Week 16: Friday's report

The Braunies would have been better off
with this Hefner.

STUDS: Jeff Samardzija (Gonzo) allowed 1 earned run and struck out 6 in a 7.1-inning win. Chase Utley (Misfits) homered, tripled, scored twice and drove in 3. Domonic Brown (Muumuu) homered, singled twice, drove in 2 and scored 2 runs. Matt Carpenter (PYB) had 2 doubles, a single, 3 RBIs and a run.

DUDS: Jeremy Hefner (Braun) allowed 8 earned runs and struck out 3 in a 2-inning loss. Norichika Aoki (Gonzo) went 0 for 2 with an error and 2 meaningless walks. Rafael Soriano (Misfits) struck out 1 in 1 inning but allowed 1 run and took the loss.

Head-to-head scores

Silver State Sagebrushers 47, Fresh Fish 24
Misfits 45, Testosteraun Braun 14
Manwaring a Muumuu 26, Pitch You Blockhead 25
Rookies 30, Going Going Gonzo 25
Lawyers, Guns & Money 36, Arbitration Losers 21

Week 16: Transactions and Lineups

Players acquired

Testosteraun Braun sign SP Jeremy Hefner (July move #2).

Manwaring a Muumuu acquire (via a steal from Going Going Gonzo) SP A.J. Burnett (July move #2).

Fresh Fish sign RP Edward Mujica (July move #1).

Players released

3B Placido Polanco

3B Eric Chavez

RP Brandon League

Lineup changes

Testosteraun Braun: Bench C Wellington Castillo, SP Julio Teheran and OF Logan Schafer; place SP Shawn Marcum on the DL; activate C Evan Gattis (from DL), OF Ryan Braun (from DL) and SP Jeremy Hefner.

Arbitration Losers: Bench SP Mike Leake; activate SP Wade Miley.

Silver State Sagebrushers: No changes.

Going Going Gonzo: No changes.

Lawyers Guns and Money: No changes.

Pitch You Blockhead: Bench SP Travis Wood, SP Gerrit Cole and 1B Logan Morrison; place OF Kyle Blanks on DL; activate SP Tim Lincecum, SP Kris Medlen, OF Carlos Gonzalez and 1B Yonder Alonso (from DL).

Rookies: Bench 3B Chris Johnson; activate 3B David Freese.

Manwaring a Muumuu: Bench SP Shelby Miller; activate SP A.J. Burnett.

Misfits: Bench C Brian McCann and SP Tony Cingrani; activate C Carlos Ruiz and SP Kyle Kendrick.

Fresh Fish: Activate RP Edward Mujica.

2013 FBLG Midseason All-Dud Team, Draft Breakdown

Only one more day until baseball returns, people! We can get through this together. Remember that the waiver/lineup deadline is tomorrow (Friday) at noon Pacific.

OK, today's final installment of all-star break filler examines the opposite of yesterday: the All-Dud team. These are the high(ish) draft picks who just haven't worked out. Because some of these guys no longer play for the team that drafted them and just to spare everyone the ignominy, we'll skip over their stats.

First base: Ike Davis (Lawyers, Guns & Money), 7th round. (CUT)

Ike Ike Baby is hitting a whopping .165 this year and has already been banished to Las Vegas once. Now he's back in the big leagues, but no one really knows why. I mean, where could the Mets possibly turn to replace that 44 OPS+? Keith Hernandez must just die in the broadcast booth every time Ike swings and misses at another horrible pitch.

Second base: Josh Rutledge (Pitch You Blockhead), 6th round. (CUT)

Speaking of the minor leagues, Rutledge was a hot draft prospect coming into the year based on some solid hitting after being promoted last year. And because he's a Rockie. His late-2012 swoon, though, proved to be more indicative of where he was headed this season, and he's been supplanted by D.J. LeMahieu as Colorado's second baseman. He DOES have an OPS of 1.003 at Colorado Springs, though. I'm sure that makes Scott feel better about this pick.

Shortstop: Starlin Castro (Silver State Sagebrushers), 4th round.

His numbers are down across the board, and all the attitude/hustle questions that loomed around the edges of his career have now become more of an issue. That's what happens when your OBP drops to .280 and you're still on  pace for 25+ errors. Castro clearly has tons of talent, but how long will the Cubs stick with this supposed building block?

Third base: Aramis Ramirez (Manwaring a Muumuu), 3rd round.

Team Muumuu was very excited about its infield after the draft, and nabbing the portly Ramirez in the third round was a big part of that. Dude had FIFTY doubles and 27 bombs last year and would be batting behind Ryan Braun in what surely would be a potent lineup. We all know that Braun has been missing, but the Brewers lineup still has some potency. But Aramis has slimmed down... and stopped hitting for power. Eleven doubles, five homers and two trips to the DL later, he's no longer the Muumuu starting third baseman, having been supplanted by Jedd Gyorko.

