RHMRBL

Goat Quote of the Week III

RayHolmes — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:07:00 GMT

"So what happened to Andy vs Andy?"

"Oh, I think Andy backed out." -Pedestrian

Cooper gets Dicked, A's beat Dodgers

RayHolmes — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:35:00 GMT

Sunday June 20

The love fest continued on Sunday as the Athletics pulled out another win. "Everyone's our enemy", an Athletics player told me after the game, "and everyone should hate us". Levy led the way again with 6 strong innings for the win, while Mike Cooper chipped in with a 3 for 4 day and 4 runs scored. Allison mopped up the last two innings allowing two runs, but enjoyed his first half catching for Levy more. The game was less than boring with many close calls, and even an almost fight, as Cooper and Dickie got into a war of words over sliding techniques. In the end when the dust settled the Athletics had a 16 - 8 win and the Dodgers had a second straight loss. The sad twang of country filled the air for hours afterward as the Dodgers mourned their loss, "I can't stand it anymore" an unnamed Dodger cried, " just kill me now ".

Goat Quote of the Week II

RayHolmes — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:32:00 GMT

"I think I'm choking on my chicken!"

Ryan Sourlis - Phillies

Goat Quote of the Week

RayHolmes — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:46:00 GMT

"I know I've only played 5 or 6 games in this league, but I think I'm in love with Levy!"

James Allison - Athletics

Holy hitless Batman!

Moncayo — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:30:00 GMT

In this very young season, we've seen the domination of pitchers carry teams to victory. The league average is at an all time low .360. (see league stats here) The 6 captains are coming out and doing what they do, pitching their teams to wins. This IS what they wanted. Hoepfully as the summer heats up so will the bats. I mean, it's a hitters league, isn't it?

Doran and Moncayo wanting to Be-Miller

RayHolmes — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:25:00 GMT

Monday May 31

The Phillies rookie, Doran, and Chris Moncayo both had trouble finding the plate on a sweltering day of baseball Sunday, as the Tigers were able to score 11 runs in the first rwo innings. Anwar Khan led the charge with a 2 for 3, walk, RBI, and 2 run game, while Godard held the fort as the Phillies came back to make it close at 13-10. The Tigers had no answer for Matt Biemiller, who had come in to relieve in the third and held the Tigers to 2 runs in 5 innings to give the Phillies a chance, but Dan Buchanan hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 7th to put the Tigers up by 3. The Phillies couldn't score in the top of the 8th as rookie, Pat Doran, was picked off of second base with two outs to end the game........ P6 or P12?

Jays left asking, Why-man!

RayHolmes — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:19:00 GMT

Friday May 28

The Jays played thier first game of the season yesterday and couldn't find a way to match the Marv Weiman. It was the Marv show as he went 5 1/3 innings, allowing 8 hits and striking out 4. Marv also contributed 2 singles that drove in 2 runs. The biggest one was in the second inning when the hebrew hammer (James Allison) hit a 2 out rbi single and Weiman followed up with his own 2 out RBI single to go up 2-0. "I'm ready to go tomorrow" Marv said when asked how he felt after the game, " I had them off balance all game". The Athletics improve to 2-1 on the season, tied for first as they face the 1-0 Phillies tonight on diamond 7

Tigers fall into A's hole

RayHolmes — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:15:00 GMT

Friday 21 2010

No pitcher could hold off the Athletics on Thursday, as the Tigers sent four pitchers to the mound (Technically three considering Straps pitched.), and couldn't get much back as Jordan Levy pitched a 4 hit, 5 inning game to improve to 1-0, and even his teams record at 1-1. The only blemish on Levy's line was the 8 bases on balls he gave up, with four of them coming around to score. On the Athletics hitting side, everyone came to hit, led by Mike Cooper, Landon Wideman, and J. Levy. Collectively they scored a total of 11 runs, went 5 for 9, and drew 6 walks.

Waylen holds the Tigers in a full Nelson

RayHolmes — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:50:00 GMT

Opening day was here and baseball was in the air, on diamond 4 the Tigers brought 15 guys to the diamond and Waylen and The Kid battled through 6 innings with both teams scoring zero runs. The best opportunity to score to that point was in the Astros third inning when they loaded the bases on a leadoff single by Wardo, an error by short and a single by Zimm, but Vent induced Coe into a double play started at home and then got Berridge to pop up. The Astros finally broke through with 3 runs in the 7th inning. Dave Chun relieved The Kid who allowed just 4 hits over 6 innings, with 3 K's and 1 walk. Jimmy A singled to start the inning and then took second. The Astros could smell blood. Desi Williams then was up, and just after crushing two cheeseburgers, hit a hard single to push the go ahead run to third. Desi then took second on a wild pitch and Dave Deliberato drove them both in with a clutch single. Those runs were more than enough as Waylen continued his masterpiece and finished a rare 5 hit shutout with 13 K's. This was the second time Berridge had caught Waylen while he threw a shutout in his career and felt that after the game Waylen should have to take Rick's jock off with his teeth......fair is fair.

