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Your WBL Variety
This week in WBL Variety we have some nice things in store
for you. Some new things will be added this week and I hope you all enjoy it.
Let's get started.
Have you ever felt like you didn't mean anything to a
team? Well, most of us have, and it's frustrating. Players on the border of
the league, close to being released at any second, are coming in and out all
the time and most of them have no place on a roster. But once in a while, you
have a player who surprises basically everyone. That's happened this year,
many times. Players who had not had any experience before or if they had had
experience, failed in it, are starting to play well. These guys have stepped
it up when maybe no one else on their team was or even is, but at any rate,
have been having great seasons. I've picked out a handful of these guys who
probably have not been expected to succeed, and if they were have outdone
expectations, but have done it anyway. These are only good surprises, nothing
bad. Team performance or players performing well around you will not hurt you
in this; it is based solely on your season alone. Also, these are being
ranked by how much better you are doing than you were expected to do or have
done, not by how good you are doing alone. So here goes, Vin
Distasio's Weekly Top Ten. This week, top ten
pleasant surprises from around the league.
(Stats vary from January 20th through 22nd due to time
restrictions, real time, of course)
10.Kurtis Rands
Leftfielder, Seoul Storm
2009 stats: .280/2/15/.644
Rands, Mujuri
Shipal's second player, is really only a surprise
because he has never been updated. His stats are average for a normal player,
but the fact that he came into the league and started doing well right away
is what is surprising. His two homeruns beats out some light-hitting regulars
and he has managed to drive in fifteen runs. His .280 batting average comes
with 33 singles, which hurts his slugging percentage greatly. He has walked
six times and struck out twenty-four times this year, which hurts his on-base
percentage. These two things, in turn, give him a pretty bad OPS but the fact
that his batting average is even mediocre is great. One strange fact about Rands is that he has hit .423 with runners
in scoring position, showing how he can come through in the clutch. Shipal has gotten an average of one hit per game (35 and
35) so if he keeps that up or better he should finish solid and maybe even
get a vote or two for Rookie of the Year. Either way, Rands should become better with age as Shipal is steadily improving and soon will have time to
update Rands.
9.Emanuel Toombs
Shortstop, Caracas Cougars
2009 stats: .307/4/14/.824
Toombs, who was considered washed up and has been released an amazing six
times by four different teams, has come back this year to pace the Caracas
offensive attack. From the top of the order, Toombs has hit .307 with
eighteen extra base hits. Although his six walks and .333 on-base percentage are low for a leadoff hitter, he has 47 hits so
far and has scored 24 runs. He sets the tempo and has stolen eight bases this
year. Toombs has been cooling down as of late but he started off hot and
silenced all critics. He has struck out thirty-two times, not very good for any spot in the batting order, but he has also
put up an incredible seven hit game and has kept hitting well. Although the
power numbers aren't there, Toombs' job is to get hits and set up scoring
chances for the Guzmans and Springfield
and he has succeeded at that. He has hit only .129 in May, totaling up eight
games, but he should be able to turn it around. Although he is inactive,
Toombs left himself with enough points to do just good enough and Caracas
will take what he is producing at the top of the order.
8.Ace Hurley
Starting Pitcher, St. Louis Stallions
2009 stats: 6/1/2.29/0.87
Hurley has quietly emerged as the ace of the Stallions rotation and is making
up for a terrible season by Tidiggity Dawg and a cold stretch by Corey Whitney. He has won six
out of his seven decisions with an ERA of 2.29. In the 55 innings that he has
pitched, he has allowed only fourteen earned runs, and seventeen total. He has walked only three batters all year, although
he has only struck out eight. His 0.87 WHIP is phenomenal, meaning that he
allows, on average, less than one runner every runner. In eight starts, he
has pitched six quality games and has allowed only 45 hits. The 23 year old
starter whose career low ERA for a full season had been 5.32 is fooling
hitters with great breaking pitches and forcing them to swing off-balance. He
led the league in losses and walks allowed in 2007 and, just two seasons
later, is leading a resurgent St. Louis
staff. Hurley is still active and as long as he steadily improves he should
be able to keep up his great season and when it's all said and done, he may
even get some votes for Cy Young. Either way, Hurley is proving that he has
come a long way in a short while.
7.Nolan Ryan
Starting Pitcher, Montreal Menace
2009 stats: 6/1/1.39/0.68
Ryan, after reaching number one prospect status, was told that the prospect
report was bogus and he didn't deserve to be number one. As true as it may or
may not be, he has proved his critics wrong and surprised his fans by putting
up a great season. His 6-1 record is great, especially for a rookie, as he is
the leading candidate for rookie of the year in the Western
Hemisphere. His 64.2 innings pitched shows what kind of a
workhorse he is, and in those innings he has allowed only ten earned runs and
42 hits, putting his WHIP well under one and his ERA at the 1.39 mark it is
at now. He has only struck out twenty-one batters this year, but has
displayed incredible control with only two walks. He has three complete games
with two of them going for shutouts. Every one of his eight starts has been
quality outings, showing how valuable he has been to Montreal
this year. The Western Hemisphere Rookie of the Year race is basically a
two-man race between Ryan and Whitney so far, and Ryan seems to be taking a
commanding lead. Even if he doesn't win any rewards this year, he will finish
with great stats and can expect a Cy Young or two in the future.