Catcher: Miguel Montero (Fresh Fish), 5th round.

Miggy's biggest contribution to the DBacks this year has been giving logical and reasonable soundbites after his team gets into fights with the Dodgers. At the plate? Well, not so much. His average is down 60 points from last year and he's only slugging .339. After a June in which he got hot and raised his average a bit, he's back hitting .209 this month so far. Of course, 3 of his 9 hits in July have been homers. Rick and the Diamondbacks would sure like to see more of the old powerful Montero in the second half.

Outfield: Giancarlo Stanton (Fresh Fish), 1st round.

Bigfoot is hitting OK, when he's actually in the lineup. But that's only been 51 games this year, and his slugging percentage is almost 150 points lower than his league-leading .608 last year. He's certainly feeling the pain of being the only feared bat on a pitiful offense, and trade rumors have swirled around him since it became clear the Marlins are trying to put together a team out of the spare change in the couch cushions. Will he stay a Marlin? Will he stay healthy? If you hit a home run and no one is in the stands to see it, does it really count? All these questions will be answered this summer in south Florida.

Outfield: B.J. Upton (Going Going Gonzo), 2nd round.

When you saw this list, this is the one name you KNEW would be on it, right? Melvin Emmaunel (Bossman Junior) Upton just had one of the all-time forgettable first halves, especially for a high-priced free agent right in his prime. He is slugging .300, not getting on base, not stealing bases, not hitting for any power (only 18 extra-base hits)... well, he's not really doing anything (only 49 hits, total). And now he's on the disabled list. Well, at least his 55 OPS+ won't get any worse for the next couple weeks.

Outfield: Jason Heyward (Rookies), 3rd round.

Outside of a red-hot April by Justin Upton, this outfield could have been made up entirely of Braves. Injuries have kept Heyward to 67 games, but even in those 67 games he hasn't done much. His average is down 40 points and his slugging is down 100 points from last year, and THOSE numbers weren't exactly off-the-charts tremendous (.269, .479). He's just 2-5 stealing bases after 21-29 last year and he's put up just seven homers and 21 RBIs in 251 ABs. Let's not forget: the Braves are comfortably leading the NL East at the moment, too. Imagine where they'd be if their offense had been anywhere near expectations.

Outfield (honorary): Ryan Braun (Testosteraun Braun) and Matt Kemp (Arbitration Losers), 1st round.

The first two picks in the draft have not been horrible, but they've certainly not given their owners what they hoped for. Kemp apparently got too close to Carl Crawford and caught "Brittle-itis" from him, losing time to injuries in his legs and shoulder. His numbers are down, but he was showing signs of life before his most recent injury. If he can stay healthy for more than four consecutive days, he might put up a good second half for Tim's squad. Braun, on the other hand, has been pretty much his usual self... when he hasn't been out of the lineup with an owie thumb. But I feel like I'm forgetting some other issue with Braun right now... hmmm, maybe it will come to me later.

Starting pitcher: Stephen Strasburg (Rookies), 1st round.

It's not real fair to put a guy with a 2.99 ERA on this list, but here we are. Strasburg has been a victim of terrible run support (2.94, tied for last in the NL) and of bad luck en route to his 5-7 record, but it's also clear he hasn't been the dominant pitcher we have come to expect. His K/9 rate is down from 11.1 to 9.1 since last year and he's walking more batters too. Plus, he's been benched by Henry this year, and that should never happen to first round picks, especially in favor of Bronson Arroyo. The Rookies and the Nats both need more vintage Strasburg if they want to make second-half runs.

Starting pitcher: Matt Cain (Fresh Fish), 2nd round.

Cain's highest career ERA coming into this season was 4.15 in his rookie year of 2006. His current ERA is 5.06, and he's on pace to obliterate his season-high in homers allowed of 22, as he's already at 16. He's never had an ERA+ under 100, and he's sitting at 65. Cain has clearly been supplanted as the Giants ace by Madison Bumgarner. His walk numbers are up and Giants fans are no longer supremely confident when he strides to the mound. Oh, and he's managed to put up a negative war (-0.8) after having been above 2 every season since his first.

Starting pitcher: Cole Hamels (Pitch You Blockhead), 2nd round.

Hamels was simply awesome last year, going 17-6 and striking out a batter every inning. He was an unquestioned ace coming into the season, a pitcher to build your staff around. And he hasn't been horrible this season, not by a long shot. Still, that 4-11 record is hard to look at. He's near the bottom of the league in run support (3.40), but he's also giving up more hits, walking more batters and striking out fewer than last year. And he's not the ace of the PYB staff, handing those honors over to undrafted Travis Wood.

