Today George Fox is encouraging all employees to pause from their normal workday requirements, if possible, and to spend the day in prayer. How one engages in prayer is left open to interpretation, which is welcome. I plan to, after this morning’s update, go on a prayer run, then a prayer paddle on the Willamette river. It should make for a pleasant day of some enjoyable activities being woven together with the essential practice of prayer.
Since it is a Day of Prayer, I thought I’d also take the opportunity to check in on our teams and how each of us may need some prayer as we enter the summer days of the season. After being invited to hug a Wolverine yesterday, which I assure you would not end pleasantly no matter how mellifluous Ron may be, we need to be assured that not everyone is out to cause us harm – and to be especially reminded that, no matter the obstacles and trials we face God is not out to harm us, but is in fact abiding with us as we navigate all life brings our way.
EFL Standings for 2021
| TEAM |
WINS |
LOSSES |
PCT. |
GB |
RS |
RA |
| Old Detroit Wolverines |
49 |
19 |
.723 |
— |
396.6 |
245.5 |
| Peshastin Pears |
45 |
22 |
.670 |
3.8 |
318.0 |
223.9 |
| Flint Hill Tornadoes |
44 |
24 |
.653 |
4.8 |
338.9 |
241.4 |
| D.C. Balk |
40 |
19 |
.675 |
4.9 |
324.7 |
226.0 |
| Kaline Drive |
45 |
24 |
.646 |
5.1 |
355.3 |
262.5 |
| Haviland Dragons |
44 |
25 |
.635 |
5.9 |
329.4 |
253.9 |
| Canberra Kangaroos |
35 |
24 |
.599 |
9.4 |
317.1 |
262.8 |
| Cottage Cheese |
36 |
31 |
.539 |
12.6 |
367.9 |
351.1 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys |
35 |
32 |
.530 |
13.2 |
327.4 |
308.8 |
| Bellingham Cascades |
30 |
37 |
.452 |
18.4 |
261.8 |
289.8 |
| Portland Rosebuds |
30 |
37 |
.441 |
19.1 |
337.8 |
389.3 |
Old Detroit: W, 12-(-2); 49PA, 7.7IP
| AVG: 0.357 |
OBP: 0.449 |
SLG: 0.619 |
OPS: 1.068 |
For the moment we will look past the fishiness of these pitching results (how does an ERA of 4.68 on the day lead to -2 runs allowed? Even with Mike Minor allocated at 75% that doesn’t make sense), to notice the awesomeness of the offensive output. First of all, you should pray for me, because I am the woeful position of wanting Rafael Devers to do well in real life but when he does (3 for 5 yesterday with a double and a home run) I get so angry because he is also a Wolverine. Yesterday, the Red Sox were able to defeat the Braves, and in doing so, hold Austin Riley to one single, a victory these days. But JP Crawford and Carlos Correa, still working hard to supplant other SS tandems, combined for 5 hits in 8 at bats, including a homerun for each. After an excellent (though somewhat suspicious) day, OD needs to pray that the Wolverine players don’t allow their excellence to lull them into complacency as the weather heats up.
Editor’s note: While writing this morning’s update, OD management contacted me to let me know he’d seen the unusual surge and offered a plausible explanation – that he erased 8 innings of a 9.00 ERA due to no LHP innings until Mike minor’s appearance last night.
Peshastin: “W,” 2-3; 30PA, 7IP
| AVG: 0.160 |
OBP: 0.267 |
SLG: 0.200 |
OPS: 0.467 |
The Pears were able to maintain their hold on second place even after losing a game on the Wolverines. The Pear pitchers are most in need of prayer, it seems. This month, after finishing the first two months in the top 3 of pitching in the EFL, the Pears find themselves 6th best. The good news is the offense has been performing a run better per game this month than in previous months, which has helped them to stay afloat, even though yesterday’s results do not support those facts. The hitters collected only 5 hits, and only one of them for extra bases – a double by Victor Robles. Perhaps Pear prayers for pitching have already been heard, because Trevor Rogers tossed 6 innings of one run baseball, while Genesis Cabrera added another scoreless inning.
Flint Hill: “L,” 13-5; 41PA, 17.7IP
| AVG: 0.368 |
OBP: 0.390 |
SLG: 0.711 |
OPS: 1.101 |
Maybe it is the computational outcomes of the database that need prayer? The Tornadoes outscored their opponents by 8 runs and lost? On a day we scored 13 runs, we lost? The Tornado bats have come alive this month, leading the league with 6.99 runs per game. Tornado prayers for offense have been answered, at least in the first half of the month. 4 Tornadoes belted home runs yesterday, including SS Bo Bichette, Paul Goldschmidt (a walk-off), Mookie Betts and Sean Murphy. SS Tim Anderson joined in on the fun, adding 3 singles and a stolen base. A whole lot of pitchers appeared yesterday, with mixed results. Yu Darvish allowed 4 runs in 5 innings, and Julio Urias allowed 2 runs in 5.7 innings. But two relievers (Brentz and Sawamura) added 2 innings of scoreless relief. Tornado prayers will continue to be aimed towards the offense, and perhaps towards the calculator of league stats.