6.Vin Distasio
Shortstop, Great Britain Redcoats
2009 stats: .379/23/46/1.510
Distasio, although he was a former number one
prospect, was starting to be forgotten as he slipped farther and farther down
as a top prospect. People though maybe he wasn't all as good as he was made
out to be, but he has silenced them, as many people on this list have to their
critics. He had a twelve game hitting streak earlier and on the season has 55
hits. Those hits are in 140 at-bats, translating to a .379 batting average.
He has 47 extra base hits so far, breaking down into five triples, nineteen
doubles, and twenty-three homeruns. He has struck out only four time this
year while walking eighteen times, putting his on-base percentage well over
.400. With 46 RBI he is producing quite a few runs, not to mention the 49
runs he has scored on his own. His 153 total bases are close to the lead in
the hemisphere, as he is near the lead in many categories. He played in only
three games last year, getting himself only two at-bats. A rookie coming into
the league and leading a team while players like Joe Slugga,
Shawn Walker, and James Sirbeepalot, Jr. were all
struggling is great and it takes a special kid to pull this off.
5.Adam Brown
Shortstop, Montreal Menace
2009 stats: .389/3/22/1.020
Brown, who is playing second base now after being bumped out of shortstop by Kal Jordan, is having a great year in regards to getting
on base. Brown's on-base percentage is well over .400 and his batting average
is also approaching the .400 mark, very good for
being this far into the season. With him and Jordan getting on base at
amazing rates so far this season, they have scored many runs for the Montreal
offense. In fact, Brown has scored 19 runs so far this year while driving in
22 of his own. He has three homers and three triples this year, as well
eleven doubles giving him 51 total hits on the season. He has made nine
errors at second base but that isn't very many for a second baseman. Brown
has only struck out thirteen times this year, and although he has only drawn
six walks, he has been able to produce big time. He is great at stepping into
the pitch, as shown by his eight hit by pitches this year. He may not be
particularly great at any certain thing but he is an overall steady player
and as long as his batting average stays even anywhere near where it is Montreal
will takes the good with the bad.
4.Smith N Wesson
Closer, Frankfurt Force
2009 stats: 2/1/1.72/0.68
Wesson, although he is only a closer and may not play a huge role in
Frankfurt's early success, has pitched very well and has helped Frankfurt
hold on to small leads in late situations. In 36.2 innings pitched, he has
struck out 31 batters and walked an amazing zero. He has pinpoint control and
great velocity, a deadly combination, especially coming out of the bullpen.
He has saved seven out of eight opportunities and his ERA has been very low
all season. It stands at 1.72 right now, which is greatly in part to his 0.68
WHIP. He led the league in walks allowed with 32 in 2007, and was benched and
eventually sent down in 2008, but, given the chance, can be a great pitcher.
He has shown that this year and has been very surprising after only playing
in two games last season. If Wesson continues to be automatic without letting
any runners on, Frankfurt can be safe to give the ball
to him in late situations where they need to close it out. He has done it all
the time this year and unless he struggles, he should only get more innings
with time.
3.Brian Lawley
Starting Pitcher, Santo Domingo Rush
2009 stats: 6/0/1.09/0.65
Lawley has managed to go undefeated in his first
nine starts this season, remaining a perfect six and oh. His 1.09 ERA comes
off of only eight earned runs in 66 innings. Lawley
has developed into a power pitcher, striking out 102 batters this year in his
nine starts while walking only four. Strangely enough, Lawley
has not pitched a shutout all year nor has he even completed a game, but all
nine of his starts have been quality performances. His 39 hits and only 4
walks in 66 innings gives him a miniscule 0.65 WHIP.
He has been Santo Domingo's ace
all this year and although he did do well last year, I think it was
surprising that he came out here with Cy Young stuff. He only has four
pitches in his arsenal, but he uses them well and mixes speeds nicely. He
pitched two no-hitters in 2008, with one being a perfect game, and he struck
out fifteen batters on two separate occasions this year. Lawley
was once traded twice in one day and I'm sure whoever traded him both times
wished that they had held onto him, because he has stayed active and his
perfect start shows it.
2.Jalen Montgomery
Second baseman, Frankfurt Force
2009 stats: .296/12/21/1.069
Montgomery, coming off a season
where his on base percentage was lower than his batting average is now, needs
only that one stat to speak for why he is suck a huge surprise. With 42 hits
in 142 at bats, his batting average comes out to be .296. His on-base
percentage is nearing .350 and his slugging percentage is hovering around
.700. These two things combined give him a very respectable 1.069 OPS, up
from his mark of .779 in 2008. His twelve homeruns and 21 RBI are helping Frankfurt's
cause to go from worst to first in one season. Him
getting on base put runners on for Schultz, Kobbs,
and Andrews, as is shown by his 31 runs scored. He has 33 extra-base hits in
2009, and has struck out only three time all year.
He doesn't walk very much, with only thirteen this year, but he is hitting
nearly .300 and that will pass for any batter. He is mostly a singles hitter
but can hit some homeruns here and there. Montgomery
has good speed and is a great fielder, and he does all the small things well.
If he continues to hit well and do the little things that help to win, Frankfurt
will love to have him in their order.
And our number one pleasant surprise is...
