Another Saturday night drinking with the stars at the Barleymoe

      Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Jim Beam, George Dickel,  and Jose Cuervo.

Elijah:  Fellas what do you think is the biggest story of the new season.

Jose: Elijah it always runs. Runs win games. 

Jim: The league average is 4.8 runs per game. Also 39.3 % of baserunners score this season.

George: Well that is 39.3 of the players who get a hit or a walk. That percentage goes down when you look at guys who get on base on errors.

Jim: There you go again George, you just love talking about unearned runs.

Jose: George has a point. And even if George is negative it doesn't have to be negative. Jim what do Madison Page, Troy Benjamin, Miguel Fernendez, and Geovany Diaz have in common.

Jim: I have no idea.

Jose: They all are hitting over .267 and haven't committed an error this season. The lowest ops for this group is .785. These four players each have played the most innings at their infield position without an error.

George: I looked at the outfielders and they haven't hit quite as well as the infielders. But Barry Owen, Cliff Lee, and Vasco Henriquez have the highest innings without an error in the outfield and Henriquez has started a double play.

Elijah: So how are the teams doing this season.

Jim: The average team has given up 6 unearned runs so far, but the Metro Authority has only given up 1 unearned run and Santa Cruz has given up 2.

George: It's early in the season and there have already been 85 one run games. That is more than one quarter of the games played this season.

Jose: Elijah the league leader in fielding percentage is the Santa Cruz Scream with a .993 record.

Elijah: I think we have exhausted this topic. Jim call the uber.

                                             Dickel's Nickles

WHAT IS A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH --An unscientific look at high paid free agents

 1  Anthony Boudreau signed by the Super Troopers for 18.5 million

     season stats: 3 games started    era- 0.92   pitching OPS .617                wins-3    strikeout % .309

2  Aurelio Wong signed by the Marty Robins for 17.6 million

     season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  7                                           batting average  .156      OPS  .518

3  Clarence Paul signed by the Voodoo for 16 million 

     season stats:  2 relief appearances     era-  0.00                                     pitching OPS .640    inherited runners scored 0

4  Willie Schalk signed by the blue frogs 15.3 million

     season stats: 2 games started    era- 2.70                                               pitching OPS .576         wins-1 

5   Rey Jung signed by Rogue One for 15.0 million

     season stats: runs scored + runs batted in 18                                          batting average  .382     OPS  1.029

Rookie Hitters

 1   Charles Banks of Houston

     season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  19                                      batting average  .435     OPS  1.711

 2  Alejandro Lugo  of Burlington

     season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  5                                        batting average  .200     OPS  .600

 3  Esteban Prieto of Burlington  

     season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  8                                        batting average  .250     OPS  .740

 4  Ricardo Melendez of Houston

     season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  12                                      batting average  .333     OPS  1.201

 5  Ray Bennett of the  Empire

     season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  8                                        batting average  .423    OPS  1.038

Top 5 teams by run differential   record      run differential percentage

  Seattle Super Troopers                6-2        0.795

  Houston Dropouts                       7-1        0.708   

  Detroit Deer Campers                 7-2        0.698

  Louisville Duoz                           5-4        0.663

  Boise Rogue One                        4-5        0.647      

Hitting Streaks

  Jo-jo Carpenter of St. Louis  9 games

   season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  18                                        batting average  .541    OPS  1.388

  Albert Hitchcock of Santa Cruz  9 games

    season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  15                                       batting average  .410    OPS  1.042

 Damaso Nunez of Chicago  9 games

    season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  15                                       batting average  .390    OPS  1.088

  Rey Jung of Boise  9 games

    season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  18                                       batting average  .382   OPS  1.029

  Eric Knight of Honolulu  9 games

    season stats: runs scored + runs batted in  16                                       batting average  .351  OPS  1.026

Pitchers with the lowest batting average allowed

 Wyatt Winston of the Metro Authority  .080     27 batters faced

   season stats: 1 games started    era- 0.00                                            pitching OPS .235       wins-1    

 A.J. Moreno of Las Vegas   .089

  season stats: 3 games started    era- 3.18                                             pitching OPS .371       wins-2

 Freddie Perez of Pawtucket .094

  season stats:  5 relief appearances     era-  0.94                                   pitching OPS .096    inherited runners scored 1

Jose Cordero of Hartford  .109

 season stats: 2 games started    era- 0.96                                            pitching OPS .282       wins-1

Farmer Christenson  of Burlington  .115

 season stats: 2 games started    era- 0.00                                            pitching OPS .399       wins-1

   

                  Another night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Johnny Walker

Elijah: Fellas we start a new season tonight. Anybody got any good questions to pose for season 55?

