FBLG 2016 Final News and Notes

May your offseason be bat-flippingly awesome.

Thank you all once again for a fantastic 2016 season. With just 167 points separating 1st and 6th place and just 381 points separating 1st and 9th, this was the most competitive FBLG season in history.

Hundley Eyes led all pitching staffs with 1839 combined points (starters and closers). Fresh Fish had 1816 and Lawyers, Guns & Money came in third at 1698.

The top offense this year belonged to Arbitration Losers with 2890 points. Next was Retire 21 at 2866, The Lumbar Yard at 2843 and Pitch You Blockhead at 2822.

We don't want to imply that pitching wins championships, but the three top pitching staffs finished 1, 2, and 4 in overall points. The top hitting teams finished 5th, 8th, 3rd and 9th.

Next year's draft order:

1. Bill
2. Scott
3. Ray
4. Reid
5. Henry
6. Tim
7. Matt
8. Adam
9. Rick
10. Rich/Brian

Please contact the commissioners if you don't plan to play next year. We've already heard from some of you who will be back, and we're glad to hear it. This group has made for an extremely fun and competitive league the past couple years.

We'd also love to hear any feedback about rules changes that have been implemented the past couple years (catcher points for caught stealing, extra bench spot/UFA, September DL moves, etc.) We have no rule changes planned for next season, so feedback on what we've done and any suggestions you have are welcome.

With that, the commishes sign off for the winter. Plan to hear from us around Super Bowl time as we start to ramp up for next year's draft.

FBLG 2016 Position Leaders

The best part about Jonathan Villar's breakout season is that he no longer will be known mostly for this slide.

Which FBLG teams got the most from each position this year? Here's how it breaks down. The players discussed in the analysis didn't necessarily score all the points at that spot for the team but were at least the main contributors.

First base

1. Retire 21 463 (17.81 per week)
2. Goldschmidt Happens 457 (17.58)
3. The Lumbar Yard 443 (17.04)
4. Arbitration Losers 435 (16.73)
5. Pitch You Blockhead 427 (16.42)
6. Fresh Fish 362 (13.92)
7. Rookies 343 (13.19)
8. Misfits 341 (13.12)
9. Lawyers, Guns & Money 268 (10.31)
10. Hundley Eyes 217 (8.35)

Analysis: Freddie Freeman set the world on fire in the second half of the season to propel Ray to the narrow win here. Paul Goldschmidt had what seemed like a down year to finish second, so apparently he's just that damn good.  Anthony Rizzo (LY) and Joey Votto (AL) were their usual awesome selves, with Votto's second half ranking among the best in the history of baseball. Wil Myers was the big surprise at the position, staying healthy and putting together a monster year to finish fifth (fifth behind four guys who should get MVP votes, no shame in that). And from a 14th-round pick, too. After that, there was a big drop, with Adrian Gonzalez (FF) leading the second tier. His days as a dominant force may be over, but Gonzo plays every day and puts up points. Brandon Belt was a disappointment for the Misfits, and Hundley Eyes went through half the league trying to find someone who could play first after Ryan Zimmerman fell apart. The full list: Zimmerman, Lucas Duda, Ben Paulsen, Mark Reynolds, Matt Adams, James Loney and Josh Bell. All to get 8 points per week.

Second base

1. The Lumbar Yard 445 (17.12)
2. Arbitration Losers 413 (15.88)
3. Pitch You Blockhead 359 (13.81)
4. Hundley Eyes 342 (13.15)
5. Retire 21 326 (12.54)
6. Rookies 319 (12.27)
7. Misfits 298 (11.46)
8. Lawyers, Guns & Money 294 (11.31)
9. Goldschmidt Happens 287 (11.04)
10. Fresh Fish 264 (10.15).

Analysis: From last year's analysis: "This position promises to be a crapshoot for the 2016 draft." (Gives self a high-five.) Daniel Murphy (LY) was drafted in the 8th round and may well win the MVP award after leading the league in slugging and OPS. His 47 doubles, 5 triples, 25 homers and 104 RBIs were all career highs. And, as much as it pains us to admit it, DJ LaMahieu (AL) has become a legit force. The NL's leading hitter this year (.348) had 51 extra-base hits and 141 singles. After the top two, there was a decent drop to third-place PYB, which benefited from Jean Segura's bounceback season. Ben Zobrist (HE) and Josh Harrison (R21) were solid contributors all season. At the bottom of the list, Howie Kendrick (FF) had some long cold spells for Rick, Bill struggled to find anyone to play second all year, settling on Cesar Hernandez (GH) and his infinite mediocrity. And Dee Gordon (LGM) went and got himself suspended for Matt, then played at about a B-minus level after coming back in August. 

Shortstop

1. Hundley Eyes 441 (16.96)
2. The Lumbar Yard 409 (15.73)
3. Rookies 360 (13.85)
4. Arbitration Losers 350 (13.46)
5. Pitch You Blockhead 293 (11.27)
6. Lawyers, Guns & Money 286 (11.00)
7. Misfits 281 (10.81)
8. Retire 21 278 (10.69)
9. Goldschmidt Happens 272 (10.46)
10. Fresh Fish 206 (7.92)

Analysis: The commishes used a Colorado shortstop to place atop the shortstop standings for the second year in a row. Last year, Troy Tulowitzki's disappointing season led to 339 points, so shortstop across the league took a huge leap this year. Trevor Story was on his way to the  Rookie of the Year conversation before injuring himself in August, and the commishes pulled a trade for Jean Segura to finish off the monster season at the position. Corey Seager (LY), who will surely win the ROY, was great all year for Adam. Jonathan Villar (R) was one of the season's great surprises, finishing with 38 doubles, 19 homers and a league-high 62 steals. 29 errors, too, but nobody's perfect. Rookie Aledmys Diaz (M) was great when healthy for Reid. As far as the Fresh Fish, the less said about Adeiny Hechavarria, the better. 

Third base

1. Pitch You Blockhead 491 (18.88)
2. Misfits 384 (14.77)
3. Retire 21 364 (14.00)
4. Fresh Fish 362 (13.92)
5. Lawyers, Guns & Money 361 (13.88)
6. Hundley Eyes 328 (12.62)
7. Goldschmidt Happens 302 (11.62)
8. Arbitration Losers 283 (10.88)
9. The Lumbar Yard 277 (10.65)
10. Rookies 260 (10.00)

Analysis: Nolan Arenado and Pitch You Blockhead remain a match made in heaven. Arenado, still only 25 years old, was the top-scoring hitter in the league and lapped the competition at third base. Last year, he led the league with 42 homers and 130 RBIs for Scott's team. This year: he led the league again with 41 and 133. Meanwhile, he's played all but 7 possible games over the last two seasons and is a Gold Glove third baseman. He's in the mix as the top pick in the 2017 draft. Justin Turner's (M) huge second half propelled Reid to the No. 2 spot here, with the combo of Matt Carpenter and Kris Bryant (R21) taking Ray to third place. Martin Prado (FF) was a nice surprise for Rick in the fourth spot. Matt Duffy (AL) struggled, then was traded, then got hurt for Tim, Jake Lamb was a nice find but too late for Adam, and Eugenio Suarez homered (21) and erred (23) his way to the 10 spot.

