Another night drinking with the scouts at the Barley Moe

       Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and George Dickell

Elijah: Well fellas we have a new season with new faces and new ballparks.

George: It's not quite what it seems, Elijah. sportsguy93 is back for his 24th season in the Stickball league.sportsguy93 has only had 3 losing seasons in his previous 23 seasons in the league. He has run three franchises in the league but mainly the Dover franchise. He had 17 seasons running the Cleveland Steamers. He won 1545 games as the leader of the Steamers. There  was even a rumor that the Browns wanted him to takeover and run the football team.

Jim: Yea sportsguy93 was the man in Cleveland.

George: I'm not finished Jim. The Honolulu franchise kind of changed owner.

Jack: George, what the hell do you mean.

George: Well in season 25, one of our founding owners passed away and breeolad took over the franchise.When he approach the age of 70 he got another account because he thought it was stupid to have a handle with the term lad in it. Now breeolad is using croninkin for his franchises.

Jim: Elijah, do we only have 2 new owners this season?

Elijah: That is how it seems. We all knew Dean, due to health, wasn't going to come back. kblack2778  chose not to return , although he's in the Cy Young league and a few more. Technically boys Captain Morgan has left alone for an offseason.

Johnny: So who are the new guys, Elijah?

Elijah: Allenjegg, took over Dean's franchise. In 52 seasons that franchise has only had 7 owners. r7gordon had the franchise for 25 seasons, Dean for 19. Hopefully Allenjegg is treated fairly and decides to stay a decade or 2.

Elijah: The other new owner is brad11. He also is new and we're hoping he puts a decade or two running a proud franchise that bingles ran for 33 seasons.

George: Do you think the old folks will be nice and not try to fleece the new guys in trades?

Jack: Well b2goofy told them to ask if they need help. If one of the new owners has questions about a trade; they should just check in with another owner from the other league and ask if they would make that trade.

George: The other league, what are you talking about.

Jack: If one of the new owners is making a trade within their league; any owner in the other league has nothing to gain. If they are trading between the American League and the National League then they should pick one owner in each league in a division not involved in the trade.

Jim: They really shouldn't trade their first season but as long as they are advised and careful it should be alright. If it gets terribly out of line a trade will be vetoed.

Elijah: Does anyone have any comments on the change of ballparks?

Jack: I'd start with Barry Owen. If he can hit 35 homers in Pittsburgh, he might be good for 50 in Cincinnati. Allenjegg did Barry a favor by movingPittsburgh to Cincinnati.

George: Well, Allenjegg has a big job ahead of him rebuilding the pitching staff.

Elijah: And what does brad11 have to look forward to?

Jim: brad11 moved the franchise from Florida to Santa Fe and the ballparks have identical affects.brad11 can pretty much look at last year and know what he has to work with.

Elijah: Is anyone surprised sportsguy93 didn't move the franchise back to Cleveland?

Jack: I am. he has played 65 season of HBD and 53 of those seasons his team was the Cleveland Steamers, over 3 leagues.

Elijah: I've called the uber, lets call it a night.

                                                       Season 51 awards

The Branch Rickey award goes to dyoungquist . For new owners we recognize the organization that wins the most games the previous year; majors+minors. Boise won 535 games up 43games from the previous year. Jacksonville won 520 games, 10 down frommthe previous season.Toronto made a strong showing winning 514 games, an increase of 65 wins from the previous season. renrog, who owned this award for several season still won a dangerous 498 games.

The Dean comeback player of the year was won by Ryan Newson, The Rattler's Newson had a disastrous season 50. Shoulder inflamation and a trip to the  DL reduced him to 90 innings in Season50. At 34 years old it seemed Newson was probably a Oldson. Yet the vegascowboy and pitching coach,Doug Brown, saw the determination and the talent to return him to the rotation. Newson's ERA was down over a run per game and he almost doubled his inning pitched from the previous season.

We have no McBain award winner for season 50. Maybe this is the year some franchise can beat thebigdogs record of 135 major league wins in the regular season.

                              Another Saturday night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

                 Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Jose Cuervo, George Dickell, and Jack Daniels

Elijah: Fella's tonight I want  you to discuss the draft and pick one player from this draft who you think will be in the Hall of Fame.

George: Is that fair Elijah? As usual you are hanging us out to dry, while you offer no comments.

Elijah: I'm buying the drinks and paying for the uber, so I can do whatever I want.

Jose: It's not that difficult if you're cooperative George. Hawaii had 8 first round picks so they have to have had the best draft.

Jack: We probably have to do better than that Jose. Orlando Quinones and Gorkys Diaz were 5th round guys that are better than some third rounders and most fourth rounders.