Johnny: Elijah, this isn't so much about the season. I'd like to know why we always meet here at the Barleymoe?

Elijah: A long time ago we tried to meet at Rosa's Cantina but bwb53 wouldn't hear of it. He said it was a nice place and drunken scouts would ruin the ambience of the place.

Jack: I sure hope bwb53 will explain ambience to us in the chat forum; god only knows how many other places we ruined. We might not do it if we knew about it.

Jim: I'm not sure I like ambience but I sure like Feleena.....

Elijah: Let's get back to the season fellas who has questions.

Jack: I think we should spend some time talking about the 15 type-A free agents.

Johnny: Elijah the type A's received over 521 million dollars; the average for one season was 9.48 million.

Jim: The Shamrocks got hit the worst.They lost Keith Jenkins, Rick Silva, and Miguel Margot. However they will have 11 picks in first 100 selections. ( 19,24,27,39,45,48,50,51,59, 90 and 100)

Jack: How is that even possible?

Jim: 6 compensation picks for type-A, 3 compensation picks for type-B and their own pick in the first and second round.

Elijah: How many teams signed more than 1 type-A free agent?

Jack: Augusta, Albuquerque, and Seattle signed 2 each.

Johnny: The  highest contract went to Aurelio Wong at 5 years for 91 million and Anthony Boudreau got 90.5 million for 5 years.

Elijah: All those numbers makes my brain numb. Please call the uber.

Johnny: Elijah was it the numbers or the bourbon?

    The New Jersey Gaming Commission has posted the odds for the up coming Stickball 55 season.

 Seattle                         2-1                          Hartford                   5-2

 Ottawa                        3-1                          Burlington                4-1

 Jackson                       4-1                          Santa Cruz               6-1

 Pawtuckett                  6-1                          Santa Fe                   6-1

 Louisville                  20-1                          San Juan                20-1

 Charleston                 20-1                          El Paso                  41-2

 St. Louis                    21-1                          Las Vegas              43-2

 Toronto                      43-2                          Chicago                 22-1  

 Houston                     22-1                          Boston                   22-1

 New York Empire     45-2                           Albuquerque         45-2                                             

  Honolulu                  23-1                           Colorado               47-2

 Boise                         47-2                           San Francisco        25-1

  Detroit                      25-1                           Vancouver             40-1     

 Jacksonville               42-1                           Augusta                44-1 

  Toledo                       44-1                           San Antonio         85-1     

 Fargo                        100-1                           New York Metro    100-1

                         Another night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

  Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Jose Cuervo, John Jameson, Uncle Val and Evan Williams

Elijah: Fellas, last night I had George, Jack, Johnny and Tito give me a preview of the National League. Tonight I want you guys to preview the American League. Uncle Val what can you say about the American League West.

Uncle Val:Last season the West won 246 out of division ball games; coming in second in the National League and fourth in all divisions. Santa Cruz won last season and probably has the most potent batters. San Francisco which had the best run differential in the division last season probably has the best pitching staff. If you were to ask me who the ace of the Colorado staff is I couldn't tell you. The Stickballers first three starters are all about the same; none of them aces but all of them studs. In Colorado you are always going to score so with them it's going to be about the pitching. The Islanders are going to pray that the young pitchers are better this year than they were last year. Only Santa Cruz and Honolulu have much money to spend in free agency. I'm sure the Scream will find a nugget to sign and I'm sure the Islanders will do their usual Tuesday Morning thing.

John J.: Tuesday morning have we've been drinking that long?

Uncle Val: No. The Islanders love to sign free agents after the rule five draft when the prices are lower. In my notes I always write them down as Tuesday morning not the Honolulu Islanders.

Elijah: How do you think they will finish the season.

Uncle Val: Giants, Scream, Stickballers, Mornings

Elijah: John we will give you time to sober up. Jose will you give me a report on the  National League East?