Catcher

1. Fresh Fish 377 (14.50)
2. Lawyers, Guns & Money 346 (13.31)
3. Arbitration Losers 341 (13.12)
4. Pitch You Blockhead 337 (12.96)
5. Retire 21 304 (11.69)
6. Hundley Eyes 270 (10.38)
7. The Lumbar Yard 225 (8.65)
8. Rookies 192 (7.38)
9. Goldschmidt Happens 188 (7.23)
10. Misfits 170 (6.54)

Analysis: Jonathan Lucroy (FF) started slow, then blew up before being traded to Texas and hitting well down the stretch to give Rick the win here. Buster Posey (LGM) played some first base for Matt, too, hurting his ranking here. He was good-but-not-amazing at the plate this season.  Yadier Molina (AL) was shockingly good, cracking 38 doubles and hitting over .300 after a couple down seasons. And Wilson Ramos (PYB) went from late-round pick to star before his season ended a few weeks early with a torn ACL. Adam, Henry, Bill and Reid struggled all year to find consistency at catcher, going through names like Tucker Barnhart, Miguel Montero, Francisco Cervelli, Cameron Rupp and Nick Hundley, mostly in vain.

Outfield

1. Rookies 1203 (46.27)
2. Lawyers, Guns & Money 1144 (44.00)
3. Retire 21 1131 (43.50)
4. Arbitration Losers 1076 (41.38)
5. Hundley Eyes 1072 (41.23)
6. Fresh Fish 1059 (40.73)
7. Goldschmidt Happens 1056 (40.62)
8. The Lumbar Yard 1044 (40.15)
9. Misfits 1023 (39.35)
10. Pitch You Blockhead 884 (34.00)

Analysis: For the second consecutive season, Giancarlo Stanton (LGM) was drafted highly, then didn't contribute much as his FBLG team put forward a strong outfield anyway. Last year, Reid drafted Stanton and finished first in outfield points despite Stanton's injury; this year it was Matt finishing second despite just 200 points from his top pick. Huge seasons from Carlos Gonzalez and scrapheap find Adam Duvall were the key reasons. But even they couldn't take down Henry's monster outfield of Matt Kemp, Christian Yelich and Starling Marte. When healthy, this was a dominant outfield combo. (The commishes were recently discussing it, and it's possible Matt Kemp has the greatest difference of fantasy baseball value to real world baseball value of anyone. And that's coming from people who really like Matt Kemp.) Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant and Andrew McCutchen (R21) propelled Ray into third place here. At the other end, Reid's outfield of David Peralta, Randal Grichuk and Gregory Polanco (M) looked amazing after the draft, but Peralta barely played with an injury, Grichuk spent time in the minors and Polanco couldn't stay healthy or hit lefties. But that wasn't as bad as Scott, who started the season with Yasiel Puig (struggled, sent to minors), Michael Conforto (struggled, sent to minors) and Domingo Santana (fouled ball off face). Scott got some nice play from Angel Pagan, Alex Dickerson and Jon Jay, but not enough to avoid the basement. Maybe it's time to rename the team Outfield You Blockhead.

Starting pitching

1. Hundley Eyes 1608 (61.85)
2. Misfits 1534 (59.00)
3. Fresh Fish 1519 (58.42)
4. Lawyers, Guns & Money 1457 (56.04)
5. Rookies 1401 (53.88)
6. Arbitration Losers 1277 (49.12)
7. The Lumbar Yard 1274 (49.00
8. Pitch You Blockhead 1174 (45.15)
9. Retire 21 1130 (43.46)
10. Goldschmidt Happens 1042 (40.08)

Analysis: The commishes started their draft with aces Jose Fernandez (RIP) and Noah Syndergaard, and the strategy paid dividends as both finished in the top six among starting pitcher points and led the staff to the win here. Pitching coach Deka supplemented the aces with strong contributors Kenta Maeda, Jerad Eickhoff and Jon Gray, who all stayed healthy and pitched well. The Misfits used a similar drafting strategy, nabbing Max Scherzer and Jon Lester in the first three rounds (sandwiched around poor Matt Harvey), with the two aces putting up nearly 1000 points between them. Scott Kazmir and Matt Moore also contributed along with Harvey. Rick took Clayton Kershaw (FF) first overall, then added Johnny Cueto to keep things afloat while Kershaw was injured. Ageless/Weightless Wonder Bartolo Colon and Jason Hammel (before his annual second-half collapse) supplemented the aces. Despite drafting only one starter in the first nine rounds, Matt put together a solid rotation led by Carlos Martinez, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey to finish fourth. As for the bottom of the pitching standings... well, one way to assure yourself of a great draft pick next season is to finish near the bottom of these standings. Bill's rotation of Gerrit Cole, Raisel Iglesias, Michael Wacha and Wei-Yin Chen looked decent enough after the draft, but all four were hurt, two came back as relievers and two didn't come back at all. Yikes. The most positive thing that can be said is Junior Guerra was an out-of-nowhere nice surprise. Ray's rotation suffered similarly, with Francisco Liriano and Mike Leake being average-at-best, Steven Matz having rotten luck before getting hurt, and Julio Teheran pitching well for a terrible team. Free agent finds Drew Pomeranz and Tyler Anderson kept it from being worse for Retire 21. And the Blockheads had a shot at a double-ace rotation, but Jacob deGrom couldn't stay healthy and Jeff Samardzija was inconsistent (and ugly, but that's neither here nor there). Anthony DeSclafani pitched well, but when he and Christian Friedrich were Scott's best options, that was a bad sign.