The birds are chirping...

Zak — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:01:00 GMT

Well, I looked outside and saw a lot of short skirts and white skin being displayed...this as my man Bill Simmons would say is "Halter Top" season! With that, I began to let my mind wander to summer days and playing some ball with my RHMRBL compadres!

I believe that Lipson has already instructed his butler to take his Primo out of it's platinum encrusted casing, dust it off and place it with care in it's rightful place alongside his gold plated cleats. I also heard he's been getting his driver to take him to the batting cages (the special cages, of course, where they use only official MLB baseballs rather then the cheap rubber ones that must cages use).

I heard that Ryan is in prime form, watching MLB preseason games, collecting the stats and data, putting them in an Excel spreadsheet, you know, just to get some practice for this season. Last report was that he was able to do an entire team, batting AND pitching in his personal best time of 9 minutes and 43 seconds. Great job Ryan...with a little practice, I KNOW you'll be able to beat that!

JayR is in prime form as well, as he's studied every hitter, every stance and every flaw in each of our swings and will use that data to make his pitchers better.

Speaking of prime form, I read a report that Waylen and James Wesolowski have been working hard all winter to replace the irreplaceable one himself, Dave Reaper when it comes to "pops" consumed after each game. Guys, all indications show that it's going to take years of practice, but I have all the faith in the world that you'll be able to do it!

And finally, I recently heard through the grapevine that Moncayo was seen circling the All-Ages clubs, playing his music really loud trying to entice any and all "ladies" to talk to him...the reports of him offering candy as an added bonus CANNOT be confirmed, although I do have it on good authority that this move has worked once for him.

Guys, all jokes aside, the season is quickly approaching and I really look forward to seeing you all again, taking the field with my new teammates and having some good laughes with you all. It was a winter in which I wasn't sure if I'd be back, as we're looking to move further outside of Toronto, but after a long winter of missing baseball, I just couldn't tear myself away from you guys just yet. Although my playing time will be limited this year, I just didn't want to spend a summer without my friends, baseball and many laughes. See you soon!

Zak

RHMRBL v3.0 coming soon to a screen near you....

Moncayo — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:27:00 GMT

During the off season, I've been very busy working on a new theme as well as upgrading some processes. We now have a "SERIOUS" online registration form, as well as our rookie form. Registration can now be handled almost all through the system, as well as having the ability to contact our members (and future members via the rookie form). I very much like where we are headed in terms of a paperless system. The new theme is more community oriented, logged in users will be able to see their items on the home page: Current Average - Next Game - Previous Game...we may even incorporate some more "live stat" features, these will need to be evaluated.

Here is the current view of the new site as of Feb 16th:

I should have the theme and functionality ready in time for Draft day.

We'll need to match up your username to your user profile, so you can use the contact us page and we can do that for you.

Cheers,

RHMRBL Mobile-O-Rama

Moncayo — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:22:00 GMT

If you haven't checked it out, we have a mobile site.

http://m.rhmrbl.com

This site is optimized for use on wireless devices (blackberry / iphone). It's got what I think are features that you need when you're on the go. Standings, Schedule and Latest Article on the main page, link to a full schedule as well as a link to the team pages so you can have a look at stats, all with very light page weight.

What this site also provides is a function I created called mobile score reporting. The way it works right now, each team will receive a pin in which they can send a score update. Once submitted, an email gets sent to a couple of executive members who have the option of confirming this score which updates the standings as well as the information entered. This has been neat updating games at the park so we are able to have near instant updates.

Are there any other things you'd like to see in this mobile site or the main RHMRBL site for that matter. I'm always about evolving the site and making it better, if you haven't seen the pitching stats check them out we now have 18 pitching stats categories. A good site gives back to its members by providing value in functionality (stats / schedule) and in content (forums / blogs), as well as attracting new members. I think most of our rookies over the past year were click throughs to the site, meaning that all the work is paying off.

So enjoy everyone.

Cheers,

2009 MLB Predictions SURE to go wrong

Zak — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:21:00 GMT

So I'm still reeling from my terrible predictions last year, but I'll give this another try.

Last year, I picked one team that didn't even make the playoffs (Tigers) and another team that got bounced from the playoffs as quickly as a 16th seed in the March Madness brackets (Cubs).

I picked a couple Tigers for awards (Verlander for CY Young and Cabrera for MVP) and both guys really let me down. Let's just say I'll be avoiding any Tigers in my predictions for fear that I was the one who jinxed them last year.

As always, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback and your predictions. So with that, let's go!

AL East:

With the additions to that pitching staff, and a healthy David Ortiz, I HATE to make this pick, but I think the RED SOX take this division. If you look up and down, they match up really well with the Yankees and the Rays offensively, but pitching is where they really stand out to me. I think this is a VERY tough division, and it's going to be close all year, but I think the RED SOX win.