1.Greg Mojonnier
Starting Pitcher, Great Britain Redcoats
2009 stats: 6/0/2.10/0.76
Mojonnier, although he has reached as high as
number three prospect, was not expected to produce the way he is by anybody,
not even himself. He is only twenty years old and led the team to victory
many times while the rest of the rotation was struggling. In a rotation of
Chad Slugga and Dustin Parmelee,
Mojonnier leads his team in ERA, wins, and WHIP. Mojonnier does get an awful lot of run support, but
managing six wins and no losses in nine starts is an
accomplish. He has allowed seventeen earned runs in his starts,
amassing 71.1 innings pitched. He has struck out only twenty batters while
walking only two, so it's his pinpoint control that has helped him maintain
his 2.10 ERA and 0.76 WHIP. He ahs nine quality starts
in nine tries, with three complete games and no shutouts. Mojonnier
was expected to be the weak link in Great
Britain's rotation this year, and he was
expected to have to be carried along. Instead, he has led the team
pitching-wise and is looking like s stud. He is only twenty and with some
more time should only become better. This start may just be a fluke, but it's
a surprising fluke at that.
Rookie Spotlight
Every week, we're going to spotlight two rookie players,
one from each hemisphere, that have earned starting jobs for their team. They
may or may not have been a top prospect, they may or
may not be having a good season. They may or may not be well known, it
doesn't matter. We will do two rookies at random and analyze them. Pick out
their strengths and weaknesses, their glaring flaws, anything we can get out
of them. I will make some expectations for them and maybe eventually we'll
see how they compare. I'll try to make it a balanced selection of batters and
pitchers, starters and relievers. I'll pick a new two every week for your
reading pleasure. So here goes, in volume one of Vin
Distasio's weekly Rookie Spotlight.
Eastern Hemisphere
Bob Wardwick, middle
reliever, Great Britain
Redcoats
Prospect Rating: 4.0 stars
Wardwick, to say the least, has
not had a great year. In fact, he was sent down to AAA to make room on the
roster for Matt Comer, relative of right fielder Shawn Walker. This
20-year-old prospect is still sort of active and has a small chance at
possible success, but he is far from it right now. He is a middle reliever,
something that is becoming rarer and rarer in the WBL, but he is not an asset
because he is still young. He pitched five innings in 2009 before being sent
down, and although he has only allowed three hits all year, all three went
for homeruns. He did not walk any batters and managed to strike out one, but
he lost Great Britain
one game and pitched only one scoreless appearance in his short stint. Like
almost any prospect, he has what it takes to become great, but the only thing
he may be missing is the will. If he doesn't have the will to improve and
eventually succeed, he won't do either of them. At least Wardwick
is active, though, so he still has a shot at becoming great but like many, he
is oh-so far away.
Western Hemisphere
Da Bomb, left
fielder, Caracas Cougars
Prospect Rating: 3.5 stars
2009 stats: .217/0/0/.451
Bomb, the second player of Ace Shap, may have a
promising future but should be kept out of any starting lineup at all costs,
for now. His .217 average in 46 at-bats is not a credit to his skills, but he
is slowly developing as is Ace Shap. He has no
extra base hits, which hurts his slugging percentage, which in turn hurts his
OPS. He has not drawn a walk this year but he has ten hits and has scored
five times. His 15 strikeouts to zero walks ratio should improve over time,
as long as he stays active. Bomb does has three multi-hit games under his
belt so far, so although he hasn't driven the ball yet, he has shown that he
can become a solid singles hitter. Bomb is not a top prospect and will
probably not become a star in the near future, but he should become a solid
role player with time and look for Bomb to maybe even become an all-star with
time. If he stays active he can, worst case scenario, be a defensive player
for Caracas and help solidify the
pitching with nice plays.
WBL Fantasy Mailbag
It may have been done before, but I'm here to make it
better. As you know, there are many inquisitive WBL Fantasy players out there
who are just looking to get an edge. They will do anything and everything
possible to rise to the top of their league and I am just here to help them.
I get tons of mail every day asking me about WBL happenings and how they
affect fantasy leagues, and until now, I had not responded to any of them.
But I feel that my fans need answers, so I am taking some of the more common
questions and I'm going to give my look at them. If you agree with me, fine,
take my advice. If you disagree, I'd like to hear it, so keep mailing me at AI3Yanks84@AOL.com. I'll respond to any
criticisms you have on my advice, so feel free. This week we have some trade
qualms and a couple "good or bad" questions. Here are some
questions I got, right out of the mailbag. Also, don't hesitate to ask me
your questions about WBL Fantasy, I'm here to help you guys out and I will
give my opinions as best as possible. You know the address,
you know the name, now let's see the questions!
Dear Vin,
I have been getting tons of offers for St. Louis
starting pitcher Tidiggity Dawg
in my league. I know Dawg is in a slump, but will
he break out and should I trade him for someone like Greg Mojonnier
and others? It's a one-season league so if he doesn't do well this year it
won't help me at all. What do you think? Is it worth holding onto him through
the struggles to reach the successful period?
Signed,
Jason Minkle, St. Louis,
MO
Dear Jason,
I think it is very worth your while to hold onto Dawg,
at least for a little while longer. Dawg proved he
could be an ace last year as he had a great season, putting up a decent
win-loss record because of St. Louis'
team record but recording a great ERA. He has shown signs of brilliance this
year and has also made strong progress towards busting out with some big
performances. Other than the one game where he went only two innings and
allowed six earned runs, Dawg has been solid and if
you take out that start, his stats wouldn't be all that bad. Dawg has pinpoint control and not allowing walks always
helps in tight situations. He also has a cannon and strikes out tons of
batters. He has struck out 71 batters and walked only seven in fifty-one
innings so far this year. You may be tempted to do a trade like that because
of the great year that Greg Mojonnier and others
are having, but don't expect it to last and hang on to Dawg.
His veteran presence and mature personality will help him conquer this cold
stretch and allow him to flourish the rest of the way. I can even see him
getting his ERA back down into the two's by the end of the season, I'd
definitely hold onto him because Mojonnier and all
them are just starting off hot.
