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)