AL Central:

As much as I love my hometown Tigers, and I do love the addition of Josh Anderson and Rick Porcello, I just think their bullpen is so bad that they can't win. I LOVE the Royals this year, and I think that's a team that's on the rise, but I think they're one pitcher and one year away from really contending. Cleveland is the easy choice, and the White Sox are the reigning champs, but I have to go with MINNESOTA to win this division. I know Mauer is injured right now, but as long as he doesn't miss too much time, this si their division to lose. This division is so even that I think every team will be within 10 games of .500.

AL West:

I'd like to say this is the easiest division, and on paper it is, but with all the injuries to the Angels rotation, it's tough to say. You can't lose Ervin Santana, Kelvim Escobar and John Lackey (and possibly Joe Saunders) and not expect a drop off. With that being said, they should all be back by the end of April (with the possible exception of Santana). Oakland has made some really nice additions, and I love the fact that Giambi is back and can be himself again free from the appearance restraints that he had in NY...hello long hair and dirty facial hair! Texas will put up monster offensive numbers, and Josh Hamilton will be even better this year, and Nelson Cruz will be a top 30 fantasy player, but their pitching is down right awful. So, I have to go with the ANGELS, despite their injuries. I love the Abreu signing and he'll really help that lineup.

NL East:

Really fun, really competitive division. Atlanta completely retooled their pitching, and watch out for Tommy Hanson this year, especially if Tom Glavine is going to miss a big amount of time. The Mets look good on paper, but I'm not sold on them. The Marlins are like the Royals, and they're going to be VERY good in a year or two. They have arguably one of the best rotations and one of the best players in ALL of baseball (Hanley)...this is a team on the rise. The PHILLIES though, are the team I'm picking to repeat. I think they have such an amazing balance of power, speed and pitching.

NL Central:

Not a very competitive division, and I know my guys Gerrard and DaveyT will be upset with me for not picking the Cubs, but I just can't pick them. Milwaulkee will regress, Houston will be competitive, but not very good and Cinci is another team on the rise. I love the pickups they made and I think Willy Taveras will win the base stealing award this year. Their pitching is solid and they have a hammer in the bully in Cordero. BUT...the Cardinals will win this division. Any team with Pujols has to be the favorite. Phat Albert will come close to winning the triple crown this year!

NL West:

The DODGERS will win ths division, and win it fairly easy if everyone stays healthy. I LOVE the pitching staff in SF, and I think Lincecum is the best pitcher in baseball. They're stacked from 1-5 (Lince, Cain, Randy Johnson, Barry-I-suck-Zito and Jonathan Sanchez) and their bully is solid. Arizona will compete, and I think Justin Upton turns into a 15/15 guy this year. The Padres stink, and I hope that does NOT translate in to our league...lol. The Rockies will surprise people this year even without Holliday, but the Dodgers are clearly the best team in this division.

RECAP:

Boston, Minnesota and Los Angeles to win their divisions in the AL

Philadelphia, St Louis and Los Angeles win their divisions in the NL

Wild Cards = New York Yankees narrowly edge the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL Wild Card spot and the Cubs narrowly edge the Mets for the NL Wild Card

World Series = Boston vs Los Angeles with the RED SOX winning another World Series (man, I hate saying that!!!)

AWARDS:

AL MVP - Joe Mauer. His team loses when he's out, and when he comes back he (and Morneau) force them into the playoffs. Holliday will get some consideration for this, as he'll continue to build on his impressive resume and keeps the As competitive all year.

NL MVP - I wanted to go with Albert-I'm-going-to-win-the-triple-crown-Pujols, but I think now that he's hitting in the 3 spot, Hanley goes 30/30 with 120 RBI. Did you know he hit 33 HRs last year and only had 67 RBIs...he needs to have guys get on in front of him!

AL Cy Young - Roy Halladay competes for this award again, but falls a little short again. Zack Greinke continues his rise to elite status, but falls short this year. Jon Lester wins this award in a very tight, close race.

NL Cy Young - Lincecum has another stellar year and Johan wills his team to a bunch of wins, but Brandon Webb decides to reclaim his trophy.

AL Rookie - everyone is saying it's going to be Matt Wieters, but I have trouble picking him with all the hype surrounding him. Rick Porcello has the chance to win double digits with the Tigers, but I don't want to jinx him, so I'm staying away from him. David Price will win this award because he's the most experienced and has the best composure. Elvis Andrus will also be in the running for this.

NL Rookie - Tommy Hanson has a very good chance to win this, depending on when he comes up, but if Logan Morrison or Stephen Strasburg sign early enough, this is their award to lose. Morrison is one of the best hitters the world has never heard about, and Strasburg is a beast who hit 100+ on the radar gun 14 times IN HIS LAST GAME alone!

