It was a private competition..

 

 

— Lyle Lovett

 

 

I announced on the Wolverine blog (The OD O.D.) last Sunday the Wolverines would not be tanking this year.  We had started to, trading away Dallas Keuchel, Willson Contreras, and David Phelps, but on Sunday I repented and changed course before the draft.  

 

At that point, the Woeverines were in last place, 10.2 games back.  No one believes they can win the league now — even though at that point the W’s had gained 1.3 games on the Drive in just 2 days, and still had 26 games to go in the season.   I mean, come on, it has taken the W’s four more games to gain another 1.3 in the standings.  Now down to 22 games left, that’s 5.5 more sets of 4 games.  5.5 x 1.3 = 7.15 games — so at their current September pace, the W’s will still be 1.7 games behind the Drive at season’s end.  

 

And it’s not like the other 9 teams are just going to lie down and let the W’s pass them… 

 

And anyway, we all know that it’s impossible to tell anything from the results from the first two days of the month. Rotations haven’t rotated, etc. 

 

But the W’s aren’t trying to win the season.  We’re just trying to win the month.  It’s a meaningless private competition. Meaningless to you, to the league, to anyone but me.  To be in last place on August 31 and win the month — what a coup that would be!  

 

Every other team in the league had a better chance to win it all when the month started, but the Wolverines decided to dance right where they were.  As the month wears on, one by one every team but one will find themselves 20 streets, or maybe 2000 miles, away from the goal that has left them behind.  They’ll have to find a dance they can dance right where they are… a private competition to give pizzazz to the last month of an essentially 2-month season.

 

I wonder what that will look like for each EFL team. 

 

 

 

EFL
TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	PCT.	GB	RS	RA
Kaline Drive	20	14	.598	—	166.6	137.3
Haviland Dragons	20	14	.575	0.8	181.7	158.1
Bellingham Cascades	18	19	.496	3.5	196.9	209.0
Flint Hill Tornadoes	18	20	.476	4.2	196.9	214.4
Canberra Kangaroos	17	19	.466	4.6	182.0	196.4
Cottage Cheese	17	19	.465	4.6	176.5	192.9
D.C. Balk	16	20	.453	5	165.0	181.2
Peshastin Pears	17	21	.441	5.6	173.1	194.8
Pittsburgh Alleghenys	14	23	.367	8.2	169.8	227.2
Old Detroit Wolverines	13	25	.353	8.9	171.8	231.2
Portland Rosebuds	13	25	.335	9.6	188.3	265.6

 

 

AVG: 0.272

OBP: 0.346

SLG: 0.359

OPS: 0.705

PA: 104

ERA: 2.73

WHIP: 1.212

IP: 33.0

 

Dallas Keuchel paid immediate dividends, allowing only 1 earned run in a seven-inning start on Tuesday.  Willson Contreras pitched in with 4 hits in at bats trips to the plate, including a double and a walk, for a nice 1.055 OPS start to the month. The W’s will miss those two.  Willy Adames led the offense, going 5 for 7 with two doubles, a homer and a walk, for an OPS of 2.179, if my head’s calculator is working this morning.

 

The Drive don’t need a private competition.  They are leading the official public one.  

 

 

 

AVG: 0.243

OBP: 0.349

SLG: 0.343

OPS: 0.692

PA: 83

ERA: 2.29

WHIP: 0.828

IP: 15.7

 

 

The Dragonmaster tried to convince us Monday evening his last-round draft of Neil Walker was pure nostalgia.  Pure nostalgia for 1.000 batting averages, maybe: Walker is 3 for 3 this month.  Last month’s debutant pickup (Cristian Javier) and this month’s prize (Sixto Sanchez) combined to complete 13.7 ip for 3 earned runs.  Ex-Wolverine Kolten Wong contributed 5 hits in 8 at bats, including 2 doubles and a HBP.   

As they are within one game of the Drive, the flying D’s do not need a private competition, either.

 

 

 

AVG: 0.288

OBP: 0.356

SLG: 0.667

OPS: 1.023

PA: 73

ERA: 0.00

WHIP: 0.597

IP: 6.7

 

A hodgepodge of 6 random Cascade pitchers took the mound Tuesday and Wednesday. Charlie Morton, the supposed starter, pitched the most innings — 2 — and the group completed 6.7 altogether. They allowed zero earned runs, and only one hit.  There are some replacements spoiling the near-perfection of that line, but it still led to the Cascades gaining 0.8 games on the Drive. 

 

Bellingham is another team focussing clearly on the official league championship competition.  At the rate they’re going they’ll catch the Drive about September 11.  And the Dragons about four days later. They are still going bananas in Bellingham. 

 

 

 

AVG: 0.222

OBP: 0.284

SLG: 0.420

OPS: 0.704

PA: 88

ERA: 2.01

WHIP: 0.714

IP: 22.4

 

Fresh from his impersonation of the whirlwind dealings of the San Diego Padres, Tornado management can celebrate a victory in his private competition to win the trade deadline.  The only team to win two games to start September gained a whopping 1.1 games and three places in the standings.  If that keeps up, when the Cascades pass the Dragons it will be for second place.