Jose: The second round choice I liked the best was San Antonio picking Blake Taft.

George: Hartford did well. First two picks, both in the first round, were pitchers. One has great splits and the other is a control-velocity pitcher. In the second and third round they picked outfielders that also compliment each other. Once again one has great splits and the other is a contact-speed guy. A good team has to have variety.

Elijah: Okay fellas who are the Hall of Famers in this draft.

George: My pick would be Carlos Romero. He's the whole package at the plate. Ivan Gil has the highest career batting average in the history of the league at .330. My guess is that Romero will top .330 4 or 5 times in his career and has a chance at the league record.

Jose: Esteban Prieto, is my guess for makes the Hall of Fame. There aren't a lot of guys with his rage and glove with splits like he's got.

Jack: I'll take the power hitter Charles Banks. Voters lover the long ball.

George: Well all those guys will be better than Eugene Smith , the last guy in the draft.

Elijah: Thanks fellows good job. Soon very soon we get to discuss diamonds in the rough.

                     Another Saturday night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe 

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

 Elijah: Fellas we're 46 games into the season and I thought we should see how the rule 5 draft has worked                     out for teams.

Jim: Howie LaRocca was the first pick and has started all but one game for Hartford.

Johnny: It 's been a big jump for Howie. This is the first season he's has played above Hi-A.

Jack: I liked that pick a lot. Get the guy some at bats. My guess is that in the next 4 years Hartford moves him for other young players. They have Kent Stoops in Double-A.  Seems to me in a couple of years  mannytanner will be advertising his franchise as "centerfielders are US".

Johnny: I think this is probably the worst part of the season. Most guys either sit the bench or barely contribute above the league average.

Jim: You're right Johnny, but a couple of the later picks I think are really impactful for the future. Boston drafted Devin Perez from Boise and have probably got a solid catcher for a number of years. Also the Capones claim Henderson Lansing from Monterrey and he has has been surprisingly good so far.

Jack: Yea, Lansing is another guy making the jump from Hi-A. Of all the pitchers taken he has been the best so far in the season.

Johnny: I want to go back and talk about Perez. I think the rule 5 draft is probably the best place to acquire a catcher. Both Burlington and Houston acquired their starting catcher in the season 50 draft.

Jim: You may have hit on something Johnny. Ottawa got their catcher in 49 season draft. Javy Franco has hit over .270 in almost 600 at bats since thuggis drafted him. Both of the catchers in Fargo are Rule 5 guys.

Elijah: Thank you fellas. I think we covered that about as well as it deserved. See you next week.

 Trenton, New Jersey: (AS)

    The New Jersey gaming commission has posted the odds for the up coming Stickball 51 season.

   According to the Commission:

 Seattle           2-5            Louisville   15-1      Honolulu      30-1      Colorado     50-1

 Florida           2-7           Monterrey  15-1       Houston        30-1      El Paso       50-1

 Fargo             5-1           Vancouver   20-1      Montreal      30-1      Hartford       50-1

 Las Vegas      8-1           Jacksonville 20-1     San Antonio 30-1      Ottawa         70-1

San Francisco 8-1           Charleston   20-1     Santa Cruz    30-1      Burlington   70-1

Boston            9-1           Washington  25-1     Sioux Falls   30-1      Albuquerque  80-1

St. Louis       10-1           Augusta        30-1     Toronto        30-1      Pittsburgh      80-1

New York      12-1          Chicago        30-1     San Juan      40-1       Boise           100-1

  For help with a gambling problem

 ( Para ayuda con un problema de juego)

       ncpgambling.org

                               Another night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

            Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and George Dickell

Elijah: Fellas tonight we have to talk about what has changed from last season to this season.

Elijah: We have 2 new owners and we have Dean back.

Jack: Well, we really don't have 2 new owners because, between them,  they have played almost 200 seasons and have been in 67 leagues.

George: Bring me up to date who are they?

Jim: After 13 season's mosley80 left and he was replaced by buddy996. Also bbeecher apparently is another victim of the Captain. He not only has left our league but hardball dynasty. No teams in any league just gone. bbeecher has been replaced by manny tanner.

Jack: I know a guy who knows a guy who has played against buddy996. He says he's good owner who hasn't traded much in that league.....

George: Thank God, those guys that come over from fantasy baseball. They just wear you out in spring training sending you all those trade offers.

Jim: You're right about that George. The same guys are usually gone by the All-Star break because they are not getting enough trade action.

Jack: Well my guy tells me that both off these guys are solid owners and don't do a lot stupid stuff. manny tanner won his division last season in the Sey Hey league. He did sign some top free agents that season so he's not afraid to spend money. Still both our new owners seem like stand up guys.