Your fantasy expert,
Vin Distasio
Dear Vin,
In my league, Dirk Halladay somehow went undrafted. Now, he has started off the season well and I
need some pitching. Would it make sense for me to pick him up? He is a top
prospect and I don't see why I wouldn't get him, but I want to double-check
before I do anything silly. He is one of my favorite players but I would have
to drop someone in favor of him.
Signed,
David Pikowitcz, Frankfurt,
Germany
Dear David,
As strange as this may sound, leave Dirk there. He will not help you at all
later on. This is one of the more common e-mails I've gotten, so I'm going to
answer it for everyone. DO NOT PICK UP HALLADAY! Yes, he is a great young
player, off to a hot start, but I got a little inside information to help me
write my article. It turns out that after Halladay
had a hot start as a reliever, he is going to be sent to the minors to
develop and have him go for the Rookie in the Year in 2010. So after he is
sent down, obviously he won't get any more appearances until possibly the
playoffs. If any of you are in keeper leagues, he will be a great pickup if
you can manage to get him because he should be starting for 2010. But for
this season, leave Halladay be because he'll rot on
your bench. For a short-term solution in 2009 look for Enrique Gonzalez or Vin Distasio II to be on the
free agents wires. They both come out of the bullpen for Great
Britain and are both active. They have
started off slow but as they update they should become better and may put up
solid stats by the end of the year. This is only for people who are in desperate
need of bullpen help, don't look for either of these
two to help turn your team around.
Your fantasy expert,
Vin Distasio
Dear Vin,
Nikolao Kenikanako is
still available in my keeper league and my pick is up next in the waiver
wire. I was looking through the list of available players and he is the only
one left that I've even heard of. I can pass my turn if I want, but I don't
know what to do. Kenikanako does not play much this
year so is it worth it to pick him up?
Signed,
Steve Seminerio, Paris,
France
Dear Steve,
If it were my choice, I would jump all over Kenikanako.
He is a solid writer and should be talented in the near future for sure. If
you don't have to drop anyone to get Nikolao, pick
him up. He is great at making websites and that will get him some points. As
long as he consistently updates he can get at least ten points a week. Those
small amounts of points add up and Kenikanako
should be in a starting lineup in no time. He's hitting .278 as a pinch
hitter this year, very respectable for getting very little at-bats. He is not
a top prospect but the prospect report can be wrong, so I would say don't
miss this opportunity, especially in a keeper league. He seems to be very
active and once he is given the chance to play he will bring you a good
number of wins in your league. So unless you have to drop an already proven
player to get him, try to pick up Nikolao. This
goes for all of you keeper league players out there. If you find Kenikanako sitting there, pick him up because he will be an
asset in the future as trade bait or a great player.
Your fantasy expert,
Vin Distasio
In the News
Nelson Attempts
Return, Thwarted by WBL Investigators
Written, edited,
revised, and published by Vin Distasio
Jake Nelson, Santo Domingo Rush closer and former active
member of the WBL, has been banned again. No, we're not talking about the
second time.
Jake Nelson has been banned a league-record third time
after attempting to return to the league under a new alias. Nelson tried to
re-register as "Dave Melluci" but made it
blatantly obvious that he was indeed the same person. He lasted about two
days before he was found by fellow-WBL mates Vin Distasio and Josh Andrews. Nelson was looking to be in
the clear after the IPs recovered from a different
league and from the WBL board did not match, but he was caught later that
week. He attempted to send in his player page using the same e-mail he had
always been using, which was immediately recognized by league commissioner
and player Jeremy Shirley. Instead of Nelson being officially banned again,
his player page just never went through and his board name was banned. It was
a quick and easy process by Chocobops that saved
time and effort effectively and efficiently.
Nelson was banned at first for trying to take an already
written article and reposting it, trying to take credit for it as all his own. He apologized and sounded sincere, but it
was to no avail and he was indefinitely suspended. After the 2008 season, the
suspension was lifted and Nelson was reinstated into the league. He went
about a week or so cleanly and it looked like he was trying to change his
cheating ways in lieu of losing a shot in his favorite league. But after a
few days, it was found that Joe Kenny, centerfielder for the Dublin Fighting
Irish, had also been caught cheating. He, like Nelson, was caught copying an
already-posted article and taking credit for it. He maintained that he had
not cheated and someone had hacked into his account and framed him. The
investigation began but was over much more quickly than anyone expected.
Immediately after Kenny said he had been hacked, Nelson
came out and confessed. He said it was a joke and he didn't mean to get
anyone banned or get anyone in trouble. But by the rules, it was considered
cheating and Nelson was banned, permanently. People said he shouldn't have
been because he apologized sincerely and others argued that he wasn't old
enough to know the right thing to do, but the arguments was soon ended and the
case closed. Nelson started a petition in the Brand New Players forum, the
only one that he could now see, apologizing and trying to get himself reinstated again. But as it was his second
offense, he was banned with no opportunity at being let back in ever again.
He was sad, but he had no choice but to leave, to the enjoyment of many other
members of the league. There were rumors of him trying to come back as
someone else, that were started with an IM conversation with Frankfurt GM Ty Quigly, but it seemed after
a few days that Nelson was making no attempt at coming back.