Relief pitching

1. The Lumbar Yard 304 (11.69)
2. Fresh Fish 297 (11.42)
3. Rookies 264 (10.15)
4. Goldschmidt Happens 246 (9.46)
5. Lawyers, Guns & Money 241 (9.27)
6. Misfits 238 (9.15)
7. Hundley Eyes 231 (8.88)
8. Arbitration Losers 198 (7.62)
9. Retire 21 194 (7.46)
10. Pitch You Blockhead 132 (5.08)

Analysis: What a strange year at this position. Virtual sure things Kenley Jansen (LY), Jeurys Familia (FF) and Mark Melancon (R) led the way, pitching wire-to-wire for their contented owners. And then there was everyone else. Bill (GH) started the year with Arodys Vizcaino, went to Jeremy Jeffress who was great before being traded into a setup role, then finished with Tyler Thornburg. Yes, an owner whose closers were all Braves or Brewers finished fourth in closer points. Matt went with AJ Ramos (LGM) most of the year and he was excellent when the Marlins let him be the closer. Reid's closer Hector Rondon (M) lost his job to Aroldis Chapman (HE), so Hundley Eyes traded their other closer Seung-Hwan Oh to the Misfits and everyone was mostly happy. But that was only after HE drafted should-have-been-sure-thing Trevor Rosenthal in the 10th round and he imploded to the tune of a 4.46 ERA and 6.5 walks per 9 innings. And those numbers are after he pitched OK in mopup duty down the stretch. They were worse at one point! The Arbitration Losers drafted Jonathan Papelbon, who lost his job then REALLY lost his job, Retire 21's Santiago Casilla was terrible and then lost his job... and yet, Pitch You Blockhead takes the prize here. Scott started the year with Brad Ziegler, who was decent before being traded out of a closing role. Scott then went to hot-starter Jeanmar Gomez, who was fine for a while. And then he wasn't. Over the last five weeks of the season, Gomez scored -4, 14, -1, -3 and -6 for the week, meaning that Scott had 132 points from his closers after week 21, and STILL had 132 points from his closers after week 26. 2016 was the year of Closer Russian Roulette, and some owners didn't make it through unscathed.

Average finish by position

The Lumbar Yard: 4.75

Arbitration Losers: 4.875

Hundley Eyes: 5 

Lawyers, Guns & Money: 5.125

Fresh Fish: 5.25

Rookies: 5.375

Retire 21: 5.375

Pitch You Blockhead: 5.75

Misfits; 6.375
Goldschmidt Happens: 7.125

FBLG 2016 Individual Leaders

Even taking Coors Field into consideration, Nolan Arenado has to be on the short list of MLB's best players.

Hitters

1. Nolan Arenado (PYB) 491
2. Freddie Freeman (R21) 463
3. Paul Goldschmidt (GH) 457
4. Charlie Blackmon (GH) 454
5. Anthony Rizzo (LY) 443
6. Daniel Murphy (LY) 436
7. Joey Votto (AL) 435
8. Matt Kemp (R) 433
9. Wil Myers (PYB) 427
10. Kris Bryant (R21) 427
11. Jean Segura (PYB/HE) 418
12. DJ LeMahieu (AL) 413
13. Corey Seager (LY) 409
14. Christian Yelich (R) 405

Anonymous Nationals reliever (front) congratulates Max Scherzer on leading all FBLG players in points.

Starting pitchers

1. Max Scherzer (M) 545
2. Madison Bumgarner (AL) 496
3. Jose Fernandez (HE) 454
4. Jon Lester (M) 447
5. Johnny Cueto (FF) 437
6. Jake Arrieta (R) 427
7. Noah Syndergaard (HE) 414
8. Carlos Martinez (LGM) 372
9. Clayton Kershaw (FF) 353
10. Kyle Hendricks (LGM) 343

Kenley Jansen led FBLG relievers in points, but where will he be pitching in 2017?

Relief pitchers

1. Kenley Jansen (LY) 304
2. Jeurys Famlia (FF) 296
3. Mark Melancon (R) 264
4. AJ Ramos (LGM) 228

Playoffs, Week 8: The Check Swing

We salute Vin Scully, the voice of baseball for multiple generations. 

Another FBLG season is in the books, gang. Thanks to all of you for making this yet another memorable campaign. Stay tuned for additional blog entries addressing payouts, statistics and other notes. 

1. Hundley Eyes (4,509 points, last week 1): The Eyes have it — the commissioners pulled away at the end to claim the points title. This team made countless lineup changes to keep the offense humming, and the pitching staff was remarkably healthy and consistent. Jose Fernandez, Noah Syndergaard, Kenta Maeda and Jerad Eickhoff stayed on the active roster from start to finish. 

2. Fresh Fish (4,445 points, last week 2): The Fish faded a bit down the stretch, but it's easy to see why the Fish were so good. Building a team around Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Cueto and Jonathan Lucroy was a recipe for success for Rick. In keeping with their pattern, expect the Fish to finish in last place in 2017. 

3. The Lumbar Yard (4,421 points, last week 3): The pitching staff was often wobbly, and Bryce Harper was disappointing, but the Yard made a statement with a potent offense. Anthony Rizzo, Corey Seager, Daniel Murphy and Trea Turner were monsters for Adam. Maybe if Joe Ross had stayed healthy, or if Adam Wainwright had been his usual self, or if Hyun-Jin Ryu had been able to pitch more than once...

4. Lawyers, Guns & Money (4,398 points, last week 4): The Fightin' Zevons went with the offense-first draft strategy, and it didn't quite pay off for Matt. Dee Gordon got suspended, Giancarlo Stanton got hurt (again) and Buster Posey was good but not great. And it turns out the rotation of Carlos Martinez, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey was one of FBLG's best. 

5. Arbitration Losers (4,365 points, last week 6): Didn't it feel like Tim's team was always on the brink of breaking out and contending for the title? Madison Bumgarner, Joey Votto and D.J. LeMahieu were outstanding, but the rotation depth just wasn't there. Zack Greinke pitched like ... well, a Diamondback. 

6. Rookies (4,342 points, last week 5): Injuries really prevented Henry's team from surging up the rankings. Maybe if Starling Marte and Stephen Strasburg could have contributed all season, things would have turned out differently. Still, Jake Arrieta, Matt Kemp and Christian Yelich surpassed the 400-point barrier for the year. 

A year after slashing .293/.359.439, Jason Heyward
slashed .229/.304/.321. That's less than enough to be
our first Dud of the Year. Congratulations, Jason!

7. Misfits (4,275 points, last week 7): Reid's team was built using the triple-ace strategy, and Max Scherzer and Jon Lester made it look brilliant. But Matt Harvey broke down, and top hitter David Peralta was injured and unimpressive when healthy. Gregory Polanco was phenomenal at times but wasn't able to carry the lineup. 

8. Retire 21 (4,190 points, last week 8): The defending champion started slowly and never recovered. Freddie Freeman and Kris Bryant were offensive powerhouses, but the Sons of Clemente didn't have the arms to compete with the teams at the top — especially with Steven Matz getting hurt and Francisco Liriano forgetting where the strike zone is.  

9. Pitch You Blockhead (4,128 points, last week 9): Nolan Arenado and Wil Myers kept Scott's team in contention for a while, but PYB faded as injuries set in. Jacob deGrom wasn't able to be an ace for 30-some starts, and there wasn't any consistency at closer. Plus, there were a whole lot of Padres on the roster, and that's usually not helpful. 

