LoweSox on Xanga

Saturday, 21 June 2008

I'm bringing Xanga back - drop a comment if you're with me!

Thursday, 06 April 2006

But a skeleton.

This will be but a skeleton now, a shadow of its former self, and a withering sign post pointing you to things as they've become.

http://lowesox.blogspot.com

Sunday, 02 April 2006

Quick Picks: 06

I have some more important work I have to get done today, but I thought I'd get these up before tonight's 2006 season opener.

MLB Quick Picks '06:

AL MVP - David Ortiz, BOS
AL CY YOUNG - Rich Harden, OAK
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
NL MVP - Albert Pujols, STL
NL CY YOUNG - Roy Oswalt, HOU
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Jeremy Hermida, FLA

AL EAST CHAMPS - Boston Red Sox
AL CENTRAL - Chicago White Sox
AL WEST - Oakland Athletics
AL WILD CARD - New York Yankees

NL EAST CHAMPS - Atlanta Braves
NL CENTRAL - St. Louis Cardinals
NL WEST - Los Angeles Dodgers
NL WILD CARD - New York Mets

PLAYOFFS
NLDS - Yankees over White Sox
NLDS - Red Sox over Athletics
NLDS - Cardinals over Mets
NLDS - Dodgers over Braves

ALCS - Red Sox over Yankees
NLCS - Dodgers over Cardinals

WS - Red Sox over Dodgers

Ugh. Playoff picks are rough. I want the Red Sox to win. Cognitive dissonance would cause too much stress for me to "pick" anyone else. So there you go.

Tuesday, 01 November 2005

What is it?

Was one World Series good enough? Just because it took eighty-six years to get one, that means that it's the only one the team needs? Please.

First it was Pedro, that is, if you don't count the front office turning their backs on Derek Lowe before the previous season was even over. Either way, the pitcher that won the series clincher in all three matchups in the 2004 playoffs, he'd be gone too. After that it was Orlando Cabrera, and then Doug Mientkiewicz took his investment and ran. All these pieces--all these champions--one after the other, walked away from the history they'd made in Boston, as Red Sox. Now it's the one who orchestrated it all.

Maybe it's the city. Maybe it's the short attention span of the media and the fans, at least when it comes to the Red Sox achievements. The bad stuff, well, that lingers awhile. Quite a bit.

More likely, there's something in that front office, something Theo Epstein and everyone that finally made the impossible happen in 2004 dealt with, and worked around to achieve what a baseball franchise aims towards. It would explain why two of the biggest pieces in the Red Sox rotation walked away--one that put up Cy Young numbers all season long, and the other who, once again, found his stuff late in the season when it might have mattered otherwise. It would explain why every year, the man who won MVP in that Series, Manny Ramirez, wants out.

There's something in that office, something that's very different from the face of ownership and team management that the public sees, the kind that says that the Red Sox franchise is one that is in it to win, and in it to go all the way.

It's a lie.

They weren't willing to go all the way to secure Pedro Martinez, a year before he put up his best numbers since he last won a Cy Young. And even if money wasn't an issue, and he had decided to leave at the soonest possible opportunity, there's still a degree of responsibility they should have taken to give him an environment he wanted to continue to work in. So what if he already got more leeway in Boston than he would anyplace else, coming and going as he pleased, working the way he sees fit. If he's putting up the numbers, and he's winning, then he's doing something right. The same goes for Manny. But I digress.

They weren't willing to resign Derek Lowe, to nurture him back into the pitcher he was in 2001. Evidently, it was a simple matter of moving to a different side of the mound. He looked pretty good after that.

It will be the same when Johnny Damon takes his celebrity and unorthodox ability to play baseball, and play it well, and finds more favorable pastures elsewhere. It's not that there might be acceptible replacements out there, it's just that he, like every other member of that 2004 team, worked.

It will be the same when Terry Francona, unable to put out a team that compete with the other powers of the American League next year, gets fired, and blamed because he couldn't make the impossible happen again--only this time the impossible is winning with a team that's incapable of it.

That's the difference between 2004 and all other years. The Red Sox put a team on the field that could win, and backed by management that were willing to.