Enter Dave Melluci. The new
closer, who immediately attempted to sign with Seoul,
was suspicious right from the beginning. There were many clues that were
constant between him and Nelson before him. Distasio
and Andrews got right on it, finding small clues here and there that led them
to believe that Nelson had returned. Small clues such as using the same font
on AIM, having the same format of screen name, same position, and most importantly
same intelligence level, were the main ones that the two sleuths used to rat
out Nelson, or "Melluci." They found an
IP of Nelson's from another league and used it on the WBL board, but it
didn't match. It looked for a second like Melluci
maybe was not Nelson. But after talking to co-commissioner Chocobops, it turns out that Nelson used the same e-mail
to register as Melluci that he did with Nelson.
So Dave Melluci's player was
never created and Nelson was caught trying to cheat again. Andrews and Distasio were thanked for their help and any corruption
was avoided. As long as these two are on the case, you can bet that no one
will get any with any cheating, and that's a fact.
Team Breakdown
Not often does a team go from near the bottom of the standings
to near the top in only one season. When teams are bad, they are usually bad
for a long, long time and then gradually work their way up to the top. You
almost never see a team make the jump from terrible to great in just one off
season, but it's happened this year. In fact, it's happened twice. After
having almost no movement in the standings for years, two teams defied the
odds and jumped from the bottom to the top, or near to it. The St. Louis
Stallions and the Frankfurt Force are the two teams to have pulled this off,
and conveniently they are both in different hemispheres. The Force are one game better than the Stallions, but only by one
game. This makes for a great comparison for this week's Weekly Team
Breakdown. These teams are about even and after both have made huge leaps to
be in second place, we'll see who is the better team on
paper. It should be close so let's get it started. The lines, once
again, are BA/HR/RBI/OPS for hitters and W/L/ERA/WHIP for pitchers. First,
here are the rosters I am using for both teams.
St. Louis
(23-12)[Note: Thomas Kenny was not included in this because
I went by the lineup on the bottom of the team page and unfortunately, Kenny
was nowhere to be found. Sorry Kenny.]
CA: Alex Zito
1B: Glenn Wiggins
2B: Woodrow James
3B: Chris Heqaiunu
SS: Jerek Deter
LF: Kip Wesley
CF: Pierce Feltini
RF: Matt Priesmeyer
SP: Chris Prior
SP: Tidiggity Dawg
SP: Corey Whitney
SP: Ace Hurley
RP: Cleveland Dawg
RP: Iamgonna Strikeuout
Frankfurt
(24-11)
CA: Gerald Schultz
1B: Mike Smirnoff
2B: Jalen Montgomery
3B: Tony Kobbs
SS: Josh Andrews
LF: Jason Hernandez
CF: Aaron McDonald
RF: Richie Maple
SP: Marc Southworth II
SP: Zach Kobbs
SP: Andy Quigly
SP: Ty Quigly
RP: Kevin Highmark
RP: Smith N Wesson
Lineup
Catcher
St. Louis: Alex Zito
(.248/24/44/1.104)
Frankfurt: Gerald Schultz (.256/22/26/1.161)
This was a close one and one of the better ones to do out of any. Both of
these guys are veterans and are each superstar catchers, something that is
quite rare. Schultz has a small advantage in batting average, but you have to
take into account how cold Zito started then had to
work to raise his average. Zito has a small edge in
homeruns, 24 to 22, and a larger lead in RBI, 44 to 26. Schultz also started
off hot and has not done anything since then. Schultz has a
higher OPS, because he draws a few more walks, but overall these
things balance each other out. Since I think homeruns is the most important
stat in the WBL, Zito's advantage there has been a
benefit to him. He has also shown an ability to drive in runs better, even
though Schultz has arguably the better lineup. Schultz has been a superstar,
putting up monster seasons year after year, but this year he has been
somewhat disappointing. Meanwhile, Zito has always
been a star, but he never had any amazing season that put him over the top.
To me, this says that Schultz is not performing to par and Zito is doing better than normal, so I'm giving this one
to Zito only because of the standards Schultz has
set for himself.
Advantage: Alex Zito, St.
Louis
Firstbase
St. Louis: Glenn Wiggins (.255/5/13/.763)
Frankfurt: Mike Smirnoff (.192/2/5/.596)
Mike Smirnoff is in his rookie year and he has not really performed like some
other rookies have, and has not make anything of an instant impact. Wiggins
has been a solid player all year, with no standout numbers but a decent
ability to do all things. Wiggins' .255 batting average
is nothing special, but it beats Smirnoff but quite a good margin. Smirnoff
has a light-hitting approach and it shows through his two homeruns. Wiggins
has only put up five, but his approach is not based on hitting homeruns
either. Wiggins has managed to drive in thirteen batters this year, eight
more than Smirnoff's five. Neither of these players are
very special, but Wiggins has the edge in OPS as well, with his being .763
and Smirnoff's coming in at .596. Smirnoff is just not a big rookie player
and could become decent with time, but for now he is really dead weight in
the Frankfurt lineup. He has to get his batting
average at least over .200 to be considered respectable, but he gets beat by
Glenn Wiggins here in a sweep of all four major categories.
Advantage: Glenn Wiggins, St. Louis
Secondbase
St. Louis: Woodrow James (.190/1/8/.454)
Frankfurt: Jalen Montgomery
(.296/12/21/1.069)
Montgomery was one of our top ten
surprises earlier and he is Frankfurt's second
baseman. Woodrow James occupies that spot for St. Louis
and is Montgomery's counterpart.
James, to say the least, has not been having a tremendous season. His batting
average is at .190 right now, while Montgomery
is just shades below .300 at .296. Montgomery
has shown solid power with twelve homeruns, while James has only managed one.