 

Can the Twisters keep this up?  There is some consolation in the rotations not having rotated, etc.  Flint Hill built their surge on 22 innings of great pitching.  Even they can’t keep producing such huge crops of innings over the 5 or 6 game cycle of a rotation.  On the other hand, that relative weak hitting may not be typical for the September Tornados, either…

 

 

 

AVG: 0.211

OBP: 0.250

SLG: 0.324

OPS: 0.574

PA: 76

ERA: 2.11

WHIP: 0.986

IP: 21.3

 

 

Rather weak hitting so far in Canberra.  Michael Conforto did his best to lift the offense (5 for 10, 2 doubles and a homer) but then undercut his own efforts with two GDPs.  The real Kangaroo strength in this early going has been pitching. Peterson, Mahle and Allard — not yet an iconic trio — combined for 18 innings with only 5 earned runs allowed.  Iglesias and Loup topped that off with 3.3 scoreless innings. 

 

Does all this pitching goodness rev up the ‘Roos for a run at the EFL championship? Well, I don’t know.  I received this message from the Captain Kangaroo yesterday: 

 

Just locked my allocations and I like my team.

If this season was normal length, I’d feel pretty good about it. 

 

But the season is not normal length, so I guess he doesn’t feel so good.  The solution is obvious: the ‘Roos need to define their own private competition to make September sing.  

 

(Private note to Ryan:  As always, I am here to support you.  If you are having trouble finding a private competition, I’ll see if the Wolverines can supply your need.)

 

 

 

AVG: 0.271

OBP: 0.386

SLG: 0.386

OPS: 0.771

PA: 83

ERA: 7.94

WHIP: 2.353

IP: 3.4

 

The Cheese lost 0.3 games to the Drive and sank from 4th place to 6th in the opening days of September. They seemed to be selling in the run-up to the trade deadline, so I guess their hopes for a Cheese course on the trophy have faded.  Where might they find their own private competition? 

 

For a franchise which annually lightens our load with a loud lament, it would not be surprising to find the Head Cheese competing on a more aesthetic level than the rest of us.  For example, notice how he artfully engineered a batting line with an identical OBP and SLG.  That’s easy if you avoid extra-base hits and free passes, but the Cheese clouted 5 doubles and a homer, and walked 10 times.  I know I couldn’t achieve this elegance in a hundred tries. To the Cheese! Early leaders in the Elegant Line of the Month competition. 
 

 

 

AVG: 0.203

OBP: 0.233

SLG: 0.348

OPS: 0.581

PA: 74

ERA: 2.63

WHIP: 1.022

IP: 13.7

 

DC offense was balky, but Betts made it better by battering a homer amid a 3 for 8 start to September.   On the other hand, DC pitchers did well.  New Balk Ian Anderson put together a nice 6 ip, 2 er start, and a swarm of relievers covered 4.7 innings without a run scored.  

At the trade deadline, DC bought, but not in volume.  It was spurt, not a spree. No conviction there, no all in for the prize.  Tepid actions bring tepid results: a slide from 5th to seventh place, and a drop of 0.1 games in the standings.  Perhaps of all the teams in this league, the Balk (fittingly, perhaps, given their name) most need a private competition, something to give them focus and that burning fire.  Too bad the Brookland Outs folded — they could compete for the District of Columbia championship. 

 

But, hey!  The Canberra Kangaroos have their US headquarters in the District (although there are rumors they’ll be moving that office to Denver soon). I don’t see why a competition for a city championship would be any lamer than a competition for a monthly one. 

 

 

 

AVG: 0.278

OBP: 0.371

SLG: 0.389

OPS: 0.760

PA: 63

ERA: 0.00

WHIP: 0.600

IP: 5.0

 

That batting line is understated, but it is actually fairly good, boosted by that healthy OBP (the product of 7 walks and a HBP).    That pitching line is out-and-out good, although short on innings for a two-game span. No starters started on Tuesday or Wednesday, so the innings shortage should resolve itself over the next three days or so.  

Peshastin had good reason to believe 2020 might be its year, the end of their league-history-long championship drought.  But as the trade deadline approached, the Pears sold rather than buying.  In the draft, they invested more in the long term than the short. Were they raising the white flag on the EFL championship race?  Was it too soon  to despair?  Even after selling, the Pears kept precise pace with the Drive, still in 8th place, still exactly 5.6 games back.  

 

There have been teams who fed their competitive urges by trying to end the season exactly on the .500 mark. It pays!  One of them is in first place right now,  having honed his roster-building skills by trying to land his team on the .500 knife-edge.  Perhaps the Pears can harvest some fun by trying to achieve that super-difficult balancing act.

 

 

 

AVG: 0.215

OBP: 0.262

SLG: 0.342

OPS: 0.604

PA: 84

ERA: 11.46

WHIP: 2.229

IP: 15.7

 

One might have understood if the Alleghenys had gone into full selling mode at the deadline this year. They were mired (if not admired) in 9th place at the end of August, closer to 11th (1.9 games) than 8th (2.1 games).  That is a disheartening place to be.  

