Last night the record for most MLB HRs hit in a season was broken when Jonathan Villar hit his 21st HR of the season (his career high) for the 6,106th HR of the season. Most teams have about 16 games left in the season, which means at the current pace (41 HRs/night) means the record will be somewhere between 6,600 and 7,000. Think about that number! 7,000 HRs in one season. That is absurd. Even now I have the Rockies and Cardinals game on in the background, and in the 4th inning 7 HRs have already been hit!
And it is somewhat ironic that the record HR was hit by a player on the Baltimore Orioles, who as a team have given up more HRs than any other team this year. It could have been one of the many players at the top of the standings for the HR prowess, but no, it was a journeyman infielder (who is having a pretty decent season, by the way!). Villar, when translated from Spanish to English, means hamlet. So today I will assign to your team a famous quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
But before we get there, I wanted to update you on the EFL stats for HRs. I don’t have historical data to compare these to, but maybe Ron or Dave can provide that historical data a different day:
Old Detroit – 275
Flint Hill – 267
Portland – 252
Pittsburgh – 232
Canberra – 228
Kaline – 221
Haviland – 213
Peshastin – 208
Brookland – 205
Cottage – 171
DC – 170
Bellingham – 163
EFL Total: 2,605
We have 12 teams, which means if our HR stats were correlative to the MLB rate, we would have 2,442. So we have been a little bit better (163, or one per game) at getting the HR hitters than the average MLB team. Good for us!
EFL Standings for 2019
| EFL | ||||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB | RS | RA |
| Portland Rosebuds | 96 | 51 | .654 | — | 934.6 | 677.7 |
| Flint Hill Tornadoes | 92 | 54 | .633 | 3.3 | 915.9 | 686.5 |
| Old Detroit Wolverines | 86 | 60 | .587 | 10 | 850.1 | 708.9 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 80 | 65 | .550 | 15.4 | 773.9 | 687.4 |
| Peshastin Pears | 80 | 67 | .542 | 16.5 | 770.3 | 710.8 |
| Canberra Kangaroos | 76 | 71 | .514 | 20.6 | 826.1 | 806.9 |
| Haviland Dragons | 75 | 72 | .513 | 20.9 | 817.7 | 791.4 |
| Kaline Drive | 70 | 77 | .477 | 26 | 694.7 | 728.8 |
| Cottage Cheese | 65 | 80 | .452 | 29.7 | 810.8 | 885.8 |
| Bellingham Cascades | 63 | 82 | .431 | 32.7 | 669.3 | 784.1 |
| Brookland Outs | 61 | 84 | .421 | 34.2 | 699.8 | 818.9 |
| D.C. Balk | 58 | 89 | .391 | 38.7 | 641.8 | 804.2 |
Portland: W, 4-0 (51 PA, .234, .314, .391; 17 ip, 4 er, 2.12 era) “One may smile, and smile, and be a villain.” Just two days ago there was a glimmer of hope in the geographical region of Kansas known as the Flint Hills. The First place Rosebuds had begun September with a whimper, and a Tornado is so much more than a whimper. I jockeyed over text with the Rosebud owner, and he continue to remain calm, sending funny GIF after funny GIF, seemingly not worried about what might happen while also humoring me. Well, yesterday and today have proven that though he smiles, he is still a villain. His hitting was, as it has been for most of the month, just ok. But yesterday his pitchers decided to show up, providing 17 ip and getting rid of all the replacement innings the Rosebuds were carrying. A villain indeed – a whole team of them!
Flint Hill: DNP, 1-1 (36 PA, .276, .417, .517; 5.7 ip, 2 er, 3.18 era) “When sorrows come, they come not single spies. But in battalions!” Truer words have ne’er been spoken! Yesterday I scored 10 runs and my opponent scored 4. The sorrow of the day? THe algorithm gave me a loss, my first of the month! How sorrowful. Then, today, the Rosebud pitchers proclaimed their presence and desire to win another championship by pitching like a September Tornado, so our single sorrow turned into a battalion. We were 2.4 games back before yesterday, not we are 3.3, despite out-scoring our opponents 11-5. Mike Trout has been hurt, Javy Baez broke his thumb and is out for the rest of the season, and Max Kepler has been having shoulder pain that has sidelined him for a few games. These sorrows are too much too bear!
