2219 Year End Wordy Stuff

[ballmark]

"I call contender sooner rather than later" was what I wrote about San Francisco in last year's wrap up. Feeling pretty good about that as it helps ease the pain of seeing Texas sit at the bottom of last year's won-loss variance list.

The Quakes knocked the Heatwave out of the playoffs after a solid three year run. They'll be back, I'm sure. But we'll start this year with our regular season victory kings in the New York Titans, with 112. That's a full dozen more than last year and a new franchise record for Chris! Well done, boyo!! The Titans put a whopping nine players on the All Star team and could boast of the Cy Young Winner but after winning the World Series last year, were knocked out of the playoffs in a very hard fought and tough seven game ALCS by the Cuyahoga.

San Francisco won 106 games this year, a +15 in the win column and the second-most Mike has ever won in the SYL! The Earth Quakes rostered **10** National League All Stars, the MVP, and the Cy Young Winner but were also kicked out of the NLCS by the newly-christened Thrashers in Atlanta after going up 3-0 in that series, frustrating both SF fans and Las Vegas bookmakers.

Both Cleveland and Atlanta won 105 games during the regular season. For both teams, it was fewer wins than last year but all that mattered was it was enough wins to get them into the playoffs and both teams came through in the clutch. Cleveland did have 10 All Stars and the AL MVP, Atlanta only had five and the Fireman of the Year. But it was enough for both to squeak by in their respective league championships with each series going seven games into a Wild Card World Series.

On paper, Cleveland looked better, but Atlanta used their home field advantage to jump out to a two game lead, take one in Cleveland, and came back home to win when Ray Welch, a bullpen man whom Atlanta turned into a starter in mid-June and rode his arm to a 16-1 record into the postseason, threw a 5-0 five-hitter through six innings and Johnny Sain - a two•time Cy Young winner - threw three perfect innings for the Save and the 2219 SYL Championship. Nice first year back, Napper!!

WON-LOSS VARIANCE FOR THE REST OF US:
Texas = +15 ... pitching looks promising and might be ready soon.
Philadelphia = +12 ... don't be fooled, team still won less than 60 games.
Boston = +8 ... on the cusp of contending.
Milwaukee = +5 ... still on the minus/plus train; future hard to see.
Los Angeles NL = +4 ... steady rebuilds last longer, or so they say.
Seattle = +4 ... was a +1 last year; two years of positive growth.
Arizona = <3> ... Connor already said it was a last series miscalculation; like Arnold, he'll be bahk.
Los Angeles AL = <3> ... rebuilding with style.
Baltimore = <7> ... still in rebuilding mode, I think.
Pittsburgh = <10> ... called them a dark horse last year; must have thrown a shoe this season.
Cincinnati = <21> ... wow; did not see that coming!
Tampa Bay = <23> ... beat Philly for the best pick as a consolation prize for being the bottom feeder.

[ptech]

Philadelphia = +12 ... don't be fooled, team still won less than 60 games.

Yep. We went from historically awful, to just normal awful.

[Owenatkinson]

Congrats Thrashers!

[Napper]

Thanks, and very cool summary Ballmark.

[caltex123]

Thanks for the write-up.

"Pittsburgh = <10> ... called them a dark horse last year; must have thrown a shoe this season."
Maybe this year? Called up my young ace so we will see.

[ballmark]

By the way ... it's a shame we find Seattle in first at the moment, at long last fulfilling their long-promised potential Leonard has asked me to post the Starbucks for sale.