League Updates

It is Well?

June 9, 2021
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Last night I attended the final concert of a Newberg legend, Mr. Dave Sanders – the middle school band teacher for the past 37 years. He was my band teacher when I was in middle school, and he taught all three of my children (in addition to at least two or three other EFL owners/family members). The concert was the typical middle school beginning band concert, with several songs played, each of them very short (about 30 seconds long) and filled with some good playing and some not so good playing. 

It is actually incredible to think about how well the 6th graders played considering they learned their instruments while doing distance learning on Google Classroom. Each week our house (and the houses of about 30 other Newberg/Dundee residents) were filled with the sounds of a beginning band player – which in the beginning was a little rough, but as the year went on became better. And all of it done through a computer. 

As a farewell, the High School band director brought his high school band and they played a beautiful rendition of Dave’s favorite tune, “It is Well.” It was a beautiful final concert for a man who has given so much to this little community.

But what about the EFL? How might our performances yesterday be like that of a middle school beginning band? 

 
 
EFL Standings for 2021
EFL
TEAM WINS LOSSES PCT. GB RS RA
Old Detroit Wolverines 44 18 .717 — 366.1 229.6
Peshastin Pears 41 19 .685 2.4 291.5 197.7
Haviland Dragons 41 21 .654 3.9 282.9 208.0
Kaline Drive 40 22 .647 4.3 320.1 236.7
Flint Hill Tornadoes 40 22 .640 4.8 297.1 218.2
D.C. Balk 34 19 .647 5.7 271.7 201.9
Canberra Kangaroos 32 21 .601 8.1 293.5 241.1
Cottage Cheese 32 28 .535 11.4 327.8 316.6
Pittsburgh Alleghenys 30 30 .503 13.3 299.2 295.7
Portland Rosebuds 29 31 .476 14.9 300.4 315.3
Bellingham Cascades 28 32 .471 15.2 238.7 256.0
 
Old Detroit: W, 7-(-1); 50PA, 8.3IP
AVG: 0.313 OBP: 0.340 SLG: 0.500 OPS: 0.840
ERA: 0.00 WHIP: 0.361
Yesterday was a scary day for those outside of Old Detroit, and it could have been even scarier if Ke’Bryan Hayes had not missed first while celebrating his (negated) home run. Watching the Wolverines put up and .840 OPS and a 0.00 ERA over 8.3 innings is enough to induce nightmares for all but one person. If this day were a Beginning Band concert, OD would be the kid on the oboe, one of the most difficult instruments to play, playing it beautifully while everyone else watches in amazement, wishing he will mess up so the rest of us don’t look so bad. Walker Buehler and Jonathan Loaisiga combined for that sterling pitching line, and Carlos Correa, JP Crawford and Austin Riley all collected 3 hits, including a double and a home run each from Riley and Correa. The Wolverines extended their lead over everyone except for two teams.
 
 
Peshastin: L, 3-7; 47PA, 5.6IP
AVG: 0.179 OBP: 0.319 SLG: 0.179 OPS: 0.499
ERA: 6.43 WHIP: 1.607
Peshastin’s performance yesterday was like the annoying trombone player who is not only really bad at his instrument, but also convinced that if he is obnoxious enough people will overlook his performance (this is definitely not a description of Phil, just of his team’s performance yesterday). The Pears collected 7 hits (all singles) in 47 trips to the plate, along with 8 walks. Jazz Chisholm led the way with 2 hits, but no one else got more than 1, and five of them got 0. The pitchers did not help matters, either – here’s looking at you Alex Wood – going 5.6 innings and giving up 4 earned runs. The Pears lost almost an entire game off the Wolverine lead, and now sit 2.4 games back.
 
Haviland: W(2), L(-1), 8-2; 36PA, 17.7IP
AVG: 0.343 OBP: 0.361 SLG: 0.714 OPS: 1.075
ERA: 2.03 WHIP: 0.791
If the Wolverines were the incredible oboe player, the Dragons are the flautist, playing a beautiful song from a beautiful instrument, slowly weaving together a tapestry of supersonic melodies while lulling those around him into a stupor. The Dragons were the one team to move closer to the Wolverines yesterday, and it was an entire team effort. Amed Rosario, fresh off his month-long benching, went 3 for 5 with a triple, Maikel Franco went 2 for 4 with a 2B and a HR, and Joc Pederson collected as many hits (2) in one game as he did the entire first week of the month. But the pitching is where this song really soared. The two starters, Tyler Glasnow and Pablo Lopez, combined for 15 innings and 3 earned runs, striking out a total of 19 batters and only walking one. The Pied Pipers Dragons gained a place in the standings and are now within 3.9 games of OD. 
 