10. Goldschmidt Happens (3,850 points, last week 10): As expected, Charlie Blackmon and Paul Goldschmidt were incredible. But the pitching staff, which was supposed to be anchored by Gerrit Cole, was a weak spot all season. And Jason Heyward was pretty awful.

Playoffs, Week 8: Sunday's Roundup

Julio Teheran helped ensure
a Tiger-free postseason.

Studs: Julio Teheran (R21) singled twice, struck out 12 and got the win in 7 shutout innings against the Tigers, who were fighting for a playoff spot. Charlie Blackmon (GH) went 4 for 5 with a homer, 2 doubles and 2 RBIs. Matt Moore (M) singled, scored, struck out 6 and allowed 1 run in an 8-inning win. Max Scherzer (M) got knocked around a bit, allowing 5 runs and fanning 7 in a 5-inning win. The victory was his 20th of the season. He did his part at the plate with a pair of 2-run singles. 

Duds: Kenta Maeda (HE) allowed 5 runs and struck out 3 in a 2.2-inning loss. Jean Segura (HE) went 0 for 3 and was caught stealing. 

Consolation final scores

Rookies 173, Retire 21 133

Other scores

Fresh Fish 119

Misfits 191

Lawyers, Guns & Money 188

Pitch You Blockhead 118

Goldschmidt Happens 130

Arbitration Losers 203

The Lumbar Yard 160

Hundley Eyes 176

Playoffs, Week 8: Saturday's Roundup

Is Joey Votto the best hitter in baseball? It's sure seemed that way in the second half. 

Studs: Joey Votto (AL) went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs and a run. Jean Segura (HE) tripled, doubled, stole a base and scored 3 runs. 

Dud: Justin Turner (M) went 0 for 4 with an error. 

Consolation final scores

Rookies 150, Retire 21 89

Other scores

Fresh Fish 109

Misfits 139

Lawyers, Guns & Money 170

Pitch You Blockhead 104

Goldschmidt Happens 104

Arbitration Losers 182

The Lumbar Yard 135

Hundley Eyes 159

Playoffs, Week 8: Friday's Roundup

After taking most of the last 3 months off, Ben Zobrist went off on Friday.

Studs: Brandon Belt (M) was a triple shy of a cycle and drove in 3. Ben Zobrist (HE) homered twice, doubled, scored 3 and drove in 3. Robert Gsellman (HE) struck out 7 and allowed 1 run in a 6-inning win. Madison Bumgarner (AL) struck out 5 and allowed 3 runs in 7.1 innings for the win. He also singled, doubled, scored and drove in 2. Christian Yelich (R) and Nolan Arenado (PYB) both homered, doubled, scored 2 and drove in 2. Carlos Martinez (LGM) struck out 9 in 7 shutout innings. 

Duds: Sean Rodriguez (R21) had a hit and an error. Jean Segura (HE) scored and erred.

Consolation final scores

Rookies 124, Retire 21 66

Other scores

Fresh Fish 81

Misfits 124

Lawyers, Guns & Money 157

Pitch You Blockhead 93

Goldschmidt Happens 83

Arbitration Losers 149

The Lumbar Yard 101

Hundley Eyes 135

Playoffs, Week 8: Thursday's Roundup

Jeanmar Gomez has been so bad lately that he can't even look his catcher in the eyes.

Studs: Yadier Molina (AL) threw out a base-stealer, hit a solo homer and doubled in the winning run, which shouldn't have scored from first base — the umpires failed see the ball bounce up and hit above the wall, and it should have been a ground-rule double. That's good umpiring. Johnny Cueto (FF) singled and struck out 11 while allowing 2 runs in a 7-inning win. 

Duds: Jeanmar Gomez (PYB) struck out 1, allowed 4 runs and took the loss. Eugenio Suarez (R) went 0 for 3 and made his 23rd error of the year. 

Consolation final scores

Rookies 97, Retire 21 56

Other scores

Fresh Fish 70

Misfits 105

Lawyers, Guns & Money 113

Pitch You Blockhead 79

Goldschmidt Happens 65

Arbitration Losers 109

The Lumbar Yard 84

Hundley Eyes 95

Playoffs, Week 8: Wednesday's Roundup

Remember when the LA press thought Matt Kemp was struggling because he was dating Rihanna?
That was so dumb.
Anyway, now he looks like Grizzly Adams and she's worth $200+ million.

Studs: Dansby Swanson (R21) doubled, tripled, scored 3 runs, drove in 2 and stole a base. Tyler Chatwood (PYB) struck out 9 in 8 shutout innings to beat the Giants. Matt Kemp (R) homered, doubled, scored 2 and drove in 2.

Duds: Tyler Thornburg (GH) had a strikeout but allowed 2 runs in 0.1 innings. Yasmani Grandal (HE) was 0-fer with a caught stealing, for some reason. Jake Arrieta (R) was roughed up by the Pirates, allowing 7 runs and striking out 4 in a 5-inning loss.

Consolation final scores

Rookies 77, Retire 21 48

Other scores

Fresh Fish 44

Misfits 84

Lawyers, Guns & Money 102

Pitch You Blockhead 72

Goldschmidt Happens 56

Arbitration Losers 80

The Lumbar Yard 69

Hundley Eyes 89

Playoffs, Week 8: Tuesday's Roundup

Joey Votto has been great for a terrible team this year.

Studs: It was, ugh, a good day for Giants. Matt Moore (M) struck out 11 and allowed 1 run in a 7.2-inning win. Hunter Pence (FF) homered, singled twice, scored 2 and drove in 2. Brandon Crawford (AL) had 2 triples, 2 singles, 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Brandon Belt (M) was a homer shy of the cycle and scored twice. Elsewhere, Joey Votto (AL) was a triple shy of the cycle and drove in 2. Curtis Granderson (AL) singled, doubled, scored twice and drove in 3. Noah Syndergaard (HE) had 2 singles and struck out 8 in a 6-inning win, allowing 1 run. Max Scherzer (M) allowed 2 runs and struck out 10 in a 6-inning win. 

Duds: Justin Turner (M) went 0-fer with an error.

Consolation final scores

Rookies 64, Retire 21 28

Other scores

Fresh Fish 22

Misfits 72

Lawyers, Guns & Money 83

Pitch You Blockhead 17

Goldschmidt Happens 46

Arbitration Losers 51

The Lumbar Yard 53

Hundley Eyes 67

Playoffs, Week 8: Monday's Roundup

Dee Gordon — getting hugged by hitting coach Barry Bonds —
would have made the Studs list for his emotional leadoff homer alone. 