James has driven in only eight runs all season long, while Montgomery
has contributed 21 runs batted in. While Woodrow James' on-base plus slugging
is at. 454, Montgomery blows him
away with his 1.069 mark. Montgomery
is a great player who has never had an amazing season but is starting to
become better while James is just flat out bad. Montgomery
is having a breakout year while surprising many people all around the league,
and it looks like he has what it takes to keep it up. If he keeps his batting
average hovering around .300 he could get serious votes for the All-Star game
if he can hit some more homers. As for the comparison though, Montgomery
gets the sweep.
Advantage: Jalen Montgomery, Frankfurt
Thirdbase
St. Louis: Chris Heqaiunu (.242/8/19/.772)
Frankfurt: Tony Kobbs
(.287/29/42/1.308)
Tony Kobbs, the reigning Eastern Hemisphere Rookie
of the Year, is back and better than ever. He has started off on a tear and
is passing the marks he already put up last year. For St.
Louis Chris Heqaiunu holds
down third base, although he hasn't performed very well in that role. He used
to be a great player but he is decent at best now. Kobbs
has managed a very respectable .287 batting average so far this season, great
for a power hitter like him. Heqqy is struggling,
at .242, with no signs of turning it around. Remember, he is tied for the
all-time WBL record for single season batting average with .491 in 2006, but
he is far from the level he was at then. Kobbs has
been pounding the cover off the ball, hitting 29 homeruns so far this year
and showing no signs of stopping. Heqqy has managed
only eight homeruns so far, very few for someone who used to be a consistent
25 homerun hitter. Kobbs has benefited from batting
in a great overall lineup, and he has driven in 42 runs because of it. Heqaiunu has driven in nineteen runs to go with his eight
homeruns. Kobbs' OPS is sky-high, at 1.308, while Heqaiunu is at .772. It the past versus the future here,
and the future, Tony Kobbs, wins it in a sweep.
Advantage: Tony Kobbs, Frankfurt
Shortstop
St. Louis: Jerek
Deter (.182/0/1/.587)
Frankfurt: Josh Andrews (.231/29/44/1.109)
This comparison looks balanced when you look at the names because both of
them were mid-level prospects, but that is surely not the case. Jerek Deter has been struggling more than he could have
imagined, and his stat line looks like a backup's. Josh Andrews is not an
average hitter by any means, and it shows because he doesn't get many hits.
His batting average stands at only .231, but even that's enough to basically
destroy Jeter. Jeter is at a pitiful .182 so far this year, and it's been a
season-long slump. He shows no sign of improving for a while, as he hasn't
updated in weeks. Andrews' forte is his power, which shows through his 29
homeruns. Jeter tries to base his game on getting on base, so his homerun
total is at a whopping zero. Andrews' homeruns have led to major run scoring,
and he has driven in 44 runs, plus the ones he has scored himself. Jeter has
only driven in one run so far, which is worse than third string catchers
often put up. Jeter's bad on base percentage added to his bad slugging
percentage has put his OPS at .587, which Andrews nearly doubles that at
1.109. Another sweep is here, this one is going to Frankfurt.
Advantage: Josh Andrews, Frankfurt
Leftfield
St. Louis: Kip Wesley (.259/14/40/.997)
Frankfurt: Jason Hernandez (.203/5/13/.596)
Jason Hernandez has been somewhat of a journeyman, looking for his spot to
play for years. He has found a spot in Frankfurt, at
least for the time being, but is not making the most of it. On the other
hand, Kip Wesley is the owner of St. Louis
and won't have to worry about losing a starting job for a while. He is trying
to get over that elusive .260 mark as right now he stands at .259. Hernandez,
like so many others, is hovering around .200 and is just a little bit over,
he is batting .203. Wesley has solid power numbers, like he always has,
putting up fourteen homeruns so far this season. Hernandez, fighting to keep
his job, has only hit the ball out of the park five times. Wesley has driven
in forty runs, a good sum for any player, so he has been big in the middle of
St. Louis' order. Hernandez has
only driven in thirteen runs in his disappointing season, very low for an
outfielder and any player in general. Wesley has gotten on base very well and
his OPS stands at .997. Hernandez, well, just hasn't been hitting well at all
and his OPS is way down there at .596. Surprise, we
have another sweep, but this one goes to St. Louis
and Kip Wesley.
Advantage: Kip Wesley, St. Louis
Centerfield
St. Louis: Pierce Feltini (.244/1/10/.638)
Frankfurt: Aaron McDonald (.234/0/3/.494)
This one was sort of close, as both players have had amazingly disappointing
seasons. Pierce Feltini mans centerfield for St.
Louis, and he hasn't been putting up great
production anywhere. Aaron McDonald is out there for Frankfurt,
and although he is a good fielder, his hitting is also a weak spot. Feltini has the small edge in batting average hitting
.244 on a team where no regular is hitting over .300. McDonald is only
hitting .234 and he seems to be one of the weak links in Frankfurt's
lineup. Feltini has only hit one homerun, but
somehow, that's enough to lead over his competitor. McDonald has not hit a
single homeruns this year. Feltini has driven in a
measly ten runs this year, but again that's somehow good enough. McDonald is
sitting at three RBI this season, a number that many batters tie with one
swing of the bat. Both of these guys are light-hitting centerfielders, so
their OPS' will be low. Feltini is at .638 in the
2009 season, but McDonald continues to give him the edge with a pathetic
.494. Neither of these players are very good at all,
but Feltini gets this one by default only because
of who he is being compared with.
Advantage: Pierce Feltini, St.
