Welcome to our weekly round-up of the BaseballGB Fantasy League competition. This is a mixed Head-2-Head league involving BGB writers and readers.Â
There are fourteen teams who pair up in different combinations each week, making for seven match-ups in any given week. The teams battle over twelve statistical categories, gaining one point for each category they win. All the points are carried over into the season league table at the end of the weekly match-ups. The top six teams with the most points at the end of the fantasy season will go on to the playoffs during the last three weeks of September.Â
SWAT were the victors in the inaugural BGB Fantasy League last year. Will they retain their title in 2010, or will a new champion emerge?Â
| Â | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS | W | SV | K | HLD | ERA | WHIP | Score |
| Borders Bats | 33 | 11 | 34 | 4 | 0.285 | 0.872 | 3 | 4 | 30 | 1 | 2.59 | 1.15 | 9 |
| Boston Rogue Waves | 37 | 4 | 29 | 5 | 0.279 | 0.781 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 0 | 7.3 | 1.57 | 3 |
We start with the week’s biggest winners, as Borders Bats beat the Rogue Waves 9-3. There was plenty of offense from both teams, although the Bats had a power advantage thanks to a four-homer week from Matt Kemp and nine RBIs from Cuddyer. The Bats also took five out six pitching categories as Lester and Jurrjens had rare poor weeks for the Waves.
| Â | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS | W | SV | K | HLD | ERA | WHIP | Score |
| Weston-Super-Sox | 20 | 3 | 30 | 6 | 0.271 | 0.771 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 0 | 5.44 | 1.66 | 2 |
| stevenston angels | 26 | 8 | 29 | 7 | 0.255 | 0.782 | 5 | 3 | 40 | 0 | 3.08 | 1.33 | 8 |
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The Angels continued their hot start, winning 8-2 against the Super Sox in a matchup which was closer than the score suggests. The Sox took RBIs and average thanks to Mauer and Butler but the Angels had the edge in the other offensive categories thanks to BJ Upton and Pedroia. The Angels also had the better pitching staff this week, thanks to Jonathan Sanchez and Halladay.
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| Â | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS | W | SV | K | HLD | ERA | WHIP | Score |
| Iron Men | 36 | 9 | 37 | 10 | 0.324 | 0.925 | 3 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 2.56 | 1.09 | 8 |
| SWAT* | 27 | 10 | 31 | 2 | 0.233 | 0.786 | 3 | 6 | 77 | 0 | 3.06 | 1.3 | 3 |
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Last year’s champions SWAT are off to a tough start, losing 8-3 to Iron Men despite some wonderful pitching. SWAT collected six saves and an incredible 77 strikeouts thanks to Kershaw and Matusz. Utley was SWAT’s top hitter, but were outhit by Iron Men, who had six batters hit .350 or better. Pierre stole four of their 10 bases, while Wainwright and Sabathia made the difference in ERA and WHIP.
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| Â | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS | W | SV | K | HLD | ERA | WHIP | Score |
| The Wright Stuff | 21 | 9 | 31 | 3 | 0.211 | 0.698 | 5 | 2 | 61 | 1 | 2.69 | 1.12 | 7 |
| Grip it n Rip It | 34 | 4 | 22 | 7 | 0.236 | 0.674 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 2.76 | 1.12 | 3 |
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Speaking of excellent pitching, this matchup had plenty of it as the Wright Stuff beat Grip it n Rip It 7-3. Both teams struggled to hit for average, but Hamels and Ervin Santana led the Stuff’s pitching staff. Zito and Lincecum both pitched brilliantly for Rip It, but they could only tie WHIP and narrowly lost on ERA.
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| Â | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS | W | SV | K | HLD | ERA | WHIP | Score |
| Bonestalkers | 33 | 7 | 24 | 2 | 0.251 | 0.774 | 2 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 1.75 | 0.94 | 7 |
| Beck ‘Nams (GB) | 27 | 5 | 23 | 7 | 0.247 | 0.729 | 3 | 9 | 56 | 0 | 3.04 | 1.05 | 4 |
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Bonestalkers recovered from their first week loss by beating last week’s leaders Beck ‘Nams 7-4. Bonestalkers took all but one of the offensive categories thanks to Longoria and Victorino. Danks, Beckett and Rivera all had excellent weeks, helping put up great ERA and WHIP numbers. Beck ‘Nams had plenty of speed from Theriot and saves from four different relievers.
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| Â | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS | W | SV | K | HLD | ERA | WHIP | Score |
| The Cheddar Chasers | 33 | 5 | 21 | 9 | 0.232 | 0.695 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 2 | 3.68 | 1.31 | 5 |
| Pretzel Vendors | 30 | 6 | 29 | 4 | 0.313 | 0.906 | 3 | 2 | 41 | 1 | 3.38 | 1.18 | 7 |
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A close matchup saw Pretzel Vendors edge the Cheddar Chasers 7-5. The Vendors hit for a superior average and OPS thanks to Braun and a red-hot Choo who hit .579 with three homers and 11 RBIs all by himself. Matt had some excellent pitching from Garza as well as Ubaldo Jiminez’s no hitter, which helped him take wins, but narrowly lost out in ERA and WHIP.
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| Â | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS | W | SV | K | HLD | ERA | WHIP | Score |
| New Spaniards | 22 | 7 | 23 | 6 | 0.261 | 0.804 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 1.17 | 1.23 | 6 |
| Orpington Isotopes | 33 | 9 | 39 | 0 | 0.317 | 0.927 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 5.11 | 1.52 | 5 |
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Last, but no least, saw a first win for the Spaniards who just got the better of my Isotopes 6-5. It was a matchup of two halves, as I took five offensive categories thanks to Etheier, McGehee and Bengie Molina, but Oscar’s pitching staff of Pettitte, Burnett and Hughes sealed the win with a stingy ERA of 1.17.
Standings so far
 The Angels now lead the standings, three games ahead if Iron Men. As you would expect at this early point in the season, the rest of the teams are closely bunched together, with SWAT currently last 10.5 back, but if last year is anything to go by he will not be giving up.
 We are yet to see any trades as yet, as managers are still assessing their teams and a few are waiting on injured players to return, but I’m sure some managers will be kicking tyres of other teams’ players.