Studs: Dee Gordon (LGM) provided one of the great moments in baseball history, honoring his friend Jose Fernandez by mimicking Fernandez's batting stance and, 2 pitches later, hitting his first homer of the season. Gordon went 4 for 5 with a steal and 2 RBIs. Adam Duvall (LGM) went 4 for 6 with 2 homers, 4 runs and 5 RBIs. Jean Segura (HE) singled and hit a 2-run homer and a solo homer. Kyle Hendricks (LGM) singled and got the win while striking out 5 in 6 shutout innings and lowering his ERA to 1.99. Justin Bour (LGM) was a homer short of a cycle and scored twice. Jonathan Villar (R) homered twice, doubled and drove in 5. Brandon Phillips (R) went 4 for 5 with a double, 2 steals, 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Javier Baez (GH) had a grand slam and a 2-run single. 

Duds: Bartolo Colon (FF) allowed 7 runs in a 2.1-inning loss. Chad Kuhl (R21) singled, but he also got knocked around, allowing 5 runs and fanning 3 in a 3-inning loss.

Consolation final scores

Rookies 34, Retire 21 10

Other scores

Fresh Fish 0

Misfits 0

Lawyers, Guns & Money 53

Pitch You Blockhead 2

Goldschmidt Happens 36

Arbitration Losers 13

The Lumbar Yard 22

Hundley Eyes 22

Week 26 (The Finale) Transactions and Lineups

If this isn't nearly the exact image that comes into your head when you think of Sean Rodriguez, it should be.

Players acquired

• The Lumbar Yard sign C Jeff Mathis (September move #1) and 2B Chase Utley (September move #2).
• Retire 21 sign OF Sean Rodriguez (September move #3).

Players released

• 3B Jung-Ho Kang
• 2B Scooter Gennett

Lineup changes

• Fresh Fish: Bench SP Ivan Nova; activate SP Tom Koehler.
• Rookies: None.
• The Lumbar Yard: Bench OF Bryce Harper; move Willson Contreras from C to OF; activate 2B Chase Utley and C Francisco Cervelli.
• Goldschmidt Happens: None.
• Misfits: None.
• Lawyers, Guns & Money: Bench 2B Ryan Schimpf and OF Brandon Drury; activate 2B Dee Gordon and OF Giancarlo Stanton.
• Pitch You Blockhead: None.
• Arbitration Losers: None.
• Hundley Eyes: Bench SP Jose Fernandez and 2B Hernan Perez; activate SP Jerad Eickhoff and 2B Ben Zobrist.
• Retire 21: Bench SP Homer Bailey and OF Keon Broxton; activate SP Julio Teheran and OF Sean Rodriguez.

Playoffs, Week 7: The Check Swing

Let's hear it for The Lumbar Yard winning the playoff championship. 

If you've been too busy tracking your fantasy football team to follow the crazy goings-on in FBLG, shame on you. Forget about Ryan Fitzpatrick's stats (PLEASE) and pay attention.

Amazingly, the Fresh Fish and the Misfits finished their 3-week third-place series tied at 499 points apiece. In the consolation round, 3 teams finished tied with records of 3-2: Rookies, LGM and Retire 21. That meant the deciding factor in determining which 2 make the consolation finals would be aggregate scores over weeks 21-25. Amazingly again, the scores were oh-so-close: Retire 21 scored 798, Rookies scored 797 and LGM scored 794. So it'll be Ray vs. Henry for the consolation title. 

The commissioners made a valiant charge for the playoff title but fell short. Congratulations to The Lumbar Yard for winning the crown. As you can see below, the points championship is still up for grabs with 1 week to go. 

Matt Moore the pitcher posted a -8
to earn our Dud of the Week award.
The Misfits would have been better off
with Matt Moore the quarterback. 

1. Hundley Eyes (4,333 points, last week 3)

2. Fresh Fish (4,326 points, last week 1)

3. The Lumbar Yard (4,261 points, last week 2)

4. Lawyers, Guns & Money (4,210 points, last week 4)

5. Rookies (4,169 points, last week 5)

6. Arbitration Losers (4,162 points, last week 6)

7. Misfits (4,084 points, last week 7)

8. Retire 21 (4,057 points, last week 8)

9. Pitch You Blockhead (4,010 points, last week 9)

10. Goldschmidt Happens (3,720 points, last week 10)

Playoffs, Week 7: Sunday's Roundup

Baseball lost one of its brightest young stars with the death of Jose Fernandez. We'll miss his unbridled enthusiasm
and electric performances on the field. A young man gone too soon. 

Studs: Jon Lester (M) improved to 19-4 by striking out 7 in 6.2 shutout innings. Corey Seager (LY) was a double shy of a cycle and drove in 2. Robert Gsellman (HE) singled and got the win while striking out 8 in 7 shutout innings. Jose Reyes (HE) had a 2-run double, 2 bases-loaded walks and 2 runs for one of the more unusual Stud performances we've ever seen. 

Dud: Jake Thompson (GH) struck out 1 and allowed 3 runs in a 4-inning loss. 

Note: The Braves-Marlins game was canceled. 

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 110 (552), Hundley Eyes 190 (515)

Third-place final scores

Misfits 156 (499), Fresh Fish 149 (499)

Consolation scores

Pitch You Blockhead 143, Lawyers, Guns & Money 130

Arbitration Losers 185, Rookies 142
Retire 21 163, Goldschmidt Happens 122

Playoffs, Week 7: Saturday's Roundup

Doesn't it seem like we just highlighted a Dodger who hit a grand slam? 

Studs: Clayton Kershaw (FF) had an RBI single and got the win while striking out 6 in 7 shutout innings. Dan Straily (R) fanned 5 and allowed a run in a 6.2-inning win. Justin Turner (M) went 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs, 2 runs and a steal. Stephen Piscotty (HE) was a triple shy of a cycle, drove in 2 and scored twice. Yadier Molina (AL) doubled, singled twice, drove in 4 and scored. Josh Reddick (PYB) hit a grand slam, was a triple shy of a cycle, drove in 5 and scored 3 runs.

Duds: Scooter Gennett (LY) went 1 for 4 with an error and has posted a -1 on consecutive days for his new team. Javier Baez (GH) went 0 for 1 with an error. Jean Segura (HE) went 0 for 4 with an error.

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 90 (532), Hundley Eyes 148 (473)

Third-place final scores

Fresh Fish 137 (487), Misfits 130 (473)

Consolation scores

Pitch You Blockhead 139, Lawyers, Guns & Money 100

Arbitration Losers 168, Rookies 117
Retire 21 152, Goldschmidt Happens 106

Playoffs, Week 7: Thursday's Roundup

More like Yasmani Grandslamal, right?