Starting pitcher: Johnny Cueto (Arbitration Losers), 3rd round.

Did you know that the Reds only used six starting pitchers last year? And that five of them started a combined 161 games? It couldn't happen two years in a row, so the question coming into the season was: who's gonna be the brittle one? Cueto has been the "winner" of that contest so far, managing just nine starts and 48 innings in the first half. The good news for Tim and the Reds is that he pitched pretty darn well when he was out there, but his current back injury will have him out until at least August. Will he come back to help his teams out down the stretch?

Starting pitcher: Ian Kennedy (Going Going Gonzo), 4th round.

Was it really only two years ago that he went 21-4 and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting? Since then, he's 18-18, including a 3-6 mark this season while missing some starts due to suspension. (In what world do you throw at a pitcher's head, Ian?) His strikeouts are down, his walks are way up and he's leading the league in hit batsmen for the second year in a row. He's given Jon basically nothing for a fourth-round selection and supposed staff ace. Will he be of any value down the stretch? The division-leading Diamondbacks sure hope so.

Relief pitchers: John Axford (Rookies), 11th round; Brandon League (Fresh Fish), 13th round; J.J. Putz (Silver State Sagebrushers), 13th round; Jason Motte (Manwaring a Muumuu), 16th round.

Since only four relievers were drafted before the 10th round, and all have given a reasonable return on investment, we'll give this to the four drafted closers who are no longer closing for their team, for whatever reason. Axford struggled mightily before handing over the role to Jim Henderson and then Francisco Rodriguez. League was a disaster (and remains so, just not in the closer's role) before Kenley Jansen took his job. Putz was mediocre, then got hurt, and now can't wrest the job back from Heath "Taco" Bell, which is a monumentally sad statement. Team Muumuu knew Motte was a gamble when they drafted him and that he might not pitch this year. Well, he's not gonna pitch this year. Three closers later, Team Muumuu finally might be settled at the position.

Draft analysis

Our last bit of time-wasting will look back at who drafted the best this year, at least so far. We'll break down the draft by rounds 1-5, 6-10 and 11-16, and have a look a the waiver wire too.

Best draft 1-5:

1. Testosteraun Braun: Ryan Braun, Paul Goldschmidt, Madison Bumgarner, Hunter Pence, Jordan Zimmermann... Two staff aces and two hitters over 250 points? How did Braun end up as the weak link here? 
2. Misfits: Bryce Harper, Troy Tulowitzki, Adam Wainwright, Freddie Freeman, Carlos Beltran... Injuries have kept Harper, Tulo and Freeman out, but Reid has gotten major points from all five of these guys.
3. Lawyers, Guns & Money: Andrew McCutchen, Yadier Molina, Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond... A little early to snag a closer, but Kimbrel is money in the bank. Zimmerman and Desmond have since been traded but played well and brought decent returns.

Best draft 6-10:

1. Arbitration Losers: Jonathan Lucroy, Angel Pagan, Aroldis Chapman, Neil Walker, Chase Headley... Lucroy got off to a slow start and Pagan, Walker and Headley have battled injuries. Still, good contributions from all five guys here.
2. Rookies: Marco Scutaro, David Freese, Alfonso Soriano, Zack Cozart, Carlos Gomez... Freese and Cozart have been mostly worthless, but Scutaro and Gomez were all-stars and Soriano is well over 200 points.
3. Manwaring a Muumuu: Mike Minor, Carl Crawford, Jimmie Rollins, Matt Harvey, Jason Kubel... Harvey is one of the best pitchers in the league and Minor also had a great first half. Crawford was great when healthy, and Rollins/Kubel were traded for Ian Desmond.

Best draft 11-16:

1. Manwaring a Muumuu: Shelby Miller, Denard Span, Josh Beckett, Jedd Gyorko, Domonic Brown, Jason Motte... Motte never played and Beckett barely did before injury. Span has been ok as a fourth outfielder. But Brown, Gyorko and Miller have put up major numbers.
2. Pitch You Blockhead: Edwin Jackson, Starling Marte, Matt Carpenter, Edinson Volquez, Cliff Pennington, James McDonald... Only two good picks here, but Marte and Carpenter have combined for over 400 points.
3. Arbitration Losers: Wade Miley, Pedro Alvarez, Brandon McCarthy, Brandon Crawford, Ricky Nolasco, Gerardo Parra... Parra was one of the first half's surprise stars and Miley and Nolasco have done a decent job at the end of the rotation. Crawford has been steady, and Alvarez has hit lots of homers, just not for the Losers.