As those players, and as those identities that have that ability and that aspiration, shuffle out, the possibility for the Red Sox being the best team in baseball when it's all said and done wains, because they just won't be good enough. That's a curse that, evidently, is still very much around.

Wednesday, 12 October 2005

Final farewell to fantasy baseball in 2005.

Here are the run-downs of every league I was in.

Yahoo Public 4121 (Competitive League)
Unmotivated Players
109-94-17 (2nd in regular season standings)
Finished: 1st

Pos	Batters	H/AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
C	J. Mauer (Min - C)	144/489	61	9	55	13	.294
1B	D. Ortiz (Bos - 1B)	180/601	119	47	148	1	.300
2B	C. Utley (Phi - 1B,2B)	158/543	93	28	105	16	.291
3B	M. Lowell (Fla - 2B,3B)	118/500	56	8	58	4	.236
SS	É. Rentería (Bos - SS)	172/623	100	8	70	9	.276
OF	C. Crawford (TB - OF)	194/644	101	15	81	46	.301
OF	L. Berkman (Hou - 1B,OF)	137/468	76	24	82	4	.293
OF	A. Jones (Atl - OF)	154/586	95	51	128	5	.263
Util	G. Jenkins (Mil - OF)	157/538	87	25	86	0	.292
BN	M. Holliday (Col - OF)	147/479	68	19	87	14	.307

Pos	Pitchers	IP	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
SP	R. Oswalt (Hou - SP)	241.2	20	0	184	2.94	1.20
SP	M. Morris (StL - SP)	192.2	14	0	117	4.11	1.28
RP	B. Wagner (Phi - RP)	77.2	4	38	87	1.51	0.84
RP	F. Cordero (Tex - RP)	69.0	3	37	79	3.39	1.32
P	Z. Duke (Pit - SP)	84.2	8	0	58	1.81	1.20
P	C. Schilling (Bos - SP,RP)	93.1	8	9	87	5.69	1.53
P	M. Buehrle (CWS - SP)	236.2	16	0	149	3.12	1.18
BN	T. Hudson (Atl - SP)	192.0	14	0	115	3.52	1.35
BN	C. Sabathia (Cle - SP)	196.2	15	0	161	4.03	1.26
BN	K. Millwood (Cle - SP)	192.0	9	0	146	2.86	1.22
BN	J. Beckett (Fla - SP)	178.2	15	0	166	3.38	1.18

The cool thing about this league was that I was in last place at midseason. Sure, I was only 12.5 games back at that point and I ended up finishing something like 9.5 back to end the season. But I beat that guy I was behind in the playoffs, I did. I beat him bad.

Yahoo Public 63523 (Competitive League)
Come Back Picard...
130-74-16 (1st in regular season standings)
Finished: 4th

Pos	Batters	H/AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
C	V. Martínez (Cle - C)	167/547	73	20	80	0	.305
1B	D. Lee (ChC - 1B)	199/594	120	46	107	15	.335
2B	A. Soriano (Tex - 2B)	171/637	102	36	104	30	.268
3B	Á. Rodríguez (NYY - 3B)	194/605	124	48	130	21	.321
SS	É. Rentería (Bos - SS)	172/623	100	8	70	9	.276
OF	R. Winn (SF - OF)	189/617	85	20	63	19	.306
OF	M. Ordóñez (Det - OF)	92/305	38	8	46	0	.302
OF	J. Francoeur (Atl - OF)	77/257	41	14	45	3	.300
Util	D. Wright (NYM - 3B)	176/575	99	27	102	17	.306
BN	J. López (Bal - C)	110/395	47	15	49	0	.278

Pos	Pitchers	IP	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
SP	S. Chacón (NYY - SP,RP)	151.2	8	0	79	3.44	1.33
SP	G. Maddux (ChC - SP)	225.0	13	0	136	4.24	1.22
RP	M. Batista (Tor - SP,RP)	74.2	5	31	54	4.10	1.43
RP	T. Jones (Fla - RP)	73.0	1	40	62	2.10	1.03
P	T. Wakefield (Bos - SP)	225.1	16	0	151	4.15	1.23
P	C. Sabathia (Cle - SP)	196.2	15	0	161	4.03	1.26
P	R. Harden (Oak - SP)	128.0	10	0	121	2.53	1.06
BN	F. García (CWS - SP)	228.0	14	0	146	3.87	1.25
BN	P. Byrd (LAA - SP)	204.1	12	0	102	3.74	1.19
BN	D. Haren (Oak - SP,RP)	217.0	14	0	163	3.73	1.22
BN	P. Martínez (NYM - SP)	217.0	15	0	208	2.82	0.95

This was the league I competed with Brandon in. I finished in first while he didn't make the playoffs, then I went on to have a miserable, miserable second round and consolation. Waste of a sickening offense and pretty decent pitching staff.

