BaseballGB Fantasy League – Week Fourteen

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?

The All Star Game means a break from managing your fantasy teams, but which side is leading the way at the break in the BaseballGB league? 

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We begin with a comfortable 9-3 win for JJ’s Beck ‘Nams, who swept the offensive categories thanks to Stewart, Pujols and Konerko. The outstanding Josh Johnson led the pitching staff on the way to victories in wins and strikeouts. Pettitte, Hughes and Burnett helped the Spaniards salvage ERA and WHIP.

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There was plenty of offense in this matchup as the Stuff and Waves put on quite a hitting display. It’s not often a team will lose average despite hitting .321, but the Waves hit an astonishing .371 as a team thanks to Olivo, Huff, Johnson and Pagan. Felix Hernandez had another nice week for the Waves, but the Stuff had great pitching from Santana, Hamels, Latos and Bumgarner and a five homer week from Dunn to make it 6-6.

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The Sox are still in very good form, picking up a comfortable 10-1 win against Bonestalkers. Carlos Gonzalez and Alfonso Soriano were the star hitters in a sweep of offensive categories, while Gavin Floyd picked up a pair of wins. Rivera and Jenks got the job done for Bonestalkers, with saves the only category they won.

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Last year’s champions SWAT are over .500 after a 9-1 win against the Angels. Picking up Buster Posey (5 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R) has really paid off for SWAT, with Kershaw leading the rotation and the closer combo of Soria and Simon each collecting three saves. The Angels put up pretty good numbers across the board, and in most other weeks would have been in with a good chance of a win. Teixeira and Halladay were their top players.

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My Isotopes picked up a much-needed win with a 9-2 victory over the Bats. Soto, Cabrera and Ethier helped the offense take five out of six categories, with Oswalt, Hudson and Street the pick of the pitchers. Cuddyer and Marmol had good weeks for the injury-hit Bats.

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Iron Men’s hitters got the job done in an 8-3 win over the Vendors, taking five categories thanks to Crawford, Byrd and Uggla. Sabathia and Axford each picked up two wins. Holliday was red-hot for the Vendors, while most other teams would love to have the one-two punch of Price and Strasburg in their rotation.

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The failure to use the DL cost Rip It dearly in this matchup, as they did not reach the 20 inning weekly minimum, gifting all six pitching categories to the Chasers. I think I’m safe in saying no other team will win ERA with a stat over 10 very often. It’s a shame for Rip It, who took five out of six offensive categories thanks to Hamilton, Davis and Howard. The Chasers had nice weeks from Gonzalez, Fielder and Pence.

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Rounding things up
 
The results see Beck ‘Nams three games ahead of the Stuff, with Iron men 2.5 games further back in third. The Chasers and Sox have built up a gap ahead of my Isotopes, with the Waves just half a game behind me in seventh. SWAT have closed the gap on the Vendors, while Rip It are still close to a .500 record. The Angels, Spaniards, Bonestalkers and Bats have an uphill struggle to get into the top six.
 
This week’s fixtures are as follows:
Beck ‘Nams v Bonestalkers
Stuff v Rip It
Iron Men v SWAT
Chasers v Vendors
Sox v Angels
Isotopes v Spaniards
Waves v Bats
 
As the All Star Game meaning fewer games are played in this fantasy gameweek, the 20 inning minimum rule will not apply for this week only.