DC: W(2), L(-1), 16-4; 42PA, 2IP
| AVG: 0.412 |
OBP: 0.476 |
SLG: 0.794 |
OPS: 1.270 |
The offenses are sure coming to life these days! DC had the best day at the plate of any EFL team catapulting them to 2 wins while shedding a loss. The Balk must have been praying for extra base hits, because of their 14 hits yesterday, half of them were more than a single – 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 home runs. Take away Jorge Alfaro’s pinch hit appearance in which he was hitless, and every other batter got at least one hit. Ryan McMahon and Santiago Espinal each got 3 hits, McMahon collecting a triple and a home run. There wasn’t a lot of pitching, but it didn’t matter. I think the main thing the Balk want to pray for is enough games played by the Mets to be able to have the Balk’s .675 winning percentage place them correctly, which would be second place.
Kaline: W, 4-3; 44PA, 8IP
| AVG: 0.286 |
OBP: 0.295 |
SLG: 0.429 |
OPS: 0.724 |
The Drive were able to do just enough to secure a win yesterday, thanks to very good pitching and good enough hitting. Kwang Hyun Kim was the leader, tossing 6 innings allowing only one run. Jonathan Schoop continued his torrid month (he most certainly will be traded by the Tigers!) going 2 for 4 with a home run. Hunter Renfroe was the only other hitter to earn an extra base hit, his being a home run, too. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to learn that the Drive’s prayer request might be to continue to play close games, as it did yesterday – winning some, losing some, and staying always just a few games from the top team – close enough to have hope, but not so close to cause undue stress.
Haviland: L, 2-6; 42PA, 5IP
| AVG: 0.275 |
OBP: 0.310 |
SLG: 0.300 |
OPS: 0.610 |
The Dragon’s main prayer request is about their stud ace, Tyler Glasnow and his elbow. Can he return this season? That will remain to be seen, but will be an important piece of the Dragon’s bid to win in 2021. In the meantime, the pitching staff is scuffling. Jesus Luzardo has been bad since returning from the IL, last night surrendering 1 run in 1 inning, and Corbin Martin tossed 3 innings, giving up 2 runs. Perhaps they feel the Glasnow is half empty. Youngsters Alex Kirilloff and Amed Rosario contributed 2 hits apiece, but of the Dragons 11 hits, only one was for extra bases.
Canberra: W, 1-(-2); 29PA, 20.7IP
| AVG: 0.154 |
OBP: 0.241 |
SLG: 0.269 |
OPS: 0.511 |
Unlike the other Mock-led team, Canberra’s subtraction of two runs makes perfect sense: they gave up only 3 earned runs in over 20 innings pitched. Prayers were answered as Chris Flexen tossed 8 innings of shutout baseball, lowering his monthly ERA by over 2 runs to 3.60. Jake Odorizzi rebounded from his previous start, adding 4 scoreless innings of his own. The hitting was not that good, but Eric Haase (yes, him again) went 2 for 4. Canberra’s prayers are simple enough – they need more hits. Right now they are last in the league in total hits this month, and if they can find a way to hit a little more, they may be able to find a way to hop north in the standings.
Cottage: W, 13-3; 38PA, 12IP
| AVG: 0.417 |
OBP: 0.447 |
SLG: 0.667 |
OPS: 1.114 |
The Cheese had an excellent day on both sides of the ball. SS Trea Turner led the way for the offense, going 4 for 5 with a triple. Alex Verdugo continued to make a case for being selected as an All-Star, going 2 for 5 with a 3-run home run to help the Red Sox win (hooray!). Taijuan Walker continued his excellent season, tossing 7 innings and giving up only 2 runs. The Cheese need to be praying that Walker’s outing can be a catalyst for their pitchers to return to their May numbers instead of repeating their April number. The difference is monumental – in April the Cheese had a team ERA of 6.01. In May? A tidy 3.30. This month, however, they are sitting at 4.66, even after Walker’s gem.
Pittsburgh: “L,” 5-5; 30PA, 14IP
| AVG: 0.269 |
OBP: 0.367 |
SLG: 0.538 |
OPS: 0.905 |
I, for one, believe the database should have awarded the Alleghenys a win simply due to the excellent piece their owner contributed on
Mudcat Grant (if you haven’t read it yet, please do!). But I suppose a computer can’t express emotion and therefore a tie it is. Pittsburgh’s greatest prayers might be to finally surpass the Cheese and remain above them for good, before this back and forth ride sends its owner into a permanent state of disequilibrium. Or it might want to focus on the health of its corner infielders, Max Muncy and Mike Moustakas, whose bats could surely be used these days. Yesterday’s heroics were due to Jose Altuve (2 for 5 with a game winning home run) and Frankie Montas (7IP and 2ER).
