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. 

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. 

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?

———————–

This week in the BaseballGB fantasy league saw two of the top three teams go head-to-head and the first trade made. Which teams came out on top and which teams have been wheeling and dealing? 
 

Â	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS	W	SV	K	HLD	ERA	WHIP	Score
Pretzel Vendors	33	4	21	6	0.280	0.818	2	3	27	0	6.45	1.61	3
Beck ‘Nams (GB)	28	10	33	10	0.297	0.898	5	3	40	2	6.93	1.79	8

 
It was first vs third in this matchup, and it was the leader who came out on top. JJ’s Beck ‘Nams picked up a big 8-3 win over the Vendors, winning five out of six offensive categories thanks to Ichrio, Pujols and Konerko. The Vendors took runs thanks to Bourn, who scored 11 by himself. It was hardly a great week for either team’s pitchers, with both teams posting high ERAs and WHIPs, but Verlander, Carpenter and Josh Johnson helped JJ’s staff take three categories.

———————-
 

Â	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS	W	SV	K	HLD	ERA	WHIP	Score
Iron Men	34	9	37	3	0.270	0.821	5	4	41	1	2.64	1.05	7
Borders Bats	32	6	25	2	0.350	0.937	2	2	32	2	1.01	0.71	5

 
Iron Men took advantage of the Vendors’ loss by beating the Btas 7-5. Glaus and A-Rod had big weeks for Iron Men, while the Bats took AVG and OPS thanks to Victor Martinez and Escobar. The Bats’ pitchers posted brilliant ERA and WHIP thanks to Weaver, Lee and the bullpen.

———————–
 

Â	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS	W	SV	K	HLD	ERA	WHIP	Score
stevenston angels	29	2	16	6	0.265	0.719	5	3	40	1	2.84	1.42	5
New Spaniards	36	7	25	4	0.320	0.924	2	0	31	5	3.38	1.10	7

 
The Spaniards hit their way past the Angels to pick up a 7-5 win, with Cano and Gardner the pick of the hitters. The Angels pitched very well, taking four categories thanks to Jonathan Sanchez, Halladay, Nolasco and Lowe.

————————
 

Â	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS	W	SV	K	HLD	ERA	WHIP	Score
Grip it n Rip It	33	7	29	5	0.268	0.767	0	4	17	0	4.84	1.43	5
SWAT*	40	6	27	4	0.285	0.843	5	2	47	1	3.14	1.52	7

 
A tight matchup saw SWAT get the better of Rip It 7-5. Rasmus, Ross and Zimmerman were SWAT’s star batters, while Hanson was the pick of a strong rotation. Phillips and Hamilton were Rip It’s top players.

————————
 

Â	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS	W	SV	K	HLD	ERA	WHIP	Score
Bonestalkers	29	8	36	3	0.337	0.950	1	5	28	2	3.48	1.43	4
Orpington Isotopes	29	7	24	5	0.234	0.679	2	5	53	3	3.18	1.15	6

 
My pitching staff carried my Isotopes to a 6-4 win over Bonestalkers, taking five out of six categories, despite picking up just two wins. K-Rod and Billingsley’s strikeouts helped my staff, while Tulowitzki’s steals came in handy and Cabrera and Prado had hot weeks with the bats. Youkilis, Matsui and DeJesus were Bonestalkers’ best hitters, with Rivera and Jenks combining for five saves.

————————-
 

Â	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS	W	SV	K	HLD	ERA	WHIP	Score
The Cheddar Chasers	25	9	28	5	0.301	0.880	6	4	52	1	3.90	1.43	6
The Wright Stuff	32	11	44	6	0.284	0.831	3	3	31	0	3.83	1.34	6

 
The Chasers and the Stuff could not be separated, finishing with a 6-6 tie. The Chasers pitched better, thanks to the incredible Ubaldo Jimenez, but the Stuff’s hitters – especially Berkman, right and Napoli – took four out of six categories.

————————–
 

Â	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OPS	W	SV	K	HLD	ERA	WHIP	Score
Weston-Super-Sox	24	5	21	0	0.295	0.784	4	2	61	1	4.36	1.30	6
Boston Rogue Waves	31	4	29	3	0.288	0.807	1	1	33	2	5.03	1.24	6

 
Last, by by no means least, is another 6-6 tie between the Super Sox and the Waves. The Sox’s pitching staff took four categories thanks to Vazquez and Pelfrey but the Waves had plenty of offense from Hunter and Votto.

————————–

First BGB Fantasy trade!
 
This week also saw the first trade of the season, as my Isotopes and the Stuff made a deal. Chris gets the big bat he was looking for in Adam Dunn and adds Jake Peavy to his pitching staff, with Mark Reynolds and Roy Oswalt coming over to the Isotopes. Hopefully Oswalt will give a boost to my pitching staff, although I am giving up some offense as Reynolds has been struggling recently.
 
Will this trade inspire other managers to make a deal? Time will tell.

Rounding things up
 
The standings see Beck ‘Nams still leading the way, with a 2.5 game lead over Iron Men. My Isotopes move into third, just ahead of the Super Sox. The Chasers have overtaken Pretzel Vendors, with the Stuff just half a game further back. Rip It is just under .500 but a game ahead of the Waves. The Spaniards round out the top 10, ahead of the Angels and Bonestalkers, who are level. SWAT is 17 games back, 2.5 ahead of Borders Bats.
 
This next set of matchups sees JJ’s Beck ‘Nams taking on The Stuff in a Croydon Pirates themed matchup, while Iron Men will be hoping to jump to the top of the standings if they can beat the Spaniards.