan Nicasio |
Wahoos |
47.00 |
WHO’S
NOT
|
1. |
Tyler Skaggs |
Bombers |
-15.00 |
|
2. |
Jason Vargas |
Blues |
-11.00 |
|
3. |
Jenrry Mejía |
Bears |
-9.00 |
| |
CC Sabathia |
Bombers |
-9.00 |
|
5. |
Tanner Roark |
Tribe |
-7.00 |
|
6. |
Edinson Vólquez |
Blues |
-6.00 |
| |
Collin McHugh |
Blues |
-6.00 |
|
8. |
Martín Pérez |
Tribe |
-2.00 |
|
9. |
Zack Greinke |
Monarchs |
-2.00 |
|
10. |
Francisco Liriano |
Chiefs |
-2.00 |
It’s not
too hard to see why the
Blues
have been slumping, with three of their pitchers in negative numbers for the
week.
THE TRIP
The Trip to
Chicago and Milwaukee (May 30-June 1) continues to shape up through the
scattershot email approach being taken by our planners, although we were all
saddened, though not surprised, that Itchie has pulled the plug on the Trip,
citing some phony-baloney “client” meeting on Friday the 30th of May as his
excuse. Our Man Itchie has learned well at the feet of the Master
Bombaster, El Possum, when it comes to fabricating outright fabrications for
Trip avoidance. If only he would be straight with us and simply admit that
he no longer paddles his own canoe, we could all believe and respect that.
A bald-faced prevarication about a client meeting? Not so much. In fact,
not at all.
KNIGHTLY REPORT
Tomorrow
evening the Mount Michael Knights head into Districts against Nebraska City
at Skutt. Our No. 2 starter will probably take the hill for that matchup,
and if the Knights prevail, it will probably be young Will Ernst on the
mound against Skutt on Saturday afternoon. The Knights have to win 3 to get
to State at Werner Park, which will be a tall order with our shallow
pitching staff, and in light of our team’s record of 6 and 13.
Will
probably had his best game of the year last Friday night against Omaha
Gross, a team rated 8th in the standings at that time. Will shut the
Cougars down for 6-1/3 innings, yielding only two base knocks and not
allowing a single Gross runner past second base. He also drove in three of
the Knights four runs in the victory, as his bat has finally heated up, just
in time for postseason play. Love to see the Knights make it to State for
Will’s senior season.
* * * * * *
*
That’s it
for this issue. Possum, no need to thank me, and we hope you are enjoying
yourself with all of your kindred spirits out on the Left Coast.
Skipper
|
