This time it’s the opening day for classes for the 2016 Fall semester at GF. I have my first class at 1:00 — a 54-member Business Law class, my largest ever, if you don’t count LACI lectures.
But it’s ok. There’s nothing going on in the EFL. Nothing to see here. Well, except for the Flint Hill-Kaline pas-de-deux. So let’s turn things upside down today to highlight the drama.
EFL Standings for 2016
EFL | ||||||
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB | RS | RA |
Haviland Dragons | 84 | 47 | .638 | — | 684.2 | 512.5 |
Old Detroit Wolverines | 81 | 49 | .626 | 1.7 | 674.5 | 519.4 |
Portland Rosebuds | 80 | 50 | .615 | 3.2 | 661.2 | 518.6 |
Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 78 | 51 | .607 | 4.3 | 705.5 | 569.5 |
Canberra Kangaroos | 72 | 58 | .551 | 11.5 | 636.9 | 563.9 |
Peshastin Pears | 71 | 59 | .545 | 12.3 | 624.1 | 563.2 |
Flint Hill Tornadoes | 64 | 66 | .490 | 19.4 | 553.5 | 564.0 |
Kaline Drive | 64 | 67 | .489 | 19.6 | 645.7 | 675.0 |
Cottage Cheese | 57 | 72 | .438 | 26.1 | 605.0 | 684.8 |
D.C. Balk | 46 | 84 | .352 | 37.3 | 548.5 | 749.0 |
DC: W, 7 – 7. (.325, .429, .425; 8 ip, 4 er). Welington Castillo was, I believe, on the DL for a while. I think. Anyway, he’s back now: 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Haviland: “W”, 1 – 5.
Cottage: “W”, 2 – 4. (.195, .233, .317; 6 ip, 2 er). It’s hard sometimes to bend down and look at the league undercarriage to see what’s really happening down there. So sometimes we ignore odd bangs and rattles. And, actually, now that we have the league hanging by its ankles, we discover there isn’t much going on in the Cottage at the moment…
Kaline: W, 5 – 5. (.276, .344, .448; 5.3 ip, 2 er). Yesterday I was on a raft floating down the White Salmon River with six others and a rafting guide. The White Salmon is not a placid stream, but sometimes he got us in little eddies where we were stationary and could watch other rafts slipping past us. The Drive got into one of those eddies yesterday and watched the Tornados almost slip BACK past them.
Flint Hill: L, 0 – 5. (.200, .200, .300; 11.3 ip, 7 er) What had the Tornados floating backwards yesterday? Poor hitting (Jaso’s homer being the ONLY offensive highlight) and crummy pitching. That’ll usually do it.
Peshastin: “W”, 3 – 3. (.200, .273, .400; 6.3 ip, 2 er)
Canberra: “W”, 3 – 4. (.240, .286, .360; 10 ip, 4 er).
Very similar lines from the two green teams in the middle of our standings — which would preserve their places there in the middle if they keep up their current momentum.
Pittsburgh: “L”, 9 – 6. (.304, .385, 1.037; 4 ip, 5 er)
Portland: W, 9 – 5. (.333, .377, .614; no pitching.)
Old Detroit: W, 3 – (-1). (231, .333, .333; 13 ip, 3 er.)
These teams, doomed to be bridesmaids to the Dragon bride, each displayed strengths and flaws that have kept them in their places lo these many weeks. Pittsburgh’s only pitcher (Aaron Blair) was unimpressive — but at least they had one, unlike the Rosebuds. On the other hand, the ‘Buds amassed 61 strong plate appearances in a single day. The Wolverines strengths ran to pitching, as they have the last three days running.
Haviland: “W”, 1 – 5. (.200, .263, .492; 20 ip, 9 er). The Dragons performed poorly for once at the plate, but lots of decent pitching and a reservoir of wins stored up in their stats carried them to the win nonetheless. As usual.
AL East | ||||
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
Old Detroit Wolverines | 81 | 49 | .626 | — |
Toronto Blue Jays | 74 | 56 | .569 | 7.4 |
Boston Red Sox | 72 | 58 | .554 | 9.4 |
Baltimore Orioles | 71 | 59 | .546 | 10.4 |
New York Yankees | 67 | 62 | .519 | 13.9 |
Flint Hill Tornadoes | 64 | 66 | .490 | 17.7 |
Tampa Bay Rays | 55 | 74 | .426 | 25.9 |
NL East | ||||
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
Washington Nationals | 75 | 55 | .577 | — |
Canberra Kangaroos | 72 | 58 | .551 | 3.3 |
Miami Marlins | 67 | 63 | .515 | 8 |
New York Mets | 66 | 64 | .508 | 9 |
Philadelphia Phillies | 60 | 70 | .462 | 15 |
Atlanta Braves | 48 | 83 | .366 | 27.5 |
D.C. Balk | 46 | 84 | .352 | 29.2 |
AL Central | ||||
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 78 | 51 | .607 | — |
Cleveland Indians | 73 | 56 | .566 | 5.3 |
Detroit Tigers | 69 | 61 | .531 | 9.8 |
Kansas City Royals | 68 | 62 | .523 | 10.8 |
Chicago White Sox | 63 | 66 | .488 | 15.3 |
Minnesota Twins | 49 | 81 | .377 | 29.8 |
NL Central | ||||
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
Chicago Cubs | 82 | 47 | .636 | — |
St. Louis Cardinals | 68 | 61 | .527 | 14 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 67 | 61 | .523 | 14.5 |
Cottage Cheese | 57 | 72 | .438 | 25.4 |
Milwaukee Brewers | 56 | 74 | .431 | 26.5 |
Cincinnati Reds | 55 | 74 | .426 | 27 |
AL West | ||||
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
Haviland Dragons | 84 | 47 | .638 | — |
Texas Rangers | 77 | 54 | .588 | 6.6 |
Seattle Mariners | 68 | 62 | .523 | 15.1 |
Houston Astros | 68 | 62 | .523 | 15.1 |
Kaline Drive | 64 | 67 | .489 | 19.6 |
Oakland A’s | 57 | 73 | .438 | 26.1 |
Los Angeles Angels | 56 | 74 | .431 | 27.1 |
NL West | ||||
TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
Portland Rosebuds | 80 | 50 | .615 | — |
Los Angeles Dodgers | 73 | 57 | .562 | 6.9 |
San Francisco Giants | 71 | 59 | .546 | 8.9 |
Peshastin Pears | 71 | 59 | .545 | 9.1 |
Colorado Rockies | 62 | 68 | .477 | 17.9 |
San Diego Padres | 55 | 75 | .423 | 24.9 |
Arizona Diamondbacks | 55 | 76 | .420 | 25.4 |