Disheartened might describe early September Allegheny pitchers, especially the Grays.  Jon almost triple chulked, going 2.7 innings while allowing 7 earned runs.  Sonny did much worse — almost Royal Chulking with 6 earned runs in 2/3 of an inning.   The malaise spread to the hitters, too.  Only 4 are 0 for September, but at least 7 have been thoroughly lackluster.  

 

The bright spot for Pittsburgh was clearly Garrett Hampson: 4 for 8 with all THREE Allegheny homers.  But I wonder how welcome that outburst was in the Allegheny front office?  One suspects they might be in a private competition for the first draft pick. 

 

 

 

AVG: 0.224

OBP: 0.302

SLG: 0.368

OPS: 0.671

PA: 86

ERA: 3.93

WHIP: 1.148

IP: 18.3

 

Neither the offense nor the pitching were overwhelming in Old Detroit, but they were good enough to move the W’s out of last place, and 0.7 games closer to first.  One update, one place up the standings. Nine more to go. We’re happy with that.  

It was a little alarming to see Trea Turner shut down so completely with the turning of the calendar. From August 14 through August 31st, he got a hit in every game he played. Over the last four games of August he went 15 for 20 with four doubles and a homer:  .750, .750, 1.100.  But in September, he’s 0 for 7: .000, .125, .000.  Trea’s streak flipped the W’s from sellers to buyers, and inspired our rash commitment to winning September, our private competition.  It wouldn’t be right for him to abandon the quest now. 

 

By the way: The W’s were not the worst team for the month of August — the Rosebuds and Alleghenys were both a little worse in terms of winning percentage. Nor were the W’s the worst in July:  the Kangaroos and Cascades were below them. But the Cascades went from worst in July to third-best in August, and now are third-best overall with a pretty good chance of winning the whole thing.  So maybe the W’s can win September! 

 

Here are the relevant September-only standings so far: 

 

EFLTeam   W    L    .PCT

 FH               2      0    .864
 BC               1      1    .753 

 OD              1      1    .698 

 CK               1      1    .574 

 

Everyone else is under .500.  Kaline and Haviland are in last place percentage wise since they haven’t played in September yet. 

 

 

 

 

No one sold more aggressively than the Rosebuds. Apparently heartened by the Wolverines’ change of heart, the ‘Buds have seized the lead in their private competition for the first draft pick.  But perhaps the Alleghenys will challenge them as the month unfolds.  Without lifting a selling finger, the A’s moved 0.3 games closer to last.  Those three Rosebud homers (Greiner, Baez, Stewart) may have bouyed the Rosebuds in the standings a little more than was ideal.  

 

 

 

Combined MLB + EFL Standings for 2020

AL East
TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	PCT.	GB
Tampa Bay Rays	26	12	.684	—
New York Yankees	20	15	.571	4.5
Toronto Blue Jays	19	16	.543	5.5
Flint Hill Tornadoes	18	20	.476	7.9
Baltimore Orioles	16	20	.444	9
Old Detroit Wolverines	13	25	.353	12.6
Boston Red Sox	12	25	.324	13.5

NL East
TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	PCT.	GB
Atlanta Braves	22	14	.611	—
Philadelphia Phillies	17	15	.531	3
Miami Marlins	16	16	.500	4
Canberra Kangaroos	17	19	.466	5.2
D.C. Balk	16	20	.453	5.7
New York Mets	16	21	.432	6.5
Washington Nationals	12	22	.353	9

 

AL Central
TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	PCT.	GB
Cleveland Indians	23	14	.622	—
Chicago White Sox	22	15	.595	1
Minnesota Twins	22	16	.579	1.5
Detroit Tigers	17	17	.500	4.5
Bellingham Cascades	18	19	.496	4.7
Kansas City Royals	14	23	.378	9
Pittsburgh Alleghenys	14	23	.367	9.4

NL Central
TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	PCT.	GB
Chicago Cubs	22	14	.611	—
St. Louis Cardinals	14	14	.500	4
Milwaukee Brewers	17	19	.472	5
Cottage Cheese	17	19	.465	5.3
Cincinnati Reds	16	21	.432	6.5
Pittsburgh Pirates	10	24	.294	11

 

AL West
TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	PCT.	GB
Oakland A’s	22	12	.647	—
Kaline Drive	20	14	.598	1.7
Haviland Dragons	20	14	.575	2.5
Houston Astros	20	15	.571	2.5
Seattle Mariners	15	22	.405	8.5
Texas Rangers	13	22	.371	9.5
Los Angeles Angels	12	25	.324	11.5

NL West
TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	PCT.	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	28	10	.737	—
San Diego Padres	23	15	.605	5
Colorado Rockies	18	19	.486	9.5
San Francisco Giants	18	20	.474	10
Peshastin Pears	17	21	.441	11.2
Arizona Diamondbacks	14	23	.378	13.5
Portland Rosebuds	13	25	.335	15.3