Yahoo Public 227867 (Casual League)
Sans Ortiz
108-100-12 (7th in regular season)
Finished: 10th

Pos	Batters	H/AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
C	J. Varitek (Bos - C)	132/470	70	22	70	2	.281
1B	K. Millar (Bos - 1B,OF)	122/449	57	9	50	0	.272
2B	T. Graffanino (Bos - 1B,2B,3B)	117/379	68	7	38	7	.309
3B	B. Mueller (Bos - 2B,3B)	153/519	69	10	62	0	.295
SS	É. Rentería (Bos - SS)	172/623	100	8	70	9	.276
OF	M. Ramírez (Bos - OF)	162/554	112	45	144	1	.292
OF	J. Damon (Bos - OF)	197/624	117	10	75	18	.316
OF	T. Nixon (Bos - OF)	112/408	64	13	67	2	.275
Util	N. Garciaparra (ChC - 3B,SS)	65/230	28	9	30	0	.283
BN	P. Konerko (CWS - 1B)	163/575	98	40	100	0	.283
BN	C. Crawford (TB - OF)	194/644	101	15	81	46	.301
BN	C. Utley (Phi - 1B,2B)	158/543	93	28	105	16	.291

Pos	Pitchers	IP	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
SP	T. Wakefield (Bos - SP)	225.1	16	0	151	4.15	1.23
SP	D. Lowe (LAD - SP)	222.0	12	0	146	3.61	1.25
RP	M. Timlin (Bos - RP)	80.1	7	13	59	2.24	1.32
RP	J. Papelbon (Bos - SP,RP)	34.0	3	0	34	2.65	1.47
P	C. Schilling (Bos - SP,RP)	93.1	8	9	87	5.69	1.53
P	D. Wells (Bos - SP)	184.0	15	0	107	4.45	1.31
P	M. Clement (Bos - SP)	191.0	13	0	146	4.57	1.36
BN	K. Foulke (Bos - RP)	45.2	5	15	34	5.91	1.55
BN	B. Arroyo (Bos - SP)	205.1	14	0	100	4.51	1.30
DL	W. Miller^DL (Bos - SP)	91.0	4	0	64	4.95	1.57

Yeah, this was a waste of time. I was offering, at times, all three of those guys I have benched there for David Ortiz and wasn't getting him. The guy who had him did go onto win the league though.

Yahoo Public 285885 (Competitive League)
Just a Little Girl
126-88-6 (3rd in regular season)
Finished: 1st

Pos	Batters	H/AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
C	J. Varitek (Bos - C)	132/470	70	22	70	2	.281
1B	D. Ortiz (Bos - 1B)	180/601	119	47	148	1	.300
2B	A. Soriano (Tex - 2B)	171/637	102	36	104	30	.268
3B	C. Tracy (Ari - 1B,3B,OF)	155/503	73	27	72	3	.308
SS	O. Cabrera (LAA - SS)	139/540	70	8	57	21	.257
OF	C. Crawford (TB - OF)	194/644	101	15	81	46	.301
OF	R. Winn (SF - OF)	189/617	85	20	63	19	.306
OF	R. Sanders (StL - OF)	80/295	49	21	54	14	.271
Util	C. Utley (Phi - 1B,2B)	158/543	93	28	105	16	.291