So there it is, there's my picks...any thoughts?

The Frugal Play Bill

jordan — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:59:00 GMT

So here we are on the cusp of another glorious season of baseball, sunshine and rampant bankruptcy. Even your old friend Primo here's had his economic ass handed to him; the endorsement contracts have dried up and the Crystal's been replaced with grandpappy's Moonshine. The Red Sox are trying to re-negotiate my 10 year contract, we can't afford fuel for the private jet, and my limo has two flat tires. Sign of the times, brothers, but you know me, I can't complain ...

Seriously though, I'm hungry, hungry for baseball, and kudos go to this years captains. A great season starts with these guys, and their skills have resulted in a balanced set of teams that will surely lead to a fun and competitive season. My sources tell me draft day is about as peaceful and stress-free as charging the beach at Normandy, so these six captains are welcome on the yacht anytime ... as long as the bank doesn't snag it first.

In case you live in the jungle and haven’t heard, the world's teetering on the brink of collapse and we'll all be in breadlines before long, so I’d like to propose a ‘Frugal Play’ bill for the 2009 season. Unfortunately the league was denied government bailout money so we’re gonna have to cut costs wherever possible, and the Frugal Play bill will form the foundation of a leaner, greener RHMRBL … and apparently leaner and greener is all the rage …

Frugal Play 2009 ; A Good Buzz for Harsh Times

1. We all love dogs, their fun-loving nature, their easy disposition, their care-free attitude. They run on the field in the middle of play and we all have a good smile, haha, but times have changed. Even our canine friends must contribute, so I say lets put them to work! The Frugal Play bill proposes that mans best friends be trained to not only bring joy and happiness to those around them, but also fetch errant foul balls with a tenacity and diligence us humans could never achieve. Yes, those little white globes cost more than Fido’s Purina chow, so never mind the slobber and get fetchin’!!!

2. That weak liner you just hit, the one that stopped dead in the buzz-cut infield grass? It’s your fault. Ya missed the weak curve and now you’re trotting to first base, cursing the Louisville Slugger company and it’s ‘dead’ bat. Before you reach the dugout you’re planning your strategy, how you’ll hit google when you get home, credit card in hand, and drop $400 bucks on a brand new TPX with some’pop’. Well the Frugal Play bill proposes ya think twice about that, think about the wife when she sees the credit card bill, little Fido’s sad puppy eyes, and most of all, think about the children. Why not ... it's all the rage ...

3. Similar to item 2; that slow roller you missed while pretending to be Jeter? Don’t blame the glove. No matter how many times ya spit in it, punch it, adjust the webbing, you’re still not Jeter. So unless your last name is Levy, Cooper or Leitch, don’t blame the glove, and don’t buy a new one. Especially you pitchers, because no matter how much glove-porn you emass, ya still can’t field a bunt or catch a fly ball, so just move outta the way and let the REAL players have a chance to make a play and help you not look stupid. And yes, I’m talkin’ to you number 41 … I mean me … I mean ya get the point.

4. A few months ago I turned 30 and decided to drink like I was 18. Oh what a night; the tequila flowed, the vodka spilled, and I tried my best to turn back the clock through a constant flow of alcohol and unintelligible blubbering. I drank like a pirate that night, and the next day I ached like Randy Johnson’s back after two innings of work. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson but nooo, Primo had to push it, to try and try again, and you know what? I’m (almost) convinced I’m not 18 any more. So the final proposal of the Frugal Play bill is one that cuts to the very core of league tenents and could spark riots in the parking lot. It’s ugly, an abomination, downright sacrelidge, and it is this; don’t drink so much. Think about all the money we’d save, all the time we’d have without Stinky asking for our empties, all those little extras we’ll be able to afford, like Muskoka cottages and diamonds for our loved ones. And who knows, we just might feel a little younger.

And that’s that my friends. Hope you’ve enjoyed this rant, but for now I must bid you farewell. Here’s to a fine season, a great way to blow off some steam with good friends and forget about all this 'economy' nonsense for a few hours a week. But now I gotta go for a drive, because this *** I know and his fancy Audi R8 want to spend some time together before the credit crunch puts him back behind the wheel of something more his speed

See you out there,

Primo

New for 2009 Commemorative Logo

Moncayo — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:10:00 GMT

I'm currently working on getting us a super stylized logo for 2009. This is part of the many exciting things I'll be bringing to the RHMRBL Website this year. In my first blog post I said "This year I've decided to launch League Super Site v2.0 for RHMRBL. It does a lot of things the old site does: manage games / players / stats / scheduler / emailer / etc. Mostly this is a cosmetic update. But some new features will be emerging. I promise."