Best work on the waiver wire:

1. Lawyers, Guns & Money: And it's not even close. In his first year in the league, Matt has plucked Pedro Alvarez, Yasiel Puig, Patrick Corbin, Marcell Ozuna and Anthony Rendon off the scrap heap. Those five guys have contributed 630 points to LGM.
2. Misfits: Not a ton of guys here, but three members of the starting rotation in Francisco Liriano, Scott Feldman and Tony Cingrani.
3. Pitch You Blockhead: Scott is tied for the league lead in moves made, and some of them have panned out pretty well, highlighted by Travis Wood. Other helpful parts include Yonder Alonso, Didi Gregorius, Yasmani Grandal, Kyle Blanks and Gerrit Cole.

Looking forward to a great second half.

2013 FBLG Midseason All-Unloved Team

Today's version of all-star break filler takes a look at the all-unloved team. The all-unloved team consists of players drafted in the 10th round or later (or undrafted) who've made the biggest contributions to their teams.

First base: Brandon Belt (Silver State Sagebrushers), 12th round, 180 points.

Finally getting a chance to play every day, Belt is not putting up monster numbers, but is contributing.

Season stats: 89 g, 288 ABs, .260/.336/.448, 22 doubles, 1 triple, 10 homers, 38 RBIs, 42 runs, 4-6 steals, 125 OPS+.

Second base: Daniel Murphy (Testosteraun Braun), 13th round, 210 points.

Murph does a little bit of everything for the Mets, and his extra-base hits and stolen bases are nice bonuses.

Season stats: 91 g, 378 ABs, .270/.303/.392, 22 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 39 RBIs, 52 runs, 10-13 steals, 95 OPS+.

Shortstop: Brandon Crawford (Arbitration Losers), 14th round, 157 points.

Got off to a hot start before a June swoon, but has put up nice numbers and stayed healthy.

Season stats: 89 g, 312 ABs, .272/.333/.388, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 30 RBIs, 37 runs, 1-3 steals, 108 OPS+.

Third base: Michael Young (Misfits), 10th round, 175 points.

At this point he's basically a singles hitter, but he's hit enough of them to score some points.

Season stats: 89 g, 333 ABs, .288/.344/.414, 18 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 28 RBIs, 35 runs, 1-1 steals, 108 OPS+.

Catcher: John Buck (Rookies), undrafted, 138 points.

After a scorching start he's returned to Earth, but still hits lots of Buckshots over the wall.

Season stats: 77 g, 284 ABs, .218/.284/.394, 8 doubles, 0 triples, 14 homers, 48 RBIs, 35 runs, 2-3 steals, 90 OPS +.

Outfield: Carlos Gomez (Rookies), 10th round, 263 points.

The FBLG and MLB all-star has been everything you could want out of a late-round pick, and more.

Season stats: 89 g, 336 ABs, .295/.337/.533, 20 doubles, 9 triples, 14 homers, 45 RBIs, 51 runs, 21-24 steals, 132 OPS+.

Outfield: Domonic Brown (Manwaring a Muumuu), 15th round, 245 points.

The longtime prospect is finally fulfilling his potential and is among the league leaders in homers.

Season stats: 95 g, 355 ABs, .273/.320/.535, 16 doubles, 4 homers, 23 homers, 67 RBIs, 49 runs, 8-9 steals, 130 OPS+.

Outfield: Starling Marte (Pitch You Blockhead), 12th round, 212 points.

Great speed, great power, swings at everything. Could he be the next Carlos Gonzalez?

Season stats: 88 g, 368 ABs, .291/.342/.462, 20 doubles, 8 triples, 9 homers, 28 RBIs, 59 runs, 28-38 steals, 126 OPS+.

Starting pitcher: Patrick Corbin (Lawyers, Guns & Money), undrafted, 233 points.

Young lefty showed lots of promise last year, but no one expected THIS.

Season stats: 19 starts, 11-1, 2.35 ERA, 130.1 IP, 97 hits, 33 BB, 109 K, 0.997 WHIP, 164 ERA+.

Starting pitcher: Hyung-jin Ryu (Lawyers, Guns & Money), 12th round, 212 points.

LGM has had great success with unheralded young lefties this year, obviously.

Season stats: 18 starts, 7-3, 3.09 ERA, 116.2 IP, 107 hits, 39 BB, 93 K, 1.251 WHIP, 117 ERA+.

Starting pitcher: Shelby Miller (Manwaring a Muumuu), 11th round, 177 points.

Rookie slowed down after a dominant start, but last couple outings give Cards, Muumuu hope.

Season stats: 18 starts, 9-6, 2.92 ERA, 104.2 IP, 88 hits, 29 BB, 112 K, 1.118 WHIP, 126 ERA+

Starting pitcher: Travis Wood (Pitch You Blockhead), undrafted, 176 points.