Jose: I'm happy to give you the run down. tmfran's Empire has won 6 out of the last 10 division titles. During that decade they have vanquished Rampage and Argonughts; been victorious over Stars and Steamers.How they will fair against Bandits we will just have to wait and see. Last year's run differential was very close between Boston and the Jacksonville team. Boston's team is solid but the Bandits are probably a little bit better depending on what the Beaneaters do in free agency. The Blue Hens have the second and third best bats in the division and the top two starters.

Elijah: Are you telling me that the Blue Hens have replace the ewoks in the battle to defeat the empire?

Jose: Maybe this year only but I have the Blue Hens, followed by the Empire, Beaneaters and the Bandits with none of the four winning fewer than 78 games.

Elijah: Evan what can you tell  me about the American League North?

Evan: Well the rebuild in Fargo is in its second season. The last time they had a rebuild in that franchise it only took 3 years. Season 35 100 wins, season 36  77 wins season39  83 wins.Season 53   98 wins season 54   69 wins. So maybe other franchises can have a little fun for a little while. Boise won the division last season but their run differential was 71 runs lower than Ottawa's. If the Bytowners can figure out how to become hometowners (home record 37-44, away 49-32) things could change this season. Ottawa's pitching is really strong certainly in the top five of the Stickball league. The Bytowners bats are lead by Phil Searle and Alex Otanez.  Boise has to two best hitters in the division: Rey Jung and Sherman Naquin. Boise also has good pitching depth so if the Bytowners don't play better in Lynx Stadium this could go down to the last week of the season. In Toledo second baseman Carson Beliveau and Donald Miles we give veteran leadership to a young team that has really stepped up it's scouting department in last few seasons--Adrian O'Connor and Furio Betemit.

Elijah: The order of finish please.

Evan: Ottawa, Boise,Toledo and Fargo.

Elijah: John can you do the South? Are you recovered?

John: Yea, I got this Elijah. Oh these people are trying to confuse me. Last season Jacksonville was in the National League, this year in the American League; and now there's a Jackson team. Which one am I doing Elijah; this would be hard even  if I were sober.

Elijah: It's Jackson , John, the old Monterrey team.

John: Okay I got this. Last season the old Monterrey team ran rough shod over this division with a run differential of 281. It was the only franchise in the division with a positive run differential. The Duoz  should be more of a challenge this season with a super strong bull pen. The two Texas teams have some really nice players but need a few more to compete. The shining light in San Antonio is left fielder Dan Brown. Look for Charles Banks to fill the Crawford boxes with baseballs as he win the National league rookie of the year. Order of finish: Herd, Duoz, Rustlers and Dropouts.

Elijah: John that was awful damn coherent for somebody who claimed to be drunk.

John: We all have our little games we play. I had a nephew who told me he never knew I drank until he saw me sober one time. The uber I called is here we better go.

                     Another night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

         Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by George Dickell, Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker and Tito.

Elijah: Fellas I thought tonight we could give a little preview of the upcoming season.

Tito: Free agency isn't even over. How can we be expected to make prognostications on a season that doesn't start for another 10 days.

Elijah: Tito I love to have you here but you got to know accuracy, relevance, and truth have nothing to do with our gatherings here at the Barleymoe.

George: Yea, if we can't upset one owner each meeting then we have waisted our time.

Elijah: Jack what do you think of the National League West?

Jack: As you know the NL west tied for the division with the most out of division wins last year with 263. That is going to be a pretty difficult goal for this group of owners this season. From what I can see so far Seattle is still loaded and still has 35 million to spend on free agents. I think Las Vegas has better starting pitching but unless my calculator broke, pimpbotlove  has used up his budgeted payroll. Vancouver has 26 million left to reinforce Hansel Fiers on the mound. The Dukes have 55 million left to spend. They very quietly are building up a strong group of arms on their staff, so most of that money will probably be spent on bats.

Elijah: Jack it's early but order of finish?

Jack: Same as last year.

Elijah: George what say you about the National League South.

George: Last season the NL South also had 263 out of division wins and I think they will top the 263 victories...

Tito: You just have to mess with Jack don't you George?

George: We are here to drink, talk, and have fun. What is more fun than sticking it to the Lynchburg lunatic.