Studs: Yasmani Grandal (HE) hit a grand slam, a solo homer, a double and a single, driving in 5. Jose Reyes (HE) homered, singled, scored 3 runs and drove in 2. Matt Kemp (R) homered twice and drove in 3. Jeff Samardzija (PYB) struck out 9 in 7 shutout innings for the win. He also committed an error.

Duds: Josh Reddick (PYB) had a single and RBI, but also made an error and was caught stealing. Jeanmar Gomez (PYB) struck out 1 and allowed 2 runs in 0.1 innings.

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 62 (504), Hundley Eyes 113 (438)

Third-place final scores

Misfits 100 (443), Fresh Fish 82 (432)

Consolation scores

Pitch You Blockhead 86, Lawyers, Guns & Money 66

Arbitration Losers 101, Rookies 52
Retire 21 107, Goldschmidt Happens 81

Playoffs, Week 7: Wednesday's Roundup

The chances are very good this Matt Moore pitch was hit hard somewhere.

Studs: Chad Kuhl (R21) struck out 6 and allowed 1 run in 6 innings to earn the win. Max Scherzer (M) had a single and a run and struck out 8 in 6.2 innings, allowing 3 runs in the win. Kenta Maeda (HE) struck out 6 and allowed 1 run in a 5-inning win, adding an RBI single. Charlie Blackmon (GH) had 2 singles, a double, an RBI and 3 runs. Paul Goldschmidt (GH) homered twice and drove in 3. Zack Greinke (AL) allowed 2 runs and struck out 7 in 6 innings to beat the Padres. Nolan Arenado (PYB) had a grand slam and also singled and scored.

Duds: Matt Moore (M) was destroyed by the Dodgers, allowing 6 runs and striking out no one in a 1-inning loss. Adam Duvall (LGM) had a hit and an error. Jeurys Familia (FF) allowed the game-losing run and struck out no one in a 1.2-inning loss. Adeiny Hechavarria (FF) was 0-fer with an error.

Transaction: Goldschmidt Happens swap out 3B Yangervis Solarte (missed 3 games) for 3B Javier Baez.

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 55 (497), Hundley Eyes 86 (411)

Third-place final scores

Misfits 86 (429), Fresh Fish 64 (414)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 60, Pitch You Blockhead 43

Arbitration Losers 91, Rookies 38
Retire 21 96, Goldschmidt Happens 67

Playoffs, Week 7: Tuesday's Roundup

Yeah, that'll work.

Studs: Jose Fernandez (HE) struck out 12 in 8 shutout innings to beat the Nationals. Jon Lester (M) improved to 18-4 by striking out 5 and allowing 1 run in 7 innings. He added an RBI double and a run. Randal Grichuk (M) doubled twice and scored 4 runs. Jedd Gyorko (AL) doubled, homered, scored twice and drove in 2. Adam Wainwright (LY) hit his seventh double and drove in 4 runs in addition to striking out 4 and allowing 4 runs in a 5.1-inning win. He's now slashing .224/.250/.483. Johnny Cueto (FF) struck out 6 and allowed no runs in a 5.1-inning win.

Duds: Matt Garza (GH) allowed 5 runs and struck out 3 in a 4-inning loss. Jeanmar Gomez allowed 3 runs in 0.2 innings.

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 43 (485), Hundley Eyes 59 (384)

Third-place final scores

Misfits 60 (403), Fresh Fish 41 (391)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 42, Pitch You Blockhead 22

Arbitration Losers 61, Rookies 29
Retire 21 58, Goldschmidt Happens 40

Playoffs, Week 7: Monday's Roundup

This man is the leading scorer among first basemen in FBLG this season.

Studs: Freddie Freeman (R21) was a triple shy of the cycle and drove in 4. Dansby Swanson (R21) had 3 singles, 3 RBIs, a steal and a run. Madison Bumgarner (AL) struck out 10 in 7 shutout innings before his bullpen predictably coughed up the game. Carlos Martinez (LGM) allowed 2 runs and struck out 6 in a 5-inning win, adding a 2-run double.

Duds: Yasmani Grandal (HE) was 0-for-2 with a throwing error. Chris Owings (LY) had a hit and an error.

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 9 (451), Hundley Eyes 12 (337)

Third-place final scores

Fresh Fish 19 (369), Misfits 16 (359)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 30, Pitch You Blockhead 11

Arbitration Losers 37, Rookies 10
Retire 21 34, Goldschmidt Happens 19

Week 25 (Playoffs, Week 7) Transactions and Lineup

Yeah, Robert Gsellman certainly looks like a Mets pitcher. 

Players acquired

• Rookies steal OF Nick Markakis (September move #2) from Retire 21.
• Goldschmidt Happens sign SP A.J. Cole (September move #1).
• Misfits sign 2B T.J. Rivera (September move #2) and C Nick Hundley (September move #3)
• Hundley Eyes sign SP Robert Gsellman (September move #4).

Players released

• OF Billy Hamilton
• 1B Lucas Duda
• SP Rubby De La Rosa
• SP Gerrit Cole
• UTIL Daniel Descalso
• C Derek Norris

Players unprotected/available to be stolen

• none on Fresh Fish
• 3B Aaron Hill (Rookies) 
• C Francisco Cervelli (The Lumbar Yard)
• OF Jorge Soler (Goldschmidt Happens)
• C Cameron Rupp (Misfits)
• OF Yasiel Puig (LG&M)
• SP Jimmy Nelson (PYB)
• none on Arbitration Losers
• none on Hundley Eyes
• none on Retire 21

Please email the commish by first pitch Saturday to change your unprotected player.

• SP Jeff Locke (Rookies), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (GH), UTIL Javier Baez (GH) are also available to be stolen after spending four weeks on the bench.

Lineup changes

• Fresh Fish: None.
• Rookies: Bench OF Starling Marte; activate OF Nick Markakis.
• The Lumbar Yard: Move SP Joe Ross from DL to bench.
• Goldschmidt Happens: Activate SP A.J. Cole.
• Misfits: Bench 2B Wilmer Flores and C Cameron Rupp; activate 2B T.J. Rivera and C Nick Hundley.
• Lawyers, Guns & Money: None.
• Pitch You Blockhead: None.
• Arbitration Losers: None.
• Hundley Eyes: Bench SP Jerad Eickhoff; activate SP Robert Gsellman.
• Retire 21: None.

Playoffs, Week 6: The Check Swing

Brandon Drury was so good this week that he deserves to get his picture in this blog again. 

1. Fresh Fish (4,177 points, last week 1): The Fish are fighting 2 battles at once: They're locked in a tight race with the Misfits for third place in the playoffs while also trying to fend off the surging Lumbar Yard in the points race. Rick's team leads the Misfits by 7 points with 1 week left in the third-place matchup, in case you haven't been paying attention.