Louis
Rightfield
St. Louis: Matt Priesmeyer (.250/1/6/.562)
Frankfurt: Richie Maple
(.284/1/5/.690)
Matt Priesmeyer is playing out there in rightfield for St. Louis,
another player who is NOT hitting .300. Richie
Maple is one of the few players that was actually on
the team last year, and he keeps his starting position for at least one more
season. Priesmeyer is hitting an even .250 this
year, and it appears that the Stallions only want him for his defense. Maple
has hit a very solid .284, which would be good enough to lead any Stallion
player, surprisingly. This is the first tie in any category so far, as both
of these players are light-hitting, one homerun players. Priesmeyer
has driven in a pitiful six runs with his one homeruns, but Maple beats that
in pitifulness with his five RBI. Both players take
big hits to their OPS because of their one homerun, and Priesmeyer
has managed to put his up to .562 with a very small slugging percentage.
Maple in the situation, although he has a few more doubles and a little
better on-base percentage, which makes his OPS to be .690. Neither of these
players are power hitters, obviously, but neither get on base that much
either. These are two sub par players playing because of their speed and
defense, but since Maple won three of the four categories, he got this one.
Advantage: Richie Maple, Frankfurt
Pitching
Starting Pitchers
St. Louis: Chris Prior (3/2/3.39/0.89)
Frankfurt: Marc Southworth II
(6/1/1.80/0.83)
Southworth II, unlike his relative Marc Southworth, has seen much prosperity so far this season
and he has been one very key acquisition for Frankfurt.
He has been the Force's ace this year, while on the other end, Chris Prior has taken over duties as being the
number one starter. Prior has put up a respectable three wins, compared with
two losses. Southworth II, on the other hand, has
had a wonderful year in the win loss department, winning six out of his seven
decisions, obviously leaving him with one loss. Southworth
II has allowed very few runs in the innings he has pitched, turning in an ERA
under two runs at 1.80. Prior is a more humanly 3.39, still possible all-star
caliber but most likely not ace material. Southworth
II has done a great job of keeping runners off the base paths, and his WHIP
has also helped his ERA as it is at 0.83. Prior, you would think, should have
a much high WHIP because his ERA is about a run and a half higher, but that
is not really the case. Prior is very close to Southworth
II at 0.89. Prior used to be a bona fide ace, and still has what it takes,
but isn't superstar quality yet and the young Southworth
II gets the sweep.
Advantage: Marc Southworth II, Frankfurt
St. Louis: Tidiggity Dawg (2/5/5.15/1.20)
Frankfurt: Zach Kobbs
(7/2/3.22/0.80)
Dawg, in the midst of one of the biggest slumps of
his career, has actually hurt St. Louis
on many occasions and is not used to being in this position. Kobbs was another of the great players brought to Frankfurt
this off season and he has been playing very well. Dawg's
struggles are evident when you look at his record of two wins and five
losses, the only pitcher on the Stallions with a losing record. Kobbs has shown his importance to the team with his seven
wins, while he has lost two. Dawg's ERA has also
inflated during this tough stretch, going up to uncharted waters for him. It
is now at 5.15 and shows no signs of going down, at least not yet. Kobbs' record did not just happen on its' own, he has to
not allow runs for that to happen, and he has done just that. His ERA comes
in at 3.22, good enough to win just about any game. Good pitchers' WHIPs are usually around 0.90, with aces lowering to
about 0.80. Anything above 1.00 is pretty average, and Dawg's
WHIP has gone all the way up to 1.20, way above what he is used to for sure. Kobbs is right at that ace mark, as his WHIP is down there
at 0.80. Kobbs is coming off a career worst season,
and it must feel good to be doing this well as he sweeps another guy having a
career worst season.
Advantage: Zach Kobbs, Frankfurt
St. Louis:
Corey Whitney (4/3/2.54/0.82)
Frankfurt: Andy Quigly (4/4/2.67/0.67)
Rookie sensation Corey Whitney has held down the third starter slot for St.
Louis and he has not disappointed with his top
prospect status. Andy Quigly, one half of on of the
two sets of family on Frankfurt, is his counterpart
here and he, like everyone else pretty much, has had a good season. Whitney's
record does not show how well he has done, as it is only at 4-3, but his
other stats tell the tale better. Quigly has had a
little bit of a worse year record wise, he has gone 4-4 with one no decision.
Quigly has been a great starter all year long and
his 2.67 ERA is just a testament to that. Both of these starters benefit from
facing other team's number three starters, but Whitney has a small edge as
his ERA is a tiny 2.54. Both of these guys could be aces anywhere else but
they are both stuck in the number three hole for now. Quigly's
WHIP is a miniscule 0.67, good enough to be an ace for any team any day.
Whitney's is not quite that amazing, as it is at a solid 0.82. Both of these
players are great players with tremendous futures, and right now they are
about even. Although Quigly had the large advantage
in WHIP, Whitney beat him in the other two categories so he has a slight
edge.
Advantage: Corey Whitney, St. Louis
St. Louis: Ace Hurley (6/1/2.29/0.87)
Frankfurt: Ty Quigly
(4/1/2.59/0.83)
Ace Hurley has been one of the most surprising players in the league this
year, coming from basically nothing special to the great numbers he has put
up this season. Andy Quigly is Frankfurt's
number four starter and he has also been a great
pickup for Frankfurt. It is unfortunate because both
of these players have to be number four starters while they are both clearly
higher than that level. Hurley has put up a great record of six wins and one
loss in his nine starts. Quigly has had similar
numbers as their loss counts are the same, but Quigly
has only won four games. Hurley has managed an ERA of 2.29, near the league
lead in that category. Quigly's isn't nearly as
stellar, but his is also great at 2.59. Hurley is not having as great a year
in the WHIP department, but he still has a quality 0.87 mark. Quigly, on the other hand, has a slight edge in this one
as his WHIP number is at 0.83. He hasn't had as good of a season overall as
Hurley, but he has kept runners off of the base paths, and that is key.