PYB drafted Lincecum, Medlen, Hamels, Volquez and McDonald... and this is the team's ace.

Season stats: 19 starts, 6-6, 2.79 ERA, 122.2 IP, 89 hits, 38 BB, 86 K, 1.035 WHIP, 143 ERA+.

Relief pitcher: Jason Grilli (Going Going Gonzo), 16th round, 179 points.

One of the best post-injury success stories of recent memory.

Season stats: 43 g, 40.2 innings, 0-1, 29 saves, 1 blown save, 1.99 ERA, 26 hits,  9 walks, 63 Ks, 0.861 WHIP, 180 ERA+.

2013 FBLG Midseason All-Stars, Part Two

Today we'll unveil the starting outfield and rotation of the 2013 midseason all-star team.

Left field: Carlos Gonzalez (Pitch You Blockhead), 298 points.

The original Cargo is the league's midseason MVP, blending his power, average, speed and home ballpark advantage into an unstoppable scoring machine. While some owners were wary of him coming off a season in which he missed 30 games and slumped badly in the second half of the season, he was still a first-round pick and fourth player taken at his position. After drafting Cargo, Starling Marte and Shin-soo Choo, Scott might consider renaming his team Outfield You Stud. Gonzalez's numbers are crazy across the board: he leads the league in homers, total bases, slugging and OPS. What's more, he's been healthy all season and had protection in a powerful Rockies lineup. He and his outfield brethren make PYB a force to be reckoned with in the season's second half.

Season stats: 91 g, 354 ABs, .302/.370/.610, 22 doubles, 6 triples, 25 homers, 64 RBIs, 68 runs, 16-17 steals, 148 OPS+.

Honorable mention: Domonic Brown (Manwaring a Muumuu).

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Center field: Carlos Gomez (Rookies), 263 points.

Cargo Deux is finally displaying the tools that have had scouts drooling over him for a decade. He's raised his average 35 points over last season's career-high mark and, like the other Cargo, has a fantastic power-speed combination shown by his league-leading nine triples. He's been hurt a little by the Brewers' struggles; with Ryan Braun in and out of the Biogenesis clinic lineup and Aramis Ramirez and Jonathan Lucroy off to sluggish starts, Gomez and Jean Segura have carried the Brewers offense much of the year. Similarly, after draft day the Rookies looked like a team built on their pitching after spending three early picks on would-be aces. But it's Gomez, a 10th-round pick and the 25th outfielder off the board (one pick after three-FBLG-team journeyman Jason Kubel) who has been the Rookies' consistent force this season.

Season stats: 89 g, 336 ABs, .295/.337/.533, 20 doubles, 9 triples, 14 homers, 45 RBIs, 51 runs, 21-24 steals, 132 OPS+.

Honorable mention: Andrew McCutchen (Lawyers, Guns & Money).

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Right field: Jay Bruce (Going Going Gonzo), 271 points.

The Beaumont Bomber isn't terribly flashy, strikes out a ton and bats behind two guys who are way more famous than he is. But when he gets a hold of a pitch, look out. This year, he's decided that there's a third option beyond home runs and whiffs... doubles! Lots and lots of doubles - a league-leading 28, in fact. Bruce quietly is putting up a monster season at the plate despite being on pace for 200 strikeouts and 50 walks. Jon picked him up in the third round as the eighth outfielder off the board, and he's outscored Jon's second-round outfield pick (B.J. Upton) by 170 points thus far. The guy just shows up every day and swings hard, and sometimes that's all it takes.

Season stats: 94 g, 379 ABs, .277/.325/.507, 28 doubles, 1 triple, 19 homers, 66 RBIs, 53 runs, 2-5 steals, 122 OPS+.

Honorable mention: Hunter Pence (Testosteraun Braun).

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No. 1 starter: Adam Wainwright (Misfits), 291 points.

Well, he's back. If anyone was worried about Waino's ability to come back from Tommy John surgery after a shaky 2012, their concerns have been quashed so far. The league leader in games started, complete games, shutouts, innings, batters faced, walks/9 innings, K/BB ratio and... hits allowed has been awesome in the first half of the season. So awesome that he has 12 wins and 15 walks. So awesome that he has nearly nine strikeouts for each walk. So awesome that he's leading the league in hits allowed and his WHIP is barely over 1.00. So awesome that he's making that contract he signed in the offseason look like a major bargain for the Cardinals. Waino, the third-round selection and ninth pitcher drafted, is the unquestioned ace of the Cardinals and of the Misfits as each seek postseason success.

Season stats: 20 starts, 12-5, 2.45 ERA, 146.2 IP, 133 H, 15 BB, 130 K, 1.009 WHIP, 149 ERA+.

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No. 2 starter: Clayton Kershaw (Silver State Sagebrushers), 289 points.

