Monarch Missive 19

Using the Full Standings function on Yahoo I created the following table:

	Overall Rank	Batting Rank	Pitching Rank
Wahoos	1	1	5
West Des Moines Cubs	2	2	4
Tigers	3	5	3
Bums	4	3	11
Bronx Bombers	5	6	7
Kansas City Blues	6	9	6
SKIPJACKS	7	4	10
Monarchs	8	7	8
LINCOLN CHIEFS	9	12	2
Bears	10	11	9
Omaha Senators	11	13	1
Redbirds	12	8	12
Tribe	13	10	13

The Wahoos, Cubs, and Tigers have the batting strength and batting/pitching balance to run away with the podium finishes.

I was thinking about how much we call each other by our HSL nicknames rather than given names. I think BT and I have batted this around in the past. Here’s one man’s list of HSL members in order of least likely to have someone use his real name.

	Nickname	Real name (in case anyone has forgotten)
1	Mouse	Mike
2	Screech	Jeff
3	Big Guy	Rick
4	Skipper (Skip, Old Onion Skin)	Dave
5	Itchie (Sandjigger, BFJ)	John
6	Blongo (Stretch, Dead Man Walking)	Jon
7	Possum	Ted
8	Shamu	Chuck
9	Tricko (Curby)	Mitch
10	BT	Scott
11	Underbelly	Bob
12	Tirebiter	Jim
13	SloPay	Denny

Musings from the Home Run Derby and All Star Game

· Home Run Derby seeds

1. Mark Trumbo, Bal, Monarchs

2. Todd Frazier, ChW, Monarchs

3. Adam Duvall, Cin, Bears

4. Robinson Cano, Sea, Bums

5. Giancarlo Stanton, Mia, Monarchs

6. Wil Myers, SD, Wahoos

7. Carlos Gonzalez, Col, Wahoos

8. Corey Seager, LAD, Bears

· If it’s true that the HRD can screw with a batter’s 2^nd half swing I’m just that, screwed. And why am I mired in the bowels of The League with these sluggers?

· Loved the throwback Padres unis.

· Several years ago I noted in a Missive how Berman was the absolute wrong guy to do the Home Run Derby, that his shtick was better suited for football, and that if I heard one more “back-back-back” my head would spin off my torso. Or something to that effect. Here I am in 2016 trying to enjoy the Derby and Boomer is still calling it. Note the big loser in this article, I’m not the only one, shaking head slowly…

https://theringer.com/the-winners-and-losers-from-the-home-run-derby-865007f9299#.fyvcyd761

· Great tribute to Carew and Gwynn, two outstanding ballplayers. Not sure every award needs a player name associated with it, but they could have picked worse.

· Refreshing to see the AL starters field for the first time an infield and catcher all under age 26. Legends like Ripken and Jeter deserved all the respect they got, but they were not always the best players at their positions for the first half of a season.

· Someone buy Chris Sale a cheeseburger, some chili cheese fries, and a shake. Dude needs some calories.

· Bottom of the 7^th, man at first, Jon Lester pitching. The sadistic side of me wanted to see him uncork a pick-off throw in to the first baseline stands. He was, after all, a Red Sox at one point.

Love the trading tsunami. Ok, maybe it’s just a hard rain, but the activity is fun none the less. In chronological order (Hawkeye fans that means arranged in order of time)…

1. Julio Teheran to the Skipjacks for Francisco Cervelli to the Monarchs. Or what I call The Trade with Satan. Soon after, Teheran becomes a Top 12 points pitcher and Cervelli goes to the DL and then to the waiver wire. Adding insult to injury Satan recently picked up Cervelli.

2. Nick Castellanos to the Bombers for Trevor Bauer to the Monarchs. What an Angel that Brother Mouse is. A gentlemanly trade that helps both teams. Safe travels to and back from the fjords of Norway, Mouse.

3. Khris Davis to the Tigers for Hisahsi Iwakuma to the Bums. I can only imagine it was much like Trade #2. A gentlemanly agreement that will probably help both teams. Well done gents.

4. Carlos Santana and DJ LeMahieu to the Senators for Steven Strasburg to the Wahoos. Back in an August 2012 Missive I wrote the following: “Am I the only that can envision the trade proposals that must have been tossed out before the lads (Skipper and Possum) landed on Weaver for Jones and Ross? The proposal sequence from Ted may have looked something like this:” History does possibly repeat itself.

1. Verlander for Ross and Jones (Dave: “Flat out no”)

2. Verlander and Wieters for Ross, Jones, Harang, and Seth Smith (“Umm, no”)

3. Verlander, Lucroy, Gordon, and Hosmer for Ross, Jones, Harang, Smith, Mitch Moreland, and the rights to say that you cut Mike Trout (Dave, with head spinning: “Hmm, I’m just not sure”)

4. (Suddenly Ted zigs when Dave was expecting a zag) Weaver and Zobrist for Ross, Jones, and some beads (“We’re close, but not quite”)

5. (You’re right, Zobrist is a stud) Weaver for Ross and Jones and I’m keeping the beads (“Sold!”)

After a few years of trip absence I’m looking forward to Pittsburgh. Good luck in the 2^nd half HSL Brethren.

Screech