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Around the Bases: Week 16
Bells try to avoid their second straight shutout
By Listen DePleyohs / Baseball Tri-Weekly
Just two weeks ago, five teams were within two games of first and the league was setting up for an epic run. Now the top teams look fractured, with a race forming for the last playoff spot... or two.
RAK at GLD
The two hottest teams in the EHCC square off, and all the pressure is on Golden. Rakeville is on a nine game unbeaten streak, with their last loss coming May 15th. Golden’s streak is at four, but two big wins over Plymouth and Winston-Salem has pushed them into the playoffs with a small cushion.
Rakeville has done it on both sides of the ball, and look to be the favorite in every category except stolen bases. The Gryphons, while netting a few ties, has never beaten a ranked team. This would be a great opportunity for them to show the league they mean business. If they can’t win this week when they are playing at their best, Golden can only expect to be a pushover if they remain in the playoff picture.
LV at TIJ
A rehash of the most pitiful war in fantasy history, Mexico takes on Las Vegas.
They were on the edge of defeat just two weeks ago, but two resounding wins against Tokyo and Haverhill are keeping Las Vegas near the top of the standings. We all know they can blow out the bad teams, but have they gotten it together? The Doggs are matched up against Tijuana this week, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
The Hispanics have hit some roadblocks of late, but Peter Kantor has been wheeling and dealing with the trade deadline approaching and the Hispanics are expected to field a playoff team and championship contender when all is said and done. The question is, will he have the pieces in place by the end of the week. With Jim Edmonds on a flight to Mexico as we speak, he could provide a second-half boost to Tijuana’s offense.
Every time I pick Las Vegas to win, they let me down. With Bridgewater and Rakeville playing similarly ranked teams, this will be a big week for the Doggs if they do win.
PLY at WS
Just went you thought the Green Monsters were done for, they rattle off two wins at home. In typical fashion, the wins were tight, as are most of their loses. They need to stay on track the rest of the season if they want to make the playoffs, and the next two weeks are key.
Plymouth has gracefully fallen into eleventh, just 4.5 games from the worst record. While that is good for Tijuana, who has the Bell’s first pick, it may spell doom for the New Hampshire based organization.
According to Las Vegas’s Howe Dogg, there is dissent in the Plymouth front office. He said a member of management declared his team “sucked”, and should be contracted. While nothing has been brought up by EHCC officials, Commissioner Ellis Burks threw his support behind the struggling franchise.
“Everyone has bad years, and Plymouth isn’t immune to that,” said Burks. “When I got Polio, I thought someone should kill me. Turns out I was wrong, because I recovered to be a very unproductive player in the big leagues.”
If Golden can sweep Plymouth, Winston-Salem needs to take at least seven categories to stay in the race.
Transaction Wire
Bridgewater and Las Vegas team up to make one of the largest trades of the year, with Albert Pujols going to the Doggs, and Mark Teixeira and Marcus Giles to the Weasels.
Tokyo signed Pirates pitcher Ian Snell to a one year deal. This is the third team for Snell this year.
Corey Patterson, the long-time Rocket, was released by the team and picked up by Quebec City. The Piglets hope he will bounce back, but he will be a hole in the roster until he returns to the MLB.
The Hispanics released another team leader, Mike Lowell. Expect him to find a home soon, despite his putrid production numbers.
Impressed by his tackle of Jeremy Affeldt, Bridgewater signed Kyle Farnsworth to a two-sport contract. He is expected to tryout for the Weasels Football Club this September.
Weymouth is scrambling to replace their former second baseman Alfonso Soriano. In two games, Antonio Perez went 0-2 in limited play. Now, Shaddupu has signed Robinson Cano to fill the void.
| 1. | Rakeville | ( - ) |
| 2. | Bridgewater | ( - ) |
| 3. | Weymouth | ( - ) |
| 4. | Quebec City | ( - ) |
| 5. | Golden | ( - ) |
| 6. | Las Vegas | ( - ) |
| 7. | Bizton | ( - ) |
| 8. | Tijuana | ( - ) |
| 9. | Winston-Salem | ( - ) |
| 10. | Tokyo | ( - ) |
| 11. | Plymouth | ( - ) |
| 12. | Haverhill | ( - ) |
League Notes
-- Bizton officials confirmed they were recently fined for selling beer to minors and the city licensing committee will review the ballpark concessions later this week. This in no way affects the sale of gin and juice.
-- Several teams have expressed interest in hiring Lance Armstrong when he retires from cycling July 23rd. The front-runners (Haverhill, Rakeville and Tijuana) plan on using him as a strength and conditioning coach, while Golden may name him team manager. An inside source believes with Quebec City as a division rival, and Lance’s ability to dominate French people, he would be a perfect fit.
-- Wednesday marks the first open tryout in Weymouth history, as they try to find a second baseman.
Listen DePleyohs writes a column for Baseball Tri-Weekly. His 2005 cycling debut was cut brutally early, just 300 feet into the ride, when he experienced a "bicycle malfunction."