2. The Lumbar Yard (4,151 points, last week 3): The Lumbar Yard is putting a whooping on the commissioners in the playoff championship matchup. Adam's team put up 219 points this week to extend its lead to 117 points, which appears insurmountable. And now the Yard is making a run at the points title. Could we have another sweep like we did a year ago with Retire 21? More great performances from the likes of Jeremy Hellickson (38), Trea Turner (31) and Chris Owings (26) can make that happen. 

3. Hundley Eyes (4,143 points, last week 2): Another year, another season with the commissioners fading down the stretch. They're getting whipped in the playoff title round and have slipped to 3rd in the points race. At least Jean Segura (35) is playing like something is on the line.

4. Lawyers, Guns & Money (4,080 points, last week 5): Brandon Drury (38) turned out to be a fortuitous pickup for Matt, whose team posted 221 points in its quest to win the consolation round. A push for one of the top few spots in the rankings isn't out of the question, either. 

5. Rookies (4,027 points, last week 4): Losing Starling Marte to injury really hurt the Rookies, who scored only 131 points in a down week for Henry. You know it's a weird season when guys like Dan Straily (34) are making Jake Arrieta (5) look bad. 

6. Arbitration Losers (3,977 points, last week 6): Tim's pitching didn't even bother to show up this week. The 5 pitchers combined to score 27 points, and 3 of the hitters failed to reach double digits. D.J. LeMahieu (27) was the top performer and has outscored Joey Votto and Ryan Braun this season. 

Drew Pomeranz pitched twice for R21 and totaled
0 points to earn the Dud of the Week award. 

7. Misfits (3,928 points, last week 8): Reid's team is battling for the third-place playoff trophy but isn't making much headway in the points race. They did pass R21 to move up to 7th, but it'll be tough to get farther than that. A return to the lineup for Wilmer Flores sure would help. 

8. Retire 21 (3,894 points, last week 7): Andrew McCutchen (33) did his part to help Clemente's Kids, but the rest of the team fizzled. Thanks for nothing, Tyler Anderson (4), Drew Pomeranz (0) and Santiago Casilla (-1). 

9. Pitch You Blockhead (3,867 points, last week 9): Scott's lads posted 118 points in a lackluster effort in the consolation round. Nolan Arenado (22) did his usual thing, but Jeanmar Gomez (-1) and Zack Cozart (0) were no-shows — literally, in Cozart's place.

10. Goldschmidt Happens (3,598 points, last week 10): Charlie Blackmon (31) and Paul Goldschmidt (22) were very good, and Junior Guerra (17) was fairly good, but just about everyone else was "meh" or worse. Looking at you, Gerrit Cole (-2). 

Playoffs, Week 6: Sunday's Roundup

Brandon Drury (left) and Chris Owings combined to
score 19 points on Sunday. 

Studs: Joey Votto (AL) went 4 for 4 with a homer, a double and 2 runs. Wily Peralta (LGM) had an RBI single and struck out 5 while allowing 1 run in a 6-inning win. Brandon Drury (LGM) went 4 for 5 with a homer, a double, 2 RBIs and 3 runs. Howie Kendrick (FF) had 2 doubles, a single, a run and 2 RBIs. Chris Owings (LY) had a 2-run homer and an RBI double. 

Duds: Nolan Arenado (PYB) went 0 for 5 with 3 Ks and an error. Ivan Nova (FF) allowed 10 hits and 5 runs — 4 earned — and struck out 2 in a 3-inning loss. Eugenio Suarez (R) went 1 for 5 with an error. Cesar Hernandez (GH) went 1 for 3 with an error and was caught stealing. 

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 219 (442), Hundley Eyes 171 (325)

Third-place final scores

Fresh Fish 171 (350), Misfits 171 (343)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 221, Rookies 131

Goldschmidt Happens 146, Pitch You Blockhead 118

Arbitration Losers 140, Retire 21 136

Playoffs, Week 6: Saturday's Roundup

The Lumbar Yard is on its way to winning the playoff championship
with a rotation anchored by Jeremy Hellickson. Who'd have thought?

Studs: A week after getting shelled by the Padres and earning a spot on the HE bench, Jon Gray shut out San Diego at Coors Field and struck out 16. Whoops. Jeremy Hellickson (LY) singled and struck out 5 in a shutout of the Marlins, who clearly didn't care. Trea Turner (LY) homered twice, singled and stole a base. Ryan Braun (AL) homered twice, singled and drove in 5. Curtis Granderson (AL) hit the game-tying homer in the 11th inning and the game-winning homer in the 12th. 

Duds: Santiago Casilla (R21) allowed a run, took the loss and failed to record an out. Buster Posey (LGM) went 0 for 4 with an error. Brandon Finnegan (R) allowed 5 runs — 2 earned — and struck out 1 in a 2.1-inning loss. Brandon Phillips (R) doubled and stole a base, but he committed 2 errors. 

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 194 (417), Hundley Eyes 161 (315)

Third-place final scores

Misfits 153 (325), Fresh Fish 152 (331)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 168, Rookies 97

Goldschmidt Happens 130, Pitch You Blockhead 105

Arbitration Losers 125, Retire 21 118

Playoffs, Week 6: Thursday and Friday's Roundup

Buster Posey went exactly 2 months between homers. And then Jaime Garcia came along.
This is why so many are thankful for crappy lefties.

Studs: Johnny Cueto (FF) tossed a complete game, striking out 7 and allowing 1 run in the win. Bartolo Colon (FF) struck out 6 in 7 shutout innings to win. Buster Posey (LGM) homered, singled twice and drove in 4. Trea Turner (LY) had a homer, double, 2 singles, 4 runs, 2 steals and an error. DJ Lemahieu (AL) doubled twice, singled, drove in 3 runs and stole a base. Aroldis Chapman (HE) struck out the side in a scoreless inning to earn the vulture win. Kenta Maeda (HE) struck out 6 and allowed 1 run in a 5-inning win. Max Scherzer (M) struck out 8 and allowed 2 runs in a 7-inning win. Andrew McCutchen (R21) homered twice and drove in 3.

Duds: AJ Ramos (LGM) allowed 5 hits and the game-losing run, striking out 1. Chris Carter (R) had a hit and an error. Addison Russell (GH) singled and scored but made 2 errors.

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 153 (376), Hundley Eyes 135 (289)

Third-place final scores

Fresh Fish 139 (318), Misfits 132 (304)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 161, Rookies 76

Goldschmidt Happens 114, Pitch You Blockhead 77

Retire 21 105, Arbitration Losers 81

Playoffs, Week 6: Wednesday's Roundup

"Jean, smile if you'd like to play the Rockies 80 games per year."