Pos	Pitchers	IP	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
SP	M. Buehrle (CWS - SP)	236.2	16	0	149	3.12	1.18
SP	Z. Duke (Pit - SP)	84.2	8	0	58	1.81	1.20
RP	J. Nathan (Min - RP)	70.0	7	43	94	2.70	0.97
RP	J. Valverde (Ari - RP)	66.1	3	15	75	2.44	1.07
P	D. Lowe (LAD - SP)	222.0	12	0	146	3.61	1.25
P	A. Pettitte (Hou - SP)	222.1	17	0	171	2.39	1.03
P	B. Jenks (CWS - RP)	39.1	1	6	50	2.75	1.25
BN	D. Davis (Mil - SP)	222.2	11	0	208	3.84	1.30
BN	P. Martínez (NYM - SP)	217.0	15	0	208	2.82	0.95
BN	F. García (CWS - SP)	228.0	14	0	146	3.87	1.25
BN	C. Lee (Cle - SP)	202.0	18	0	143	3.79	1.22
BN	T. Hudson (Atl - SP)	192.0	14	0	115	3.52	1.35

I was in first most of the season until I was outed 10-0 with a couple weeks to go. I ended up going into the playoffs as a 3rd seed, and so had to play my way all the way to the end. I never had much offense (fuckin Shawn Green) so when I was in the second week of the championship game I was constantly down besides my pitching stats. Picking up Chad Tracy and Reggie Sanders over the last few games though, I ended up taking a couple offensive stats and just held off my opponent's add-dropping of a half dozen pitchers for the last day. He was the guy that finished in first too. Pretty classy.

Yahoo Public 232433 (Competitive League)
Ramsay's Team
116-87-17 (4th in regular season standings)
Finished: 1st

Pos	Batters	H/AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
C	V. Martínez (Cle - C)	167/547	73	20	80	0	.305
1B	C. Delgado (Fla - 1B)	157/521	81	33	115	0	.301
2B	C. Utley (Phi - 1B,2B)	158/543	93	28	105	16	.291
3B	M. Ensberg (Hou - 3B)	149/526	86	36	101	6	.283
SS	J. Peralta (Cle - SS)	147/504	82	24	78	0	.292
OF	J. Damon (Bos - OF)	197/624	117	10	75	18	.316
OF	M. Ordóñez (Det - OF)	92/305	38	8	46	0	.302
OF	C. Crawford (TB - OF)	194/644	101	15	81	46	.301
Util	J. López (Bal - C)	110/395	47	15	49	0	.278
BN	R. Sanders (StL - OF)	80/295	49	21	54	14	.271
DL	A. Ramírez (ChC - 3B)	140/463	72	31	92	0	.302

Pos	Pitchers	IP	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
SP	B. Myers (Phi - SP)	215.1	13	0	208	3.72	1.21
SP	M. Morris (StL - SP)	192.2	14	0	117	4.11	1.28
RP	B. Lidge (Hou - RP)	70.2	4	42	103	2.29	1.15
RP	H. Street (Oak - RP)	78.1	5	23	72	1.72	1.01
P	D. Lowe (LAD - SP)	222.0	12	0	146	3.61	1.25
P	M. Buehrle (CWS - SP)	236.2	16	0	149	3.12	1.18
P	Z. Duke (Pit - SP)	84.2	8	0	58	1.81	1.20
BN	T. Wakefield (Bos - SP)	225.1	16	0	151	4.15	1.23
BN	D. Davis (Mil - SP)	222.2	11	0	208	3.84	1.30
BN	A. Pettitte (Hou - SP)	222.1	17	0	171	2.39	1.03
BN	C. Sabathia (Cle - SP)	196.2	15	0	161	4.03	1.26

At the beginning of the season, this was looking to have a sick little offense. Instead, nobody did shit and it was the pitching that ended up pretty tasty. Oh, and P.S. Percy's Team didn't win. Hey-o.

Yahoo Public 291054 (Champions League)
GlockNine Posse
133-74-13 (1st regular season standings)
Finished: 1st

Pos	Batters	H/AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
C	J. López (Bal - C)	110/395	47	15	49	0	.278
1B	D. Ortiz (Bos - 1B)	180/601	119	47	148	1	.300
2B	C. Utley (Phi - 1B,2B)	158/543	93	28	105	16	.291
3B	Á. Rodríguez (NYY - 3B)	194/605	124	48	130	21	.321
SS	N. Garciaparra (ChC - 3B,SS)	65/230	28	9	30	0	.283
OF	C. Floyd (NYM - OF)	150/550	85	34	98	12	.273
OF	G. Jenkins (Mil - OF)	157/538	87	25	86	0	.292
OF	J. Francoeur (Atl - OF)	77/257	41	14	45	3	.300
Util	T. Helton (Col - 1B)	163/509	92	20	79	3	.320
BN	M. Ensberg (Hou - 3B)	149/526	86	36	101	6	.283