Things in the back of the house which are making the lives of everyone on the executive easier are these:

ability to add attachments to league emails
rookie list / email form
registration page (see which users are registered)
sponsorship page
content editing page (dynamically create pages like about us / hall of fame)
widget administrator (ability to add / remove home page widgets)

I delivered on my promise, but really the only additions which were noticeable for the users are these:

images for front page article
images for players
images for teams on team page
online rookie form
Event Day Calendar Widget (Opening Season Day Counter)
Events Widget (Separate from games for upcoming events)
updated front page layout

That being said, are there still any outstanding issues or items you'd like to see on our website? Drop me a line by using the contact form on our webpage.

Up Next - Open Registration. See you there.

Cheers,

2008 RHMRBL season comes to end...

Zak — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:54:00 GMT

It's a bitter sweet feeling right now.

My team, the White Sox are the last team standing, the 2008 RHMRBL champs - that feels very good typing that! The bitter sweet part is the knowledge that the season is over, and we won't be playing ball again until next May...ouch!

I'd like to start off by saying thanks to everyone for a fun, succesful and healthy season. It's always nice when us "old guys" can escape the season with just minor aches and pains. I believe the teams were drafted very well, very fair and there was a lot of parity in the league this year - I mean, when the 3rd and 4th ranked teams are battling for the league championship, that tells you there wasn't one clear cut team that was head and shoulders above everyone else. It seemed like every one had a fun season and really enjoyed their teams. I'd like to say kudos to all of you, but more importantly to the guys who drafted the teams, and to the guys who ran the teams. It's not an easy job managing playing time, egos and friendships, but you all seemed to do an amazing job!

I look back, and remember the joy and excitement that everyone had at All-Star Wings when the teams were unveiled, and the feeling that every team had a chance to win it this year. I remember looking at my team and thinking that we had a very balanced team full of great guys, but looking at teams like the Red Sox and they Yankees and thinking "how the heck are we going to score enough runs to beat these guys?" Or looking at the D'Backs and Padres and thinking "how the heck can we match that pitching rotation?" Or looking at the Mets and thinking "how are we going to match that balanced attack?"

Luckily, I had a lot of advice from guys like Bucky, Doc, Jay-R and Jay Gerrard, and I learned on the fly as to how to run a successfull team. We decided early that we play, we win and we lose as a team. Each and every one of us paid the same amount of money and if you showed up, you were going to play if you wanted to...that's what I'm proudest of. In sports, as in any team, you're only as good as the worst player on your team. When one of us was down, the rest of us picked up the intensity and played harder. Rarely did we get down on each other, and that really helped us out in the long run. Every night a different guy stepped up and played the hero.

I was very impressed with a few people in the playoffs, and I'd like to give "shout outs" to them right now: Jay-R, you pitched an amazing game against us, and it's a shame that there had to be a loser, but to pitch a 2-1 game in this league is absolutely insane! Reaper, you always impress me with your skill set, your knowledge of the game and your comfort at the dish. Robbie C, you played hurt and you played like a champ! Levy, you pitched great despite the injuries, and a lot of credit has to go to you.

In the second round, Rocco, you pitched VERY well. We had a game plan going into the game, but your power and effectiveness pretty much destroyed that game plan. Farhaan, to play as well as you did all the while not eating due to religious beliefs, WOW! You earned a lot of respect for your performance. Kerny, you pitched a great game, and it's too bad you got tagged with the loss, but your performance was definitely championship material.

In the finals, well, you can't go forward without saying something about the guy who pitched in EVERY game in this round. Waylen, you pitched very well, and completely baffled us in game one. Matt and Mike Cooper, great performances. Paul So, I never knew you could hit like that...wow!

As for my team, you all know how I feel about you, so there's no need to put it here, as I've sent you all an email telling you how proud I am of us. We really came together near the end of the season, and we really were only getting better as the playoffs went on. Jay-R had suggested that we get the defending champs to come back as a whole unit the following year while everyone else gets put into the draft and tries to dethrown the champs - I TRULY do wish that was the case this year!!!

On another note, as i mentioned above, I do feel the guys who drafted did an amazing job, and they all deserve another shot at drafting a team. Like I said, if you look at the standings, there was so much parity throughout the league, and each team seemed to have a lot of fun. I know there's talk of switching the "drafters" up for next year, and I for one would like to say that shouldn't be the case...give us at least one more shot. Yes, I'm VERY biased because I want to pick again, but all one has to do is look at the standings, the playoffs and the results of the year and you'll see that it was a VERY successfull season for each team. I've spoken to 2 of the other guys who drafted, and they have a lot of interest in doing it again. For those who make the decision about who is drafting next year, I'd like to ask that you seriously consider sticking with the current guys.

Well, I'm rambling, but I'd like to say again, thanks for a great year to all. To the White Sox, thanks for all the laughs, the memories and the pride. You made a first time coach, first time "drafter" look a lot smarter then what I really was. See you all next year...

Zak

Do You Measure Up?