Studs: Jean Segura (HE) was 5-for-6 with 2 homers, 3 runs and 3 RBIs. He has 4 homers in his past 2 games. Jon Lester (M) had an RBI single and struck out 8 in 8 shutout innings to beat the Cardinals. Marcell Ozuna (HE) had a 3-run homer and an RBI single. Junior Guerra (GH) struck out 5 and allowed no runs in a 6-inning win. Charlie Blackmon (GH) was a double shy of the cycle and scored twice. Tanner Roark (LY) had a single and struck out 7 in 7 shutout innings to beat the Mets. Chris Owings (LY) homered, doubled, scored twice and drove in 2. Anthony Rizzo (LY) homered twice and drove in 3. Brandon Drury (LGM) homered for the 3rd straight game, doubled, scored 2 and drove in 2.

Duds: Aledmys Diaz (M) and Bryce Harper (LY) were each 0-for-2 with a caught stealing. Adam Duvall (LGM) was 0-for-4 with an error.

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 120 (343), Hundley Eyes 83 (237)

Third-place final scores

Fresh Fish 68 (247), Misfits 64 (236)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 114, Rookies 62

Goldschmidt Happens 87, Pitch You Blockhead 54

Retire 21 56, Arbitration Losers 45

Playoffs, Week 6: Tuesday's Roundup

Look! It's successful Thurston High School graduate Dan Straily!

Studs: Paul Goldschmidt (GH) had a double, 2 singles, 3 runs, an RBI and a steal. Jean Segura (HE) had two solo homers and also singled and scored. Noah Syndergaard (HE) struck out 10 and allowed 1 run in a 7-inning no-decision, adding a single at the plate. Joey Votto (AL) had a homer, 2 singles, 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Dan Straily (R) struck out 8 and allowed 1 run in an 8-inning win. Ivan Nova (FF) struck out 11 and allowed one earned run in a 6-inning no-decision.

Duds: Drew Pomeranz (R21) allowed 5 runs and struck out 3 in a 2-inning loss. Hernan Perez (HE) scored a run and made an error. Jose Reyes (HE) was 0-for-5 with an error. Mark Melancon (R) allowed a game-losing homer to Rene Rivera and took the loss. Jeanmar Gomez (PYB) allowed 3 earned runs and took the loss without getting an out. Adeiny Hechavarria (FF) went 0-fer with an error.

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 71 (294), Hundley Eyes 42 (196)

Third-place final scores

Fresh Fish 48 (227), Misfits 31 (203)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 93, Rookies 52

Goldschmidt Happens 41, Pitch You Blockhead 34 

Retire 21 39, Arbitration Losers 29 

Playoffs, Week 6: Monday's Roundup

No-hitter, schmo-hitter. The most entertaining part of this game was Cowboy Joe tossing Crazy Joe.

Studs: Kyle Hendricks (LGM) was throwing a no-hitter until he allowed a solo homer to lead off the 9th. He finished with 7 Ks and 1 run allowed in an 8-inning win. Carlos Gonzalez (LGM) went 4 for 5 with 3 doubles, 3 RBIs and 2 runs. Brandon Drury (LGM) went 4 for 5 with a homer, a double and 3 runs. Jeremy Hellickson (LY) scored a run an allowed only an unearned run while fanning 6 in a 6.1-inning win. Freddie Freeman (R21) went 3 for 4 with a double, an RBI and 3 runs. 

Duds: Gerrit Cole (GH) allowed 5 runs in a 2-inning loss. He did strike out 3 and get a hit, though. Jose Peraza (HE) went 0 for 4 with an error. Jean Segura (HE) also went 0 for 4 with an error, which is a pretty sad result for a guy who played in a 12-9 game. Jedd Gyorko (AL) went 0 for 2 with an error. 

Final scores

The Lumbar Yard 41 (264), Hundley Eyes 11 (165)

Third-place final scores

Fresh Fish 22 (201), Misfits 18 (190)

Consolation scores

Lawyers, Guns & Money 41, Rookies 14

Pitch You Blockhead 21, Goldschmidt Happens 12

Retire 21 22, Arbitration Losers 8 

Week 24 (Playoffs, Week 6) Transactions and Lineups

See ya in 2017, Vince Velasquez.

Players acquired

• Lawyers, Guns & Money sign OF Brandon Drury (September move #4).
• Hundley Eyes steal 3B Jose Reyes (September move #3) from Arbitration Losers.

Players released

• SP Vincent Velasquez
• C Travis d'Arnaud
• SP Braden Shipley
• SP Alex Reyes

Players unprotected/available to be stolen

• none on Fresh Fish
• 3B Aaron Hill (Rookies) 
• OF Melvin Upton, Jr. (The Lumbar Yard)
• OF Jorge Soler (Goldschmidt Happens)
• C Derek Norris (Misfits)
• 2B Dee Gordon (LG&M)
• SP Jimmy Nelson (PYB)
• none on Arbitration Losers
• OF Billy Hamilton (Hundley Eyes)
• none

Please email the commish by first pitch Saturday to change your unprotected player.

• SP Jeff Locke (Rookies), C Francisco Cervelli (LY) and OF Nick Markakis (R21) are also available to be stolen after spending four weeks on the bench.

Lineup changes

• Fresh Fish: None.
• Rookies: None.
• The Lumbar Yard: Bench SP Luke Weaver; activate SP Robbie Ray.
• Goldschmidt Happens: Activate SP Gerrit Cole.
• Misfits: Bench 1B Brandon Moss; activate 1B Brandon Belt.
• Lawyers, Guns & Money: Bench OF Yasiel Puig; activate OF Brandon Drury.
• Pitch You Blockhead: None
• Arbitration Losers: Bench OF Jay Bruce; activate OF Joc Pederson.
• Hundley Eyes: Bench SP Jon Gray and 2B Ben Zobrist; move Hernan Perez from 3B to 2B; activate SP Kenta Maeda and 3B Jose Reyes.
• Retire 21: Place 2B Josh Harrison on season-ending DL; move Matt Carpenter from 3B to 2B and Kris Bryant from OF to 3B; activate OF Keon Broxton.

Playoffs, Week 5: The Check Swing

Trea Turner was FBLG's leading scorer this week with 34 points. 

Alleged ace Zack Greinke scored a total of 3 points in a
pair of starts. That's the recipe to be our Dud of the Week. 

1. Fresh Fish (4,006 points, last week 1)

2. Hundley Eyes (3,972 points, last week 2)

3. The Lumbar Yard (3,932 points, last week 4)

4. Rookies (3,896 points, last week 3)

5. Lawyers, Guns & Money (3,859 points, last week 5)

6. Arbitration Losers (3,837 points, last week 6)

7. Retire 21 (3,758 points, last week 7)

8. Misfits (3,757 points, last week 8)

9. Pitch You Blockhead (3,749 points, last week 9)

10. Goldschmidt Happens (3,452 points, last week 10)