Old Detroit: DNP, 1-5 (62 PA, .241, .290, .552; 6.7 ip, 9 er, 12.15 era) “O God, I could be bound in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space – were it not that I have bad dreams.” In late August I asked the chief Wolverine if he wanted to trade me any pitching (Marcus Stroman, to be exact). He told me that he was sticking with his roster and making a run during this last month. I have to think that this month has felt like a bad dream even though he intended/hoped to be nearer to king. Last night’s bad dream was in the form of his two name alliterative pitchers, Robbie Ray and Josh James, who together gave up all 9 runs.
Pittsburgh: W, 4-2 (44 PA, .179, .273, .436; 17 ip, 9 er, 4.76 era) “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will.” Surely the divine was looking down on the Alleghany’s, shaping their end. How else can you explain a line like his with an outcome like he had yesterday? Sure, allocations might be a partial explanation, but it is more than that. Mike Moustakas did his part chipping in a pair of HRs, but all the rest was roughly-hewn. Including the pitching, which gave up 9 earned runs on the day. But the divine has spoken, and shaped their roughness into something respectable, in this case, a win.
Rough-hew them how we will.” Surely the divine was looking down on the Alleghany’s, shaping their end. How else can you explain a line like his with an outcome like he had yesterday? Sure, allocations might be a partial explanation, but it is more than that. Mike Moustakas did his part chipping in a pair of HRs, but all the rest was roughly-hewn. Including the pitching, which gave up 9 earned runs on the day. But the divine has spoken, and shaped their roughness into something respectable, in this case, a win.
Peshastin: W, 7-1 (45 PA, .341, .400, .561; 4.3 ip, 2 er, 4.15 era) “If we are true to ourselves, we can not be false to anyone.” The Pears put together a complete performance which turned into a dominating win. Four Pears gathered 3 or more total bases, and the pitching was good. This is just the thing about the young Pears. They are just going to continue being themselves, and next year when nearly their entire team returns a year older, wiser, and probably better, their truth will be apparent to all of us.
Canberra: W, 9-2 (35 PA, .344, .400, .563; 10 ip, 2 er, 1.80 era) “Sweets to the sweet.” Not to be overshadowed by the Pears, the Roos showed all of us what a truly good game looks like. The pitching was excellent, led by Steven Matz and a host of RPs. The hitting was even better, led by the youngsters Mondesi and Margot. And all that can be said is, sweets to the sweet.
Haviland: W, 8-5 (34 PA, .333, .455, .630; 16.3 ip, 10 er, 5.51 era) “Listen to many, speak to a few.” I am not sure if this is the Dragons’ team quote for the day, or one merely reflecting its owner’s way of life. Either way, the Dragons put together a great day at the plate (the kind that would make you want to tell everyone) but then found less success on the mound, which in turn would make one likely to keep quiet, I imagine. But at the end of the day it counted as a win for the Dragons, and I imagine that made the Dragon offer a wry smile as he sits quietly in his office dreaming about next season.
Kaline: W, 6-4 (34 PA, .290, .353, .613; 7 ip, 3 er, 3.86 era) “Our wills and fates do so contrary run.” One of the things I most appreciate about Tom is that he never complains no matter the situation. When we are talking too much in a monthly meeting so that he cannot hear, he simply asks us with a kind and generous tone to repeat what was just said. When his players get injured, and he has had more than his fair share over the past few years, he just continues to plug along making his team better. Fate this year has been unkind to him (I thought he might be nearer the top at season’s end), but his will remains strong and steadfast!
Cottage: “L,” 4-3 (34 PA, .188, .235, .594; 1 ip, 0 er) “The rest, is silence.” It sounds cruel to say this, but a highlight of the year is always the Cheese lamnet. Cruel because if he were doing well I am certain he would not write a lament, and to look forward to a lament is to wish him something less than success. But the lament is usually the last we hear from the head Cheese. Once he has shared his soul with us, he becomes silent to let the season play out. And to lose a game when you outscore your opponent only adds to the silence.