The first pitcher off the board with the No. 3 overall pick, Kershaw has been stupendous once again. Just imagine what he could have done if the Dodgers offense had existed before mid-June. His win-loss record isn't sparkling, but consider that the Dodgers are 0-6 in games in which he's given up three runs. Even by meager run support standards, that's meager run support. Kershaw basically leads the league in most of the categories Wainwright doesn't, including ERA, ERA+, H/9 and WHIP, and is tied with Waino with 20 starts and two shutouts. He's even hit a homer and two doubles at the plate. Plus, he's mad at Bruce Bochy for not starting him in the all-star game tonight. Which just makes Dodgers fans love him all the more. He, David Wright and Justin Upton form an awesome core for the Sagebrushers, and Brian hopes the Dodgers' recent offensive spark lasts throughout the season so Clayton can get some wins.

Season stats: 20 starts, 8-6, 1.98 ERA, 145.1 IP, 97 H, 35 BB, 139 K, 0.908 WHIP, 181 ERA+.

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No. 3 starter: Matt Harvey (Manwaring a Muumuu), 281 points.

Let's see. He was mostly unknown coming into the season, was a ninth-round choice in FBLG as the 26th starting pitcher drafted, plays for one of the worst teams in the league... and now he's dating a swimsuit model and starting the all-star game? Oh to be young, hunky and throw 99 mph. Harvey has been a revelation for the Mets and for league-leading Team Muumuu, whose starting pitching looked questionable after the draft but has instead been carrying the weight while the offense battles injuries and slumps. The young fireballer leads the league in strikeouts and K/9 and his sparkling record could have been improved with a little offensive support in his nine no-decisions. He's only gone fewer than six innings twice and has seven games with nine or more whiffs. The Mets have vowed to shut him down late in the season, so Team Muumuu hopes to get every last point it can out of him before that point.

Season stats: 19 starts, 7-2, 2.35 ERA, 130 IP, 91 H, 28 BB, 147 K, 0.915 WHIP, 153 ERA+.

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No. 4 starter: Cliff Lee (Arbitration Losers), 269 points.

Every starting rotation needs a veteran presence, right? Cliff Lee, the well-traveled 34-year-old, fills that role for the FBLG all-stars. Coming off a season in which he pitched great but finished just 6-9, Lee is helping the Phillies stay afloat in the NL East this year in his typically dominant way. Like the other pitchers on this list, Lee strikes out many and walks few, and every time he takes the mound the Phillies think they're going to win. Lee, a second-round pick, was the fifth pitcher taken off the board this year and has kept the Arbitration Losers near the top of the standings all year while the rest of the rotation ebbs and flows.

Season stats: 19 starts, 10-3, 2.86 ERA, 138.2 IP, 117 H, 21 BB, 125 K, 0.995 WHIP, 135 ERA+.

Honorable mention: Madison Bumgarner (Testosteraun Braun), Jordan Zimmermann (Testosteraun Braun), Patrick Corbin (Lawyers, Guns & Money), Gio Gonzalez (Rookies), Mat Latos (Manwaring a Muumuu).

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All-star breakdown by FBLG team

Testosteraun Braun: 0 all-stars, 6 honorable mentions

Arbitration Losers: 2 all-stars, 2 honorable mentions

Silver State Sagebrushers: 2 all-stars, 0 honorable mentions

Going Going Gonzo: 2 all-stars, 2 honorable mentions

Lawyers, Guns & Money: 0 all-stars, 4 honorable mentions

Pitch You Blockhead: 1 all-star, 1 honorable mention

Rookies: 1 all-star, 1 honorable mention

Manwaring a Muumuu: 2 all-stars, 3 honorable mentions

Misfits: 2 all-stars, 1 honorable mention

Fresh Fish: 1 all-star, 1 honorable mention

2013 FBLG Midseason All-Stars

We know you can't get enough of the FBLG Blog and we can't have it sitting dormant during the All-Star break. So we'll be rolling out some lists over the next four days with some midseason awards. First up, your midseason all-star team, made up of guys who have the highest point total at each position while active on the same FBLG team. Points scored for other FBLG teams or while on the bench do not apply.

We'll start today with the infield and relief pitcher. Tuesday, we'll break out the outfield and starting pitchers. Then on Wednesday and Thursday, we'll have some other fun lists.

First base: Allen Craig (Arbitration Losers), 278 points.

"Wrench" was a fifth-round pick and the fifth player selected at his position. Demonstrating the ability to stay healthy for the first time in his career as well as positional flexibility between first base and the corner outfield spots, Craig has hammered the ball in the middle of a powerful Cardinals lineup. His only downfall so far has been a lack of home runs, but it's hard to quibble with a guy on pace for 125 RBIs. He's also headed to his first all-star game.