Elijah: Could you please just give us a round up of the teams. 

George: As I was saying, I think Santa Fe has the best hitting. The 23 million they have left in their budget could provide a really good bullpen which seems to be their main weakness. El Paso has Max Campos and Vic Ingram at triple-A and they should really help out the Marty Robins. St. Louis has a steady group of ball players. They don't flash or sparkle but they play hard and win as a team. The defending Champs can go as far as the G's can take them (Enrique Gamboa-RF and Fausto Gonzalez-3B). The Rats have the least amount of money left for free agents with 7 million, all the other teams all have over 20 million.

Elijah: Order of finish please.

George: Charleston, Santa Fe, St.Louis and El Paso.

Elijah: Tito, you have the National League East.

Tito: The East is going to be tough this year Elijah.  Right now all four teams have between19 and 23 million to spend on free agents. From what I see Hartford will score the most runs with their loaded lineup. The pitching is almost as good. vdaino inherited a good strong group when he took over that franchise and he has a winners reputation so he should make it close. San Juan is always to tough and usually over looked in the preseason. mike1184 is laying the foundation of a dynasty like he had in seasons 32 through season 38 when he never won fewer than 100 games. The Augusta franchise went through  three owners last season, so joekendall, who is already committed to season 56 , is rebuilding around Theodore Cohen and Vic Mesa.

Elijah: How will they end up?

Tito:Hartford, Pawtucket, San Juan and Augusta.

Elijah: What do you know about the National League North , Johnny.

Johnny: This once proud division had the worst  out of division wins last year with 225. However the division has some of the best young talent in the minor leagues. Toronto has Stolmy De Paula  ready to bust into their lineup. Peter Donald heads up the staff that has a rock solid bull pen. Ryu and Sosa will provide plenty of runs for the Shamrocks. The Metro Transit Authority is in a rebuild. dherz_263 has done a remarkable job of drafting top pitchers so with this New York franchise it just a matter of time. I think the Detroit and Chicago franchises are good but not playoff bound this year. Both have talented lineups and some good starting pitching and are challenged in the bullpen. All 4 teams have a lot of money to spend on free agents so the situation in the north is fluid; and could change with each free agent signed.

Elijah: The order of finish please.

Johnny: Toronto,Chicago squeezing past Detroit  after they promote Angelys Alvarez and Francisco Chavez late in the season and New York,

                      Another night  drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe       

      Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Jose Cuervo

Elijah: Does anyone here know anything about the new owners?

Jose: I thought you would would want to talk about the guys who mysteriously are no longer in the league.

Elijah: Well we can do that if you want.

Jack: No! No! he's going to start with that Captain Morgan stuff again. It's urban legend stuff. It never happened.

Jose: Really Jack, sportsguy93 had played 68 seasons of HBD and now he's not in any leagues.

Jack: In 26 seasons of the Stickball league he had 21 winning seasons. Until the last two season he had never had back-to-back losing seasons. He just got bored and is taking sometime off from his Cleveland teams.

Jose: You silly Americans. The Captain, he uses some of ports in my native Mexico. We talk from time to time and I know his ways. If a manager like sportsguy93 disappears between seasons you should consider that the captain is taking hostages and accepting ransom for their relief.

Jim: I believe Stickman has had opportunities in the past to enhance his recruitment of new owners, so maybe what you say is true.

Jack: The Stickman has never paid a ransom and he has never admitted to being asked to pay a ransom.

Jose: Jack, there is a reason why the DiMaggio League is short 14 managers. Commissioner Officialism4 refuses to pay the Captains price and can't recruit anymore manager because the Captain continues to capture his managers.

Jack: I know for a fact that bagpipes28 is in two other leagues.

Jose: That's true but brad11 has disappeared just like sportsguy93. The captain doesn't get them all but he gets most of them.

Elijah: Maybe we should talk about the new guys.

Jim: Well we finally got POKEYSAN to join the league. After 478 season he's finally joined our league.

Jose: How has he managed his teams in the past.

Jack: He has usually operated with really high payroll. Somewhere between the mid nineties to a hundred and forty million per season.

Jim: Well this season he only raised the payroll by 11 million. He's at 114 million this season.

Jose: Doesn't that give him the fourth highest payroll for the season?

