Here are this morning’s standings. Amazing things abound here… but can they endure?
What’s so fantastic about these standings? Admittedly, the answer will depend somewhat upon your perspective. But I think there’ll be something here for (almost) everyone. Let me recount (some of) the ways:
- The standings exist! From my perspective, this is fantastic! The monthly transition has many steps. This month I accidentally skipped a step and forgot to copy the Week 22 Results before I edited the data entry sheet. This erased the Week 22 results, and the Week 22 standings. Yikes! Fortunately, I had archived the data entry sheets for Week 22, and was able to reconstruct the Week 22 results from those archived results… except Canberra. This was the first time I have ever failed to archive a team’s weekly result. But it was enough. I could reconstruct the other 10 teams, and reconstruct the bottom-line Kangaroo results from their EFL opponent Tornadoes’ bottom line, since the two are the inverse of each other. It was an extra hour or so, but at least no harm was done.
- Despite running a .536 raw winning percentage, the Seraphim are 0.0 – 1.0… because the Tornados have not allowed an earned run! Luis Castillo, Phil Bickford, and Bryan Abreu combined for 9 shutout innings. If your opponent has a 1.000 raw winning percentage, you can only have a 0.000 winning percentage. Unless you also have a 1.000 winning percentage, in which case you both will have a .500 winning percentage.
- Despite horrific pitching (5.3 ip, 9 er, including a nonuple chulk by Domingo Acevedo [0.3 ip, 3 er]) the Wolverines ALSO have a 1.000 winning percentage!! How did we do this? Well, actually, credit has to go to this week’s opponent, the poor Pittsburgh Pirates, who lost their only game so far this week 0 – 4. If you score 0 runs and allow any, your winning percentage is going to be 0.000, and your opponents’ will be 1.000.
- The Kangaroos came by their (rounded-off) 1 – 0 record more honestly, running up an .833 raw winning percentage with a booming 7.4 runs created per game and a 3.00 ERA. But it was still crucial for the Alleghenys to help.
- As a result of these wonderful things, the Wolverines gained an entire game, and Kangaroos gained 0.9 games, on the Seraphim. I had not expected to see such a thing this season.
- It is a fantasy outcome on a fantasy game — fantasy squared. How long can this go on?
- It is not stable. As soon as the Tornados allow an earned run, the Seraphim will no longer be pinned to the ground and will resume their annoying flitting around in the air. Also, as soon as the Pirates score a run, the Wolverines will not be able to claim wins with a 13.03 ERA. Which miraculous prop will get kicked out first? Hard to tell, but it is clear that the Kangaroos are in a better spot, since they are doing the hardest part of their .952 ERA, while those faker Wolverines are letting the Pirates carry them on their backs.
- The Balk didn’t get much of a boost (only 0.1 games in the standings) despite a nice .636 raw winning percentage built on 6 batters OPSing over 1.000, because Haviland is back to being super hot (a .949 raw winning percentage) as Spencer Striders 8 scoreless innings (with 16 strikeouts) overwhelmed Javier Assad’s rocky Dragon debut (1 ip, 1 er).
- Haviland’s work boosted them 0.9 games in the standings, a third team taking deep advantage of the Seraphim’s swoon.
- Flint Hill got a full 1 – game boost with their 1.000 winning percentage. Bo Bichette went 3 for 5 with a double and a homer to lead the way.
- Kaline got a 0.9 game boost, thanks in large part to the newest drive, Joey Meneses, who went 5 for 10 with a homer and a walk.
- The Alleghenys are the only EFL team not to gain on the Seraphim, because they limited themselves to a modest, replacement-like 2.9 rc/g (despite Mitch Haniger’s 4 for 10 with three doubles, so valuable to the Mariners)
- Bellingham barely escaped the Alleghenys’ outcome — gaining 0.1 game — by scoring 4.2 and allowing 4.4, allowing the Cascades to escape with 0.1 wins despite Kaline’s raw .832 winning percentage.
- The Pears gained 0.8 games, hitting .327, .354, .668 as a team. Cal Raleigh was the star, with his two homers yesterday.