Season stats: 90 g, 348 ABs, .333./.378./.494, 22 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homers, 74 RBIs, 50 runs, 2-2 steals, 140 OPS+.

Honorable mention: Paul Goldschmidt (Testosteraun Braun), Joey Votto (Manwaring a Muumuu).

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Second base: Brandon Phillips (Fresh Fish), 227 points.

Injuries (Aaron Hill, Chase Utley, Neil Walker, Jedd Gyorko) and general suckitude (Dan Uggla, Danny Espinosa, Rickie Weeks, Josh Rutledge) have crippled the 2013 second base crop. Injuries (too many to mention) and general suckitude have also crippled the defending champion Fresh Fish in the first half of the season, but Phillips has been the team's one constant. An opening-day injury to Ryan Ludwick (a teammate on both the Reds and the Fish) left Phillips, a third-round pick and first player drafted at his position, as the team's cleanup hitter, and he has taken advantage of the approximately 8 billion walks to Joey Votto to drive in a ton of runs for a Reds offense that has been Jekyll and Hyde through the first half.

Season stats: 87 g, 349 ABs, .266/.320/.413, 15 doubles, 12 homers, 74 RBIs, 46 runs, 1-3 steals, 97 OPS+.

Honorable mention: Daniel Murphy (Testosteraun Braun), Matt Carpenter (Pitch You Blockhead).

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Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki (Misfits), 200 points.

Another position riddled with injuries, but Tulo's been one of the league's best hitters when he's been on the field. The second-round pick and first player chosen at his position would be at the top of the league in OPS if he had enough at-bats to qualify. When all the pieces of the Rockies offense have been healthy this year, they have mashed the ball enough to look like a contender, until you remember that they were counting on Roy Oswalt to hold down a spot in the rotation. Tulo's a big key to the Misfits' championship hopes - if he stays healthy, Reid's squad looks potent.

Season stats: 64 g, 232 ABs, .342/.400/.608, 16 doubles, 16 homers, 52 RBIs, 41 runs, 156 OPS+.

Honorable mention: Andrelton Simmons (Testosteraun Braun), Jean Segura (Going Going Gonzo).

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Third base: David Wright (Silver State Sagebrushers), 233 points.

It hasn't been a great year for the Sagebrushers or the Mets. The Mets do suddenly have a pretty bright future thanks to some exciting young pitching, and Wright has been one of the key cogs in keeping the offense at least decent this season. Wright was a second-round choice and the first third baseman selected this year and has lived up to his high expectations despite having laughable lineup protection from a menagerie of mediocre Mets. New York isn't going to the playoffs this year but the Sagebrushers will, and they'll rely heavily on Wright in their efforts to make a shocking run to a title.

Season stats: 90 g, 345 ABs, .304/.396/.507, 21 doubles, 5 triples, 13 homers, 44 RBIs, 50 runs, 15-17 steals, 154 OPS+.

Honorable mention: Michael Young (Misfits), Todd Frazier (Fresh Fish).

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Catcher: Buster Posey (Manwaring a Muumuu), 234 points.

Team Muumuu, FBLG's leaders at the break, has had some surprising contributions in the first half, but no one is surprised that Gerald Dempsey Posey keeps crushing the ball. A second-round choice and the first catcher taken, he's overcome a slow start for the second year in a row and is leading the league in OPS+ despite playing for a team with a fairly mediocre offense (fine, they're a mediocre team in general). Posey's numbers are virtually identical to last season's MVP campaign, but you wouldn't know it since ESPN is madly in love with another catcher whose name rhymes with Badier Folina. It matters not, as Muumuu hopes to continue riding Posey's bat into the playoffs... the FBLG playoffs, that is, because Buster's other team has no postseason in its immediate future.

Season stats: 90 g, 323 ABs, .325/.395/.536, 27 doubles, 1 triple, 13 homers, 56 RBIs, 38 runs, 1-1 steals, 167 OPS+.

Honorable mention: Yadier Molina (Lawyers, Guns & Money), Jonathan Lucroy (Arbitration Losers), Wilin Rosario (Going Going Gonzo).

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Relief pitcher: Jason Grilli (Going Going Gonzo), 179 points.

The first truly surprising name on this list, Grilli was a 16th-round selection and the ninth player taken at his position. In his first year of closing, at age 36, the greasy Pirate has been phenomenal for the contending Buccos. His WHIP and K/BB ratio are significantly better this year than ever before and he's only walked nine guys in 40 innings this season while only blowing one save. He also hasn't let any inherited runners score, which sounds really impressive until you realize he's only inherited two runners this season. Nonetheless, his surprising success has been a boon to the Pirates as they battle in the toughest division in the NL and to Gonzo as they try to stay with the FBLG pack.