Bellingham: W, 5-(-1); 28PA, 8IP
| AVG: 0.261 |
OBP: 0.393 |
SLG: 0.391 |
OPS: 0.784 |
Perhaps the greatest Cascade prayer was answered already – they are no longer in last place! Their good day yesterday allowed them to surpass the Rosebuds in the standings. The star of the day was Brett Anderson, who 7 scoreless innings were a balm to the Cascade soul. And even though he had three strikeouts on the day, Ronald Acuna, Jr. also had 2 hits (one of them a double) and a stolen base.
Portland: L, 2-14; 29PA, 7.3IP
| AVG: 0.185 |
OBP: 0.241 |
SLG: 0.333 |
OPS: 0.575 |
Maybe when in the cellar, and after a bad day, your prayers become benevolent. I could imagine the Rosebud owner turning its prayers towards the real ills of the day, and not towards a silly fantasy baseball league. If so, there is much for which he might pray – his brother’s success in obscure hobbies perhaps at the top of the list! Otherwise, perhaps his prayers might turn towards cementing his place as the number one pick in the draft next year, though there is work to be done for that to occur, since 10 MLB teams have 30 or fewer wins at this point. But there is a lot of season left in order to accomplish your goals! Gary Sanchez did do something worth talking about – leading the Yankees to a rare win with his 2 for 5 with one double and one home run performance.
Combined MLB + EFL Standings for 2021
| TEAM |
WINS |
LOSSES |
PCT. |
GB |
| Old Detroit Wolverines |
49 |
19 |
.723 |
— |
| Flint Hill Tornadoes |
44 |
24 |
.653 |
4.8 |
| Tampa Bay Rays |
43 |
25 |
.632 |
6.2 |
| Boston Red Sox |
41 |
27 |
.603 |
8.2 |
| Toronto Blue Jays |
34 |
32 |
.515 |
14.2 |
| New York Yankees |
34 |
32 |
.515 |
14.2 |
| Baltimore Orioles |
22 |
44 |
.333 |
26.2 |
| TEAM |
WINS |
LOSSES |
PCT. |
GB |
| D.C. Balk |
40 |
19 |
.675 |
— |
| Canberra Kangaroos |
35 |
24 |
.599 |
4.5 |
| New York Mets |
34 |
25 |
.576 |
5.8 |
| Philadelphia Phillies |
32 |
33 |
.492 |
10.8 |
| Atlanta Braves |
30 |
34 |
.469 |
12.3 |
| Miami Marlins |
29 |
38 |
.433 |
14.8 |
| Washington Nationals |
29 |
38 |
.433 |
14.8 |
| TEAM |
WINS |
LOSSES |
PCT. |
GB |
| Chicago White Sox |
42 |
25 |
.627 |
— |
| Cleveland Indians |
36 |
28 |
.563 |
4.5 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys |
35 |
32 |
.530 |
6.5 |
| Kansas City Royals |
30 |
36 |
.455 |
11.5 |
| Bellingham Cascades |
30 |
37 |
.452 |
11.7 |
| Detroit Tigers |
28 |
39 |
.418 |
14 |
| Minnesota Twins |
26 |
41 |
.388 |
16 |
| TEAM |
WINS |
LOSSES |
PCT. |
GB |
| Milwaukee Brewers |
38 |
29 |
.567 |
— |
| Chicago Cubs |
38 |
29 |
.567 |
— |
| Cottage Cheese |
36 |
31 |
.539 |
1.9 |
| Cincinnati Reds |
34 |
31 |
.523 |
3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals |
34 |
33 |
.507 |
4 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates |
23 |
43 |
.348 |
14.5 |
| TEAM |
WINS |
LOSSES |
PCT. |
GB |
| Kaline Drive |
45 |
24 |
.646 |
— |
| Haviland Dragons |
44 |
25 |
.635 |
0.8 |
| Oakland A’s |
42 |
27 |
.609 |
2.6 |
| Houston Astros |
38 |
28 |
.576 |
5.1 |
| Seattle Mariners |
34 |
35 |
.493 |
10.6 |
| Los Angeles Angels |
33 |
34 |
.493 |
10.6 |
| Texas Rangers |
25 |
42 |
.373 |
18.6 |
| TEAM |
WINS |
LOSSES |
PCT. |
GB |
| Peshastin Pears |
45 |
22 |
.670 |
— |
| San Francisco Giants |
42 |
25 |
.627 |
2.9 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers |
41 |
26 |
.612 |
3.9 |
| San Diego Padres |
38 |
31 |
.551 |
7.9 |
| Portland Rosebuds |
30 |
37 |
.441 |
15.3 |
| Colorado Rockies |
27 |
41 |
.397 |
18.4 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks |
20 |
48 |
.294 |
25.4 |