Kaline: L, (-1)-8; 65PA; 9.7IP
AVG: 0.200 OBP: 0.262 SLG: 0.267 OPS: 0.528
ERA: 6.49 WHIP: 1.031
The Drive performed yesterday like a middle school percussionist. A lot of volume, but not much of it very good and definitely not in time with the rest of the band. Dinelson Lamet and JT Brubaker got the team off on the wrong foot, giving up 7 runs in 9.7 innings. Yuli Gurriel and Taylor Trammell were the two bright spots – perhaps the two measures where the drummer was miraculously on tempo – combining for 5 of the Drive’s 12 hits. But 6 batters didn’t get a single hit, and the team struck out a total of 16 times. The Drive slipped behind the Dragons into fourth place, now 4.3 games behind OD.
 
Flint Hill: W, 5-1; 44PA, 6IP
AVG: 0.270 OBP: 0.364 SLG: 0.378 OPS: 0.742
ERA: 1.50 WHIP: 1.667
Yesterday’s Tornado performance was good, but it was quiet. Kind of like the clarinet player who, if playing by herself, can be heard and appreciated for her tone and fluidity. But when the rest of the band is playing, you can’t hear it at all. The hitters were good enough to score 5 runs, but no one was spectacular. Tim Anderson and Bo Bichette, perhaps the best SS in the EFL, each collected two hits, and Sean Murphy collected two walks. Carlos Rodon continued his excellent season, tossing 5 innings and giving up one run. But the Tornadoes still fell .2 games off the leading Wolverines, even though we have started the month 7-0.
 
 
DC: “L,” 10-9; 40PA, 9.3IP
AVG: 0.265 OBP: 0.375 SLG: 0.647 OPS: 1.022
ERA: 7.74 WHIP: 1.720
Yesterday the Balk were the trumpet player whose syncopation was excellent but who played the wrong notes most of the time. Their hitters were loud, with 4 of their 9 hits being home runs (Pete Alonso with 2, and Joey Gallo and Bryce Harper each with 1). As a team, they walked more than they struck out (6 to 5). But the pitchers played the wrong notes, the most egregious performance from Martin Perez who allowed 6 runs in 2 innings. 
 
Canberra: W, 10-3; 32PA, 1.7IP
AVG: 0.286 OBP: 0.375 SLG: 0.536 OPS: 0.911
ERA: 0.00 WHIP: 1.176
The Roos’ performance yesterday was like a beginning band french horn – beautiful noise was made but not a lot of it (at least on the pitching side). The beautiful noise from the offense was made by upstart Eric Haase, who went 2 for 4 with another home run and Manuel Margot, who was 2 for 5 with a leadoff home run (which are always a crowd pleaser). There was barely any pitching, with 1.7 innings tossed by two relievers, and no runs allowed. Canberra only lost .1 games off the lead, and stayed ensconced in their EFL purgatory.
 
Cottage: W, 11-6; 31PA, 9IP
AVG: 0.423 OBP: 0.516 SLG: 0.577 OPS: 1.093
ERA: 5.00 WHIP: 1.444
The Cheese performed like a middle school drummer, sitting at the kit with all the drums and cymbals at his disposal, hitting all of them in rhythm and sounding so good that he wants to play just a bit longer than he is supposed to, despite the director’s glares. Because look at that hitting! Cheese hitters got on base 16 times in 26 plate appearances with 11 hits and 5 walks. Every batter go at least one hit, led by Shohei Ohtani’s longest home run of his MLB career – a whopping 470 foot shot to right center. And what music would have been made had Robert Gsellman never stepped foot on the mound! But, alas, he did – and ruined Andrew Heaney’s great start (6.7 innings and one run) with a horrible 2.3 innings and 4 runs allowed. 
 
Pittsburgh: W, 5-3; 39PA, 5IP
AVG: 0.265 OBP: 0.333 SLG: 0.382 OPS: 0.716
ERA: 0.00 WHIP: 0.600
The Allegheny performance yesterday was the consistent saxophone player, who hits the right notes, but isn’t too flashy, and who, when called upon for his solo, plays it well enough that people wish it wouldn’t have been so short. Trevor Larnach and Max Muncy were smooth like jazz, combining for 4 hits in 9 at bats. Andrew Vaughn chipped in a home run, and Jose Altuve collected two walks (he might have been the only Astro to not pummel Martin Perez yesterday). But the stellar soloist award goes to the three pitchers – Sonny Gray, Lou Trivino, and Nick Sandlin – who combing for 0 runs in 5 innings of pitching. 
 