Season stats: 43 g, 40.2 innings, 0-1, 29 saves, 1 blown save, 1.99 ERA, 26 hits,  9 walks, 63 Ks, 0.861 WHIP, 180 ERA+.

Honorable mention: Aroldis Chapman (Arbitration Losers), Craig Kimbrel (Lawyers, Guns & Money).

The Check Swing: Week 15

1. Manwaring a Muumuu (2,751 points, 11-4, last week 1): Week 15 was an unimpressive one for our No. 1 team. The Muumuu crew employed 3 men at third base and didn't get a single point from any of them. What's going to happen down the stretch if Matt Harvey and Shelby Miller run out of innings?

2. Misfits (2,580 points, 11-4, last week 2): The Misfits took the Muumuu crew behind the woodshed this week, and we bet you can't guess who Reid's top scorer was. Even though the Misfits had 2 starts each from Adam Wainwright, Scott Feldman and Tony Cingrani, Marlon Byrd led the charge with 28 points.

3. Testosteraun Braun (2,520 points, 9-6, last week 4): Will Ryan Braun face a 100-game suspension? That's the big issue for the Braunies, who also lost Ben Revere to the DL after just 4 games. It looks like Evan Gattis is returning just in time, as Welington Castillo is seeing more bench time for the Cubs.

"Going Going Gonzo" was Jon's second choice
for his team name. The commissioners rejected
his initial choice: "BACK BACK BACK BACK
BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK
BACK BACK BACK BACK BACK, GONE!!!!"

4. Lawyers, Guns & Money (2,503 points, 8-7, last week 3): Matt's team lost a tough battle to the Sagebrushers and paid the price in the rankings as well. Perhaps the all-star break will be just what Yadier Molina and Yasiel Puig need to get past nagging injuries.

5. Arbitration Losers (2,469 points, 7-8, last week 5): If you thought the Braunies' outfield situation was a mess, check out Tim's team. Matt Kemp, Angel Pagan and David DeJesus are on the DL; Matt Holliday missed 3 games in a row with a bad hamstring; Nate Schierholtz missed time with "general soreness"; and Gerardo Parra scored 1 point this week.

6. Pitch You Blockhead (2,400 points, 10-5, last week 7): What a week it was for Scott's team, which cracked the 200-point barrier with Carlos Gonzalez and Tim Lincecum on the bench. With Shin-Soo Choo hitting again and Cole Hamels finding a way to stay out of the loss column, the Blockheads remain a contender.

7. Going Going Gonzo (2,397 points, 5-10, last week 6): Jon's starting pitchers combined for 32 points this week — and all of them came from Matt Garza. At least Jay Bruce keeps doing his thing: The Reds outfielder had a 20-point week.

8. Rookies (2,318 points, 6-9, last week 8): Just when it looked like the Rookies were ready to make a big charge, Jason Heyward gets hurt, Stephen Strasburg gets roughed up to the tune of minus-6 and Paul Maholm posts a zero. On the bright side, Alfonso Soriano's had a few big games lately.

9. Silver State Sagebrushers (2,194 points, 5-10, last week 9): Hey, it's another team with concerns about an injured Braves outfielder. Justin Upton scored 27 points in 5 games before getting hurt. Brian's squad also is dealing with an uncertain bullpen situation in Arizona. So much for J.J. Putz getting his job back.


10. Fresh Fish (2,137 points, 3-12, last week 10): Zack Greinke scored almost one-third of Rick's points this week. That says plenty about the contributions of Matt Cain (minus-4), Barry Zito (1), Brandon League (1), Garrett Jones (5) and Cody Ross (6).

Week 15: Sunday's report

Yadier Molina is pointing at Matt,
who inspired Molina by adding
Wilson Ramos to his roster.

STUDS: Yadier Molina (LGM) homered, doubled, singled twice, drove in 4 and scored 3 runs. Allen Craig (Braun) had 3 singles, a double, 2 runs and an RBI. Jay Bruce (Gonzo) was a triple short of the cycle and drove in 2. Cole Hamels (PYB) doubled, singled, drove in a run and allowed 2 runs while striking out 7 in 8 innings.

DUDS: Barry Zito (Fish) allowed 4 runs in a 2-inning loss. Pablo Sandoval (PYB) went 0 for 3 with an error.

TRANSACTION: Testosteraun Braun placed OF Ben Revere on the DL and put Jason Kubel in the lineup.

Final head-to-head scores

Testosteraun Braun 192, Fresh Fish 146
Misfits 195, Manwaring a Muumuu 156
Pitch You Blockhead 205, Rookies 142
Arbitration Losers 157, Going Going Gonzo 140
Silver State Sagebrushers 178, Lawyers, Guns & Money 167