Elijah: The franchise shifts are also interesting this season.  dfdarby moved his franchise fromCincinnati to Sioux Falls, buddy996 moved from Helena to Montreal and manny tanner thought playing Hartford was much better than another season on Durham.

Jim: Helena was almost a neutral park and now buddy996 has moved the team to a more batter friendly ball park,

Jack: That team was third in hitting last season. With 81 games in a better park they might lead the league in hitting.

George: Nobody but the stickballers are going to lead the league in hitting until Mr. Stickman moves them-again

Jack: Still they will be better at the plate.

Jim: Last season the league average for all batters reaching base and scoring was 37.5% . The Helena team only scored 36.5%. Since these things tend to average out. The franchise should have been above average this season if they hadn't moved; now it looks like they will score at will.

George: You guys are just begging my to say might Samuel Clemens line, aren't you?

Jack: I can't imagine that I'd beg you for anything George.

Jim: manny tanner's move to Hartford really won't change the dynamics of his team. Hartford is marginally a better hitters park that Durham.

George: What manny has to do is find some pitching. That franchise had 67 games started last year by guys that never should have been in the major leagues.

Jack: Easy for you to say, George, how many games have you started in the majors?

Jim: I'm trying to keep you two on track. Stop bickering like bitches. dfdarby's move from Cincinnati to Sioux Falls is extremely interesting.

Elijah: How so?

Jim: The Cincinnati park  cuts down on doubles but is very homer friendly. Razavi Field in Sioux Falls is incredibly hard on hitters. 

Jack: You're about that Jim. I will even go out on the limb and bet that Donald Miles wins the Cy young award this season. He won 19 games last year with a 3.40 era in Cincinnati. What will he do when he pitches in a ball park that knocks fly balls down instead of letting the wind take them to the cheap seats.

Elijah: Good job guys. Let's order some more drinks before we call the Uber.

                        Another night drinking with the scouts at the Barleymoe

            Tonight Elijah Craig is joined by Johnny Walker, Jim Beam and George Dickel

Elijah:  Fellas we need to wrap up some things from last season. We need to decide who gets the Dean Award and who gets the Branch Rickey award.

George: The Rickey award is just who wins the most games with all six of their teams. Have you done the math Elijah or are we going to have add it up now.

Elijah: You know I don't trust you guys to do the math. I have the figures here right on the back of this napkin. As you now renrog always wins this award, but this year iam4real  beat renrog by 5 games; 530 to 525.

Johnny: Do you think iam4real even knew that we had the award? Last season was his first in league for awhile.

Jim: Lets get on with the real chore; The Dean Award. Who are your nominees this year Elijah?

Elijah: As you guys know, to win the Dean Award a player must have been selected for the All-Star team and then we argue about who improved the most from season 49 to 50. I thought Augusta had a couple of players that we should consider. Sammy Oliva and Bo Anderson. Colorado had a couple Bill Sullivan and Marty Sisler. San Francisco's Mickey Freidrich and Mickey Margot of Toronto are  guys I think we should consider.Another couple of guys are Sal Phelps of the Wharf Rats and the Blue's Royce Howell.

George: Well the two Colorado players are hitters. The Franchise moved to Colorado from Portland which makes it easier for hitter.

Jim: The team batting average went up .055. Marty Sisler's average went up .100 ; so he certainly deserves to be considered.

Johnny: The Augusta players Sammy Oliva and Bo Anderson both had good seasons. Anderson raised his average .060. Oliva lowered his ERA by more than 2.4 earned runs per game.

George: Mickey Fredrich lowered his ERA more than that. He went from a 5.37 ERA to a 2.27.

Jim: Well if this award is about results. Miguel Margot went from a 3.00 ERA to 0.93. He also had 55 save opportunities and 53 saves.

George: How the hell did he loose the fireman of the year award to Luther MacDougal?

Johnny: That's a good question. it's hard for me to give the Dean Award to Margot because the previous season the one he had the 3.00 ERA and 7 blown saves he won the fireman of the year award. 

Jim: Sal went for 11 wins to 19 wins but Royce Howell maybe had a career year. He raised his OPS by .166 and had his runs created go up by almost 3.5 runs per27

George: Ignoring the per 27 nonsense. how many runs did he creat for the season.

Jim: That would be 121.69.

Elijah: So fellas, who is it going to be? Who gets the Dean Award.

Johnny: They're all deserving. Does it have to be a player? Can't we just give it to Dean?

Jim: I don't want to choose between the players. I like the idea of giving it to Dean.

Eliah: So it's decided Dean gets the Dean award and  iam4real gets the Branch Rickey award.

Elijah: Lets call it a night fellas, till next time.