Jim: Yes but it falls within the usual high payrolls of the league, historically.

Jose: That is a tough division. All the managers have over a.500 winning percentage. They all budget a  good amount in salary.

Jim: trapapoodle, usibjc, and bwb53 may not be excited by adding him but as a scout I am.

Jack: We also had an original manager rejoin the league, vdaino. In 24 seasons on our league he won his division 7 times.

Jose: Anything you know about him?

Jack: He has a .529 winning percentage. 4.7% world series percentage. 30% playoff percentage.

Jim: The last new manager is dan2044 has only played 15 seasons but made the playoffs a third of the seasons he 's been in HBD.

Elijah: It seems like we got a really good set of new managers. We should have really good season. Time to call the uber Fellas.

            Another night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

   Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Johnny Walker, Jose Cuervo and Evan Williams

Elijah: We'll fellas it time to talk about the changes to the the Stickball league in season 55.

Evan: Elijah we have some new ballparks.

Jose: Elijah the good citizens of Pawtucket have a franchise for the first time in 19 years.

Evan: About the ballparks the Powderfingers will loose a little bit of the power they had in Jacksonville.

Johnny: Evan both those parks are pitcher parks so it's not going to affect the league much.

Jose: Johnny, try telling that to Marvin Scheffer who hit 41 homers last season  at the baseball grounds of Jacksonville. That dead air in Pawtucket is going to cost him some dingers in his first arbitration year. All the the power hitters are signed long term so its only Marvin who will take an immediate pay cut for the move.

Johnny: The franchise was ninth in homers last year and it's not like they were playing in Hartford or Santa Fe. They will be fine. Are we trying to make a mountain out of a molehill?

Elijah: You guys are bickering just to hear your own voice. If I wanted this I would have invited Jack and George. I believe the baseball grounds Jacksonville have a new tenant.

Evan: Yes, iam4real moved leagues not cities.

Johnny: Elijah has that ever happened before?

Elijah: Not that I remember.

Jose: Are you telling me that the Jacksonville Bandits are now in the American League?

Johnny: Yes. iam4real took over the Cleveland franchise and moved them to Jacksonville. That's not much of a playing change. The fences are a little farther back in Jacksonville. The outfielders have more room to cover so maybe the batting average goes up a little.

Evan: The other franchise move is from Estadio Monterrey to Boon Stadium.

Jose: That is  great Evan where are you talking about.

Evan: Monterrey's team is now in Jackson.

Johnny: So the second best hitting team is now in a pitchers park. I'm shocked that Glen Martin was willing to make the move with the franchise. He's a great hitting coach but now he has a great challenge. I'm sure Gabriel Javier is happy about the move. He should be considered an early candidate for the Cy Young award this year.

Elijah: Didn't we have four franchises change leadership?

Jose: Yes we did but new owner POKEYSAN chose to keep the team in Santa Fe.

Elijah: Time to uber up guys. Lets have another drink and call it quits for tonight.

                                                 Season 54 Awards

THE Stickball League names our awards after retired owners.

The McBain award is not an annual award. To win this award you must exceed the previous high season win total of 135 wins. McBain was active in our league for 12 years , seasons 22 through 33. He's retired from HBD. In 207 seasons McBain made the playoffs 170 times while winning 20,618 games.The current holder of the McBain awards is the Fargo franchise and thebigdogs.

The Dean award is given annually  to the comeback player of year. Dean spent 21 years, and thousands of pixels on the chat board, in our league. Dean retired, due to poor health, in season 46. Knowing that our world chat lacked his presence Dean returned to the league in season 50. Like McBain, Dean is retired from HBD.

This years winner of the Dean award is Peter Donald. Donald, a season 49 international signing by the Shamrocks. Won 19 games last season after two rough seasons. Season 52 saw his era climb into the 4.60 range.Season 53 started in the 4.60 range until he was demoted to triple-A. Donald did his work and got back to the big leagues. Peter lead the team in starts, innings pitched and wins(19), allowing the Shamrocks to reclaim the National League North Championship.

The final award is the Branch Rickey award given to the franchise that wins the most games from their teams at all levels. mannytanner's Hartford Blue Frogs won 555 games; 7 more than the previous season. also in so intention for this award were renrog's Scream and dyoungquist's Rogue One.