Hurley has been amazing so far this season though, so I have to give him this
one for winning two of the three categories.
Advantage: Ace Hurley, St. Louis
Relievers
St. Louis: Cleveland
Dawg (1/1/3.43/1.05)
Frankfurt: Kevin Highmark
(0/1/12.91/2.35)
Highmark is basically just a guy who got called up
to fill out Frankfurt's roster in the bullpen, and his
stats confirm that he hasn't had a full season to play. Cleveland Dawg has been the setup guy for the Stallions and unlike Tidiggity, he has had moderate success. Highmark has won zero games while he has lost one for his
team, although record doesn't mean much for relievers. Dawg
has managed one win for the Stallions, while also losing one game for them. Highmark has had limited innings and he just hasn't been
very good in them, so when he lets up runs it hurts his ERA more than other
guys. His ERA stands at an astronomical 12.91 right now. Dawg
has had much more success than Tidiggity, even
though he has pitched less innings, and his ERA stands at a very solid 3.43. Dawg's WHIP has contributed to his moderate ERA, as it is
a moderate 1.05, pretty high for a reliever but decent nonetheless. Highmore
wishes he could have that number, though, as his is more than double that at
2.35. Cleveland Dawg is a young player who should
work his way into a rotation soon, but for now, he has done his job out of
the bullpen and gets this one in a sweep.
Advantage: Cleveland Dawg, St. Louis
St. Louis: Iamgonna Strikeuout
(5/0/3.94/1.11)
Frankfurt: Smith N Wesson (2/1/1.72/0.68)
Strikeuout started off the season red hot and
didn't even allow any hits for a while, but somehow he struggled for a
stretch and his ERA has inflated because of it. smith
N Wesson, on the other hand, has started red hot and
stayed that way as he was also mentioned in our top ten surprises earlier. Strikeuout has won five games this year, which would be
great for a starter but is amazing for a closer this early in the season. He
has not lost, either. Wesson has won two games and lost one so far this year.
Strikeuout is slowly becoming an automatic closer,
as he has not blown a save yet this year, but his ERA is fairly high at 3.94.
Wesson has blown one save, but his ERA is much lower at 1.72. Wesson has also
been a great pitcher all year, keeping runners off base with his 0.68
WHIP> Strikeuout's WHIP is much higher than he
has become expected to put up, as he is used to having his WHIP even under
0.60. Right now, it stands up at 1.11. Although Strikeuout
hasn't blown a save or lost a game this year, Wesson has rebounded from being
in AAA for the entire 2008 season to put up a masterful season. He gets this
one, because of how overpowering he has been.
Advantage: Smith N Wesson, Frankfurt
Final Lineup Score: 4-4, tie
Final Rotation Score: 2-2, tie
Final Bullpen Score: 1-1, tie
Wow, I never thought I'd see this, but we have a tie. Out
of fourteen players on each team and fourteen positions to compare, both team
had the advantage in seven of them, breaking down perfectly even in every
part of the comparison. Overall, I think Frankfurt is a little better because
the ones they won were blowouts as opposed to the ones they lost being very
close. Everything has clicked for them so far and their lineup is molding
together. Their full rotation is comprised of entirely new players, with not
one of them being on Frankfurt last year. The rotation
is getting huge production as a whole with many superstar performances. The
lineup has also been great, and they have put up great numbers in support of
these pitchers. They are getting a huge boost from their bullpen as well,
being led by Smith N Wesson. Andrews and Kobbs are
both hitting homeruns at great rates and Gerald Schultz is also producing
well. St. Louis has been getting
some decent years from guys, but their key players aren’t coming up big like
Alex Zito and Tidiggity Dawg. They also do not have a regular started hitting
anywhere near .300. Their closer has been nearly automatic but without much
of a lead with a weak offense and shaky pitching he can't do much. So
overall, although on paper it is a tie, I have to say Frankfurt
has the slight edge here, as do they in record with their one game lead. Here
is a breakdown for anyone just browsing over the article, very simple with Frankfurt's
players being first:
CA: Gerald Schultz < Alex Zito
1B: Mike Smirnoff < Glenn Wiggins
2B: Jalen Montgomery > Woodrow James
3B: Tony Kobbs > Christopher Heqaiunu
SS: Josh Andrews > Jerek Deter
LF: Jason Hernandez < Kip Wesley
CF: Aaron McDonald < Pierce Feltini
RF: Richie Maple > Matt Priesmeyer
SP: Marc Southworth II >
Chris Prior
SP: Zach Kobbs > Tidiggity
Dawg
SP: Andy Quigly < Corey Whitney
SP: Ty Quigly < Ace
Hurley
RP: Kevin Highmark < Cleveland Dawg
RP: Smith N Wesson > Iamgonna Strikeuout
Advantage: tie, 7-7
Final Say: Frankfurt
over St. Louis
by a hair
And so concludes my first weekly version of "Your WBL
Variety." I hope you enjoyed reading this one and I'll try to improve
more and more on future ones. Any suggestions, ideas, criticisms, anything,
let me know by PMing me on the board, e-mailing me
at AI3Yanks84@AOL.com, or IMing me at AI3Yanks842. See you all next week, this is Vin Distasio saying goodbye.
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