Bellingham: “W,” 4-10 (23 PA, .176, .391, .744; 6.3 ip, 6 er, 8.53 era) “Brevity is the soul of wit.” The Cascade plight this year has been too few PAs, and last night was no different. But if brevity is the soul of wit, how far ahead is Andre in wit compared to those who have too many PAs? Too far to measure, it seems.
Brookland: L, 0-3 (24 PA, .100, .208, .150; 7.3 ip, 2 er, 2.45 era) “It is not nor it cannot come to good.” I wonder if the Outs feel like I feel for them – that they are so close to getting the #1 pick, but just can’t do enough to get there. In this case, their pitching was very good, even though their hitting was not. And the Balk even won, making it more likely the Outs could move even closer. But try as he might, he seems unable to catch the Outs and achieve the good that comes from the cellar – the #1 pick next year!
DC: “W,” 2-6 (37 PA, .219, .324, .406; 2.7 ip, 1 er, 3.38 era) “Words, words, words.” I make no assertion that the Balk actually read every word on the way to finding their team’s stats, though I wonder if, when they do, they find themselves lost in the words, words, words of the updater. Sometimes it feels like too much, but here we are. The Balk eked out a win even though they were outscored. I think they would be happy about that, if they would see through the forest of words.
Combined MLB + EFL Standings for 2014
| AL East | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| New York Yankees | 95 | 51 | .651 | — |
| Flint Hill Tornadoes | 92 | 54 | .633 | 2.6 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 87 | 60 | .592 | 8.5 |
| Old Detroit Wolverines | 86 | 60 | .587 | 9.3 |
| Boston Red Sox | 76 | 70 | .521 | 19 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 57 | 89 | .390 | 38 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 47 | 98 | .324 | 47.5 |
| NL East | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Atlanta Braves | 91 | 56 | .619 | — |
| Washington Nationals | 80 | 64 | .556 | 9.5 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 75 | 70 | .517 | 15 |
| New York Mets | 75 | 70 | .517 | 15 |
| Canberra Kangaroos | 76 | 71 | .514 | 15.4 |
| D.C. Balk | 58 | 89 | .391 | 33.5 |
| Miami Marlins | 51 | 94 | .352 | 39 |
| AL Central | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Minnesota Twins | 89 | 56 | .614 | — |
| Cleveland Indians | 86 | 61 | .585 | 4 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 80 | 65 | .550 | 9.2 |
| Chicago White Sox | 64 | 81 | .441 | 25 |
| Bellingham Cascades | 63 | 82 | .431 | 26.5 |
| Kansas City Royals | 54 | 92 | .370 | 35.5 |
| Detroit Tigers | 43 | 100 | .301 | 45 |
| NL Central | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 81 | 64 | .559 | — |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 77 | 68 | .531 | 4 |
| Chicago Cubs | 77 | 68 | .531 | 4 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 67 | 79 | .459 | 14.5 |
| Cottage Cheese | 65 | 80 | .452 | 15.5 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 64 | 82 | .438 | 17.5 |
| Brookland Outs | 61 | 84 | .421 | 20 |
| AL West | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Houston Astros | 95 | 52 | .646 | — |
| Oakland A’s | 86 | 60 | .589 | 8.5 |
| Haviland Dragons | 75 | 72 | .513 | 19.7 |
| Texas Rangers | 73 | 74 | .497 | 22 |
| Kaline Drive | 70 | 77 | .477 | 24.8 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 67 | 80 | .456 | 28 |
| Seattle Mariners | 60 | 86 | .411 | 34.5 |
| NL West | ||||
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | PCT. | GB |
| Portland Rosebuds | 96 | 51 | .654 | — |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 94 | 53 | .639 | 2.2 |
| Peshastin Pears | 80 | 67 | .542 | 16.5 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 75 | 71 | .514 | 20.7 |
| San Francisco Giants | 70 | 76 | .479 | 25.7 |
| San Diego Padres | 68 | 77 | .469 | 27.2 |
| Colorado Rockies | 62 | 84 | .425 | 33.7 |
Thanks for those kind words. Michele and I leave for France tomorrow. The Drive is now a Tesla, with the pilot asleep at the wheel.