Portland: L, 4-9; 41PA, 2.3IP
AVG: 0.222 OBP: 0.300 SLG: 0.389 OPS: 0.689
ERA: 11.74 WHIP: 2.609
Perhaps the Rosebuds yesterday were the tuba player, loud and not pretty, but definitely noticeable. That 11.74 ERA is definitely not pretty, and perhaps a little too loud for Portland’s liking. The main (only) culprit was Trent Thornton who only got one out but allowed a loud 3 runs. New Rosebud Gary Sanchez added a home run, and Ryan Jeffers collected two hits, but otherwise it was a pretty boring day in Portland – if you consider a tuba boring.
 
Bellingham: W, 7-2; 35PA, 3IP
AVG: 0.355 OBP: 0.412 SLG: 0.710 OPS: 1.121
ERA: 0.00 WHIP: 1.000
The Cascade performance yesterday was like the hot shot trumpet who never comes to class, but shows up on concert day, much to the director’s chagrin. But then, when the band starts to play, this trumpet player plays inspired music, leading the band into a beautiful rendition of hot cross buns. The team OPSed over 1.100, through the work of Ronald Acuna, Jr.’s 3 for 5 with a 2B and a home run, Hanser Alberto’s 2 for 4 with two 2Bs, and DJLM’s 2 for 6 with a double. The pitching was also very good, though small in number, with three pitchers combining for 3 innings of scoreless baseball. And yes, you guessed it, the Cascades were the only other team to not lose ground to OD yesterday. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Combined MLB + EFL Standings for 2021
AL East
TEAM WINS LOSSES PCT. GB
Old Detroit Wolverines 44 18 .717 —
Flint Hill Tornadoes 40 22 .640 4.8
Tampa Bay Rays 39 23 .629 5.5
Boston Red Sox 37 24 .607 7
New York Yankees 32 29 .525 12
Toronto Blue Jays 30 28 .517 12.5
Baltimore Orioles 22 38 .367 21.5
NL East
TEAM WINS LOSSES PCT. GB
D.C. Balk 34 19 .647 —
Canberra Kangaroos 32 21 .601 2.4
New York Mets 29 24 .547 5.3
Atlanta Braves 29 29 .500 7.8
Philadelphia Phillies 28 31 .475 9.3
Miami Marlins 26 34 .433 11.8
Washington Nationals 24 33 .421 12.3
 
AL Central
TEAM WINS LOSSES PCT. GB
Chicago White Sox 37 23 .617 —
Cleveland Indians 32 26 .552 4
Pittsburgh Alleghenys 30 30 .503 6.8
Kansas City Royals 29 30 .492 7.5
Bellingham Cascades 28 32 .471 8.8
Detroit Tigers 25 35 .417 12
Minnesota Twins 24 36 .400 13
NL Central
TEAM WINS LOSSES PCT. GB
Milwaukee Brewers 34 26 .567 —
Chicago Cubs 34 27 .557 0.5
Cottage Cheese 32 28 .535 1.9
St. Louis Cardinals 31 30 .508 3.5
Cincinnati Reds 28 30 .483 5
Pittsburgh Pirates 23 36 .390 10.5
 
AL West
TEAM WINS LOSSES PCT. GB
Haviland Dragons 41 21 .654 —
Kaline Drive 40 22 .647 0.4
Oakland A’s 36 26 .581 4.5
Houston Astros 34 26 .567 5.5
Seattle Mariners 30 32 .484 10.5
Los Angeles Angels 29 32 .475 11
Texas Rangers 23 39 .371 17.5
NL West
TEAM WINS LOSSES PCT. GB
Peshastin Pears 41 19 .685 —
San Francisco Giants 38 22 .633 3.1
San Diego Padres 37 26 .587 5.6
Los Angeles Dodgers 35 25 .583 6.1
Portland Rosebuds 29 31 .476 12.5
Colorado Rockies 24 37 .393 17.6
Arizona Diamondbacks 20 42 .323 22.1
 
 

3 Comments

  • Oh, ho! Ke’Bryan didn’t mention missing first base or costing the team a home run. I first heard about it from your update, Jamie.

    This is another reason why it’s so important to raise our kids (or young players) surrounded by a caring community. We can help each other hold these young people accountable. Thanks, Jamie.

  • You called Tim Anderson and Bo Bichette “perhaps the best shortstops in the EFL”, noting their 2 hits apiece. But you had just highlighted Carlos Correa and JP Crawford for their 3 hits apiece. Looks like something I’ll have to look into in greater depth for tomorrow’s post.