Moncayo — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:29:00 GMT

Like most of us, I'm curious to see how I stack up against the big boys in various offensive categories. The Records page is nice because it shows the top ten players at the categories, but it doesn't show everyone. Well, now you can. The Career Hitting Page is up. Go have a look, some of the numbers the big boys have accumulated are staggering. Dan Colatosti will hit the 1100 Plate Appearances Mark this year. Leitch could hit the 40 HR club, he hit his first last night. Maybe he can come up with 3 more and do it. Jordan Levy could reach the 100 hit club. And there are a whack of players who will reach the 200 game mark this year.

Definitely an interesting page, and you can double the fun by checking out the league hitting statistics page. This is an idea Berridge came up with a while ago, and I have finally put it into action. It shows the totals from all the years so you can see it, in a grid. I'm sure we'll have some charts showing this real soon. League Stats

Toight Like A Toiger

Moncayo — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:42:00 GMT

Has anyone seen the standings recently? Second through Fifth is separated by 1 points. This is very tight. As tight as I've seen in a while. I believe 2 years ago, there would have been a three way tie second through fourth. But it never ended up happening. I said it earlier, and I hate to say I told you so...so I wont. I'm just enjoying the parity that exists.

What have I learned?

Zak — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:38:00 GMT

Well, here we are, passed the halfway point in the season and looking at the standings, it’s turning out to be one heck of a season. The Yankees seem to have a firm grip on that first place position, but everyone else is still battling for that second place spot. Since we are at the halfway point, I’ll invite you to sit back, relax and read a lil’ thing I like to call, "What Zak has learned so far…"

What have I learned about the Mets? I’ve learned that Lipson is still one heck of a pitcher, long hair and all. That guy can paint the plate, throw with power and has a devastating slider. Even more impressive, he’s turned himself into one of the best hitters in this league! – Sommer has a CANNON behind home plate…runners beware! – Bobby Hill has a lethal bat, and probably the ugliest, but very effective pitching delivery – DDT has to be one of my favorite guys in this league and Marv still loves taking the mound, pitching well and then never letting you forget about how effective he is, or about the time he struck you out with the bases loaded and two outs to end the game.

What have I learned about the DBacks? Reaper has probably the best slider I’ve ever faced! How that guy can still throw gas, throw that slider, make plays in the field and then down 9 "pops", I’ll never know??? – Billy Lyons throws VERY hard! – Robbie C can still cover ground in CF and rake at the plate, even after a year off – Carli loves to stir the pot, even if it means he’s going to get tossed from the game – Dickie is a great guy to be around, but only in small doses…HAHAHA…just kidding buddy and that Reynolds/Levy combination on the mound/behind the dish is deadly. It’s almost like they can read each other’s mind…great chemistry boys.

What have I learned about the Padres? Biemiller is hitting .722…WOW! Paul So, Steve Miranda and Waylen make for a potent 1-2-3 pitching squad – Roter swings from his A*S every pitch, but he’s the type of guy I love playing with…I KNOW I’m going to get 110% of him on every play of every game. I completely respect that – Matt and Mike Cooper or not Jason Gerrard…hahahaha…sorry boys, had to get a dig in there representing Jay…they do however, make up probably the best SS/2^nd combo in the league – Justin has a ROCKET in CF…didn’t know that, that’s for sure!!!

What have I learned about the Red Sox? AJ, hurt hand and all, is still the best power hitter in this league. There’s no one I’d rather have at the plate in crunch time then that guy! – Desi and St. John can always make me laugh, even if they’re not trying to be funny, great guys! – Rob Cole still has a six pack – Adam Hook is probably the slowest pitcher I’ve ever faced (but he still easily beat us) – "Postie" has to be the nicest guy in the league, hands down! – Wilcox can cover ground in CF and their rookies (Kirsh, Patton) like to smack talk to my teammates (Webb, Vent)

What have I learned about the Yankees? Rocco has really developed into quite the ball player. You’ve come a long way since I first met you buddy! Now about that "Enter Sandman"…- Kerny is one cool cat, and throws VERY hard – Moncayo is always fun to be around – I don’t think I’ve ever seen Andy Dalton smile…I think he’s actually a Terminator sent back from the future. In all honesty, glad to have you back as Prez…keep up the good work – Chick is probably the best 3B in the league and Dwayne has a wicked boat(early campaign on my part to be part of your team outing if you go on it again this year)

What have I learned about my team, the White Sox? Bucky has really worked hard and has become a very good pitcher. Thanks for all your help with running the team and learning how to juggle lineups, half games and still be liked – Godard is like Greg Maddux…probably the smartest guy I know when it comes to baseball…and porn – Vent is always good for a laugh, and loves porn – Andy B gets beat up every game but still keeps playing…you’re a warrior – Zimm is very fast – Webb has great defense and a very good bat – Demsky has the coolest nickname in the league (CornFlake) – Doc loves to try and deceive base runners – James Dean has the coolest real name – Sutherland throws a very good splitter – Brandon loves to play baseball, even after a cortisone shot and Gord can still swing a mean stick, especially when it’s needed.

So what have I learned? I learned this league is full of good players, but more importantly, great guys. I love playing in this league and feel honored to be a captain. I thank every one of you for coming to the park each and every game, giving your all and making my life a little better for knowing you.

Thanks guys,

Zak

Things Are Starting To Heat Up

Moncayo — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:53:00 GMT

Well, we're in the first week of July and our first stats update is in. Round of applause to Rick for getting on that early. Please keep the sheets coming in so we can update as frequently as possible.

As the summer has finally started to kick in, the nights have been getting hotter and so has the play of the league. I'm very impressed as the teams seem to be really balanced, most games have playoff atmosphere in them, because they are really tight, with most of the games being separated by 4 runs or less. This is the best baseball being played in this league since my first year in 2003. (And I'm not just saying that because I picked one of the teams) I don't remember the pitching being better or more spread out as it is this year. Every team has at least two great arms they can throw at you at any given time, which makes weekends that much harder as a hitter. Excellent example: we played the Padres last weekend in a back to back Thurs/Fri. Waylen pitched a hell of a game Thursday in a win and Miranda held us to 1 run before pulling his hamstring and having to come out of the game in the 5th inning. Both games were decided by 4 runs or less.

So as we approach the mid point of the season what are your opinions of the baseball being played? Do you think it will get tighter as we move down into the home stretch? If the baseball is this good now, what will the playoffs be like?

Stay tuned, I believe the best is still yet to come.

Here We GROW Again

Moncayo — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:09:00 GMT

Over the last few months, the rhmrbl site has seen some major changes. We've added a new domain name (myrhmrbl.com), new look and a new interface through the Community Server 2007 product. Well Telligent has officially released their new CS 2008 product and I migrated most of the changes over the last weekend. Because the interface is a totally new one from the previous version lots of work needed to be done to get it back to what it was previously. Still more changes are coming. Personally I like upgrading software / hardware. Being from an IT background I have become very used to this process. But you know what they say "Mo' Upgrades, Mo' Problems". So if there are any outages I apologize, I'm doing my best to get this all ready for the season opener.

Cheers and I hope you guys enjoy it.

Moncayo.

the sweet smell

cooper3 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:02:00 GMT

Well, the major league baseball season is officially underway. What a surprise the Yankees win. Get use to that. Or should we? Perhaps the Jays are ready to move up into the baseball elite? On paper they appear to have a lineup that can compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. The acquisitions of Eckstein and Rolen are goods moves. They both bring in World Series rings, gold gloves, and a lot of experience. The Jays finally have a proven lead off hitter who can grind out an at bat. Rolen is just a good old, power hitting 3rd baseman. The defense looks to be one of the best in baseball. The outfield is full of youth and power with a little mix of the old. Stewart brings a decent bat and good glove with some speed on the basepaths. Wells, assuming his shoulder is 100%, bring power and his amazing defense. Rios is a growing outfielder and looks to be on the rise. Pitching the jays have a rotation that could be better than the yankees and compete with the red sox. Halladay is Halladay, and as long as he stays injury free then he will carry the staff. CY Young 2008... maybe. Burnett. He has yet to put together a full year with the jay, even before coming to the jays. He has arguably one of the best fastballs and filthiest curveballs on the game. Due do his nail injury he has now worked in an effective change. Last year Marcum and Mcgowan came into the rotation and did well. They need to built on that and carry it into 08. The bullpen was one the best last year and is basically the same this year. The eventual return of Ryan only bolsters the pen, assuming he is completely recovered from tommy john surgery. There is no reason why the the jays cannot compete this year. Injuries are what kill teams and if the jays can keep the injury bug away or compete hard when they do hit, then they should be close to the division lead. They could also be strong wild card contenders. World Series 08.... why not. Coop.

More time...less pain

jordan — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:19:00 GMT

over the years ive talked to a few players about the propect of an exhibition weekend. the way it is now just feels like a rush into the regular season. many players are still feeling the pain of the exhibition games when the regular season starts the next day. i know there is a scheduling issue and there are a certain number of regular season games that we'd like to play, but im gonna toss this out there anyway to see what you guys think.

we take the first weekend and make it Exhibition Weekend. we play a morning (and by morning i mean 11ish :-) game and an afternoon/evening game on both saturday and sunday. we eat bbq in between. we all chat, catch up with the guys and get to ease our bodies back into, 'shape'...whatever that means. the regular season starts thursday.

im sure there are issues involved with this, such as getting the diamonds and the aforementioned schedul, but i think a weekend full of exhibition ball would be a ton of fun and a great way to start the season...

Hope SPRINGS Eternal

Zak — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:46:00 GMT

Ahhhh, I woke up this morning to see the sun shining, the air smelled a little better and the birds were singing a beautiful lil' diddy! Why the joy you ask? Well, it's "officially" opening day of the 2008 Major League Baseball Season. I know, I know - we've already had two games, but when you have to wake up before the roosters just to watch the games, well, that's not "really" opening day. So tonight we usher in a new season, a new park, a new era (post-Mitchell report) and a bunch of optimism.

This is the time of the year that every team has a chance, and every team is still in the hunt - EVEN the Royals...well, ok, maybe NOT the Royals, but even they have hope as they look at the fresh new faces on their team and see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Every fan is giddy about their teams' chances, and they feel like THIS could be their year. As I look at the landscape of the game, I see a lot of close races (the NL West looks to me like the division that's going to be the tightest) and I see hope. I see a league that has been under a lot of scrutiny, that has seen a lot of bad press as of late, but more importantly, I see a league that has so many fresh new faces that will brighten up the game. Guys like Ryan Braun, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Aaron Hill, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, guys like that who the league really needs to market and shine a light on. These guys are stars in the making, if they're not already.

With the Mitchell report casting a doubt on the sport, it's time to lace'em up and start playing, to start focusing on something other then that report, to start focusing on the game itself, the purity, the love that it's fans so admire. If you're like me, Moncayo, Les, you've already done your research, you've done your fantasy draft(s) and you've got a good idea as to who you're really banking on for the year.

This is always one of my favorite days, cause as a fan, I'm just eager to get the game that I love back, to start cheering for my team. Did your team make any moves (I'm from Detroit, so of course I'll be EAGERLY watching to see if the moves "we" made are going to payoff)? Did your team call up any young studs that you've been reading about in Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus...? Are you disappointed your team didn't go after that lefty ace (IE: Toronto - Bedard) that could put them over the top? As I mentioned, this is when every team still is in the chase, so let's get the games going and watch the boys of summer do what they do so well!

Some predictions from me:

AL East - Yankees
AL Central - Tigers
AL West - Angels
AL Wild Card - Cleveland (I chose Cleveland, only because of the question marks around Bostons' staff, and the number of games they've logged last year and the trip to Japan this year)

NL East - Mets (tough choice, I want to say Atlanta, I just think NY will be out for revenge after their collapse last year)
NL Central - Cubs
NL West - Colorado
NL Wild Card - Atlanta

Going to the W.S. this year will be (drum roll please) Cubs vs. Tigers

AL Cy Young - Verlander          NL Cy Young - Cole Hamels
AL MVP - Miguel Cabrera         NL MVP - Mark Texeira
AL Rookie - Jacoby Ellsbury    NL Rookie - Fukodome
AL Comeback - Liriano             NL Comeback - Kerry Wood

What do you think....

2008 : Old boys be gone

jordan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:20:00 GMT

so we wake to another day of grey; i figured id post another rant before jumping out the window.

is it just me or are there a TON of injuries being reported this spring training? every day i hear of another oblique strain, another bum quad, another blown out shoulder or elbow. could it be that we're seeing the effects steroids and other performance enhancing substances have had on this generation of players?

my humble opinion is that this year we're gonna see the demise of many players of our generation finally accepting the trials of age. perhaps accepting is the wrong word; succumbing might be more appropriate. guys like schilling, johnson, bonds (if anyone signs him), even our old buddies zaun and glauss (good riddance), will begin to rapidly deteriorate as they're forced to play 'clean'. many players will be revealed for what they are; men playing way past their prime whose only chance to stay healthy was a steady dose of complex, designer injections. hamstrings will snap and scream, 'ive had enough'. backs will spasm and yell, 'its time to hit the links'. shoulders will shred and wail, 'no more surgery please.'

enough is enough. the old gaurd will take a bow, if not by will then by force, and succumb to their performace-enhanced realities. they bought a few more years, a few more records, a few more cars and few more bucks in the bank for their progeny to squander. but ya cant fool father time, o no, not when your trainer stops pumping you full of youth-serum and that 3 hour session in the gym starts feeling like 6. not when your eyes start to show you but a blur of that fastball you used to see so sharply out of that rookies lively arm.

and from the ashes of heroes past will emerge the youth, the reyes' and crawford's and lincecum's, ready to step into the spotlight. and maybe, just maybe, a few old-timers who've been blessed with natural gifts, who father time forgot to touch, will maintain their freakish prowess and continue to contribute to their clubs, both on and off the field.

im not saying all the old gaurd were/are on the sweet youth serums. im not saying the young ones are innocent. i just think in the next year or two we're gonna see a bunch of injuries and retirements of players whose bodies would have given up long ago if not for the magic needle.

i saw the new rambo. it stunk. stallone openly admits that if not for the needle, he wouldn't have been able to reprise his role as everyones favorite 80's renegade soldier.

needle be damned!

JL - AKA Primo Uomo