Pos	Pitchers	IP	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
SP	Z. Duke (Pit - SP)	84.2	8	0	58	1.81	1.20
SP	M. Morris (StL - SP)	192.2	14	0	117	4.11	1.28
RP	B. Lidge (Hou - RP)	70.2	4	42	103	2.29	1.15
RP	J. Nathan (Min - RP)	70.0	7	43	94	2.70	0.97
P	D. Turnbow (Mil - SP,RP)	67.1	7	39	64	1.74	1.08
P	J. Beckett (Fla - SP)	178.2	15	0	166	3.38	1.18
P	M. Buehrle (CWS - SP)	236.2	16	0	149	3.12	1.18
BN	D. Lowe (LAD - SP)	222.0	12	0	146	3.61	1.25
BN	J. Garland (CWS - SP)	221.0	18	0	115	3.50	1.17
BN	K. Millwood (Cle - SP)	192.0	9	0	146	2.86	1.22
BN	T. Hudson (Atl - SP)	192.0	14	0	115	3.52	1.35

This was just a sick, sick team. I wish the pitching could have come through a bit more, but then again it was me who traded Brett Myers for Javy Lopez... long after I'd dropped Victor Martinez on a whim. Anyway, I'll just let the championship matchup speak for itself:

Week 25
Sep 19 - Oct 2

GlockNine Posse vs. Balco Abusers

Team	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP	Score
GlockNine Posse	81	30	90	11	.310	8	17	109	2.86	1.15	7
Balco Abusers	57	14	60	2	.264	10	15	132	2.68	1.22	3

GlockNine Posse (133-74-13)

Pos	Batters	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
C	J. López (Bal - C)	5	3	5	0	.213
1B	D. Ortiz (Bos - 1B)	10	4	16	0	.333
2B	C. Utley (Phi - 1B,2B)	14	6	16	3	.383
3B	Á. Rodríguez (NYY - 3B)	12	4	12	6	.353
SS	N. Garciaparra (ChC - 3B,SS)	5	3	10	0	.333
OF	C. Floyd (NYM - OF)	7	2	5	1	.233
OF	G. Jenkins (Mil - OF)	7	3	8	0	.333
OF	J. Francoeur (Atl - OF)	5	2	6	1	.211
Util	T. Helton (Col - 1B)	16	3	12	0	.417
BN	M. Ensberg (Hou - 3B)	0	0	0	0	.000

Balco Abusers (121-82-17)

Pos	Batters	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
C	B. Molina (LAA - C)	8	2	5	0	.359
1B	C. Delgado (Fla - 1B)	3	2	7	0	.257
2B	M. Ellis (Oak - 2B,SS)	8	2	3	0	.212
3B	B. Mueller (Bos - 2B,3B)	3	1	4	0	.304
SS	É. Rentería (Bos - SS)	11	1	9	0	.294
OF	C. Beltrán (NYM - OF)	6	1	8	0	.208
OF	C. Lee (Mil - OF)	3	0	8	1	.182
OF	R. Winn (SF - OF)	6	3	5	0	.438
Util	R. Howard (Phi - 1B)	5	2	7	0	.273
BN	P. Wilson (Was - OF)	1	0	0	0	.133
DL	A. Ramírez (ChC - 3B)	-	-	-	-	-
--	J. Morneau (Min - 1B)	1	0	1	0	.154
--	R. Sanders (StL - OF)	0	0	0	0	.000
--	B. Roberts (Bal - 2B)	1	0	2	0	.333
--	C. Barmes (Col - 2B,SS)	1	0	1	1	.222

Pos	Pitchers	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
SP	Z. Duke (Pit - SP)	2	0	10	1.71	1.19
SP	M. Morris (StL - SP)	0	0	10	4.20	1.27
RP	B. Lidge (Hou - RP)	0	5	7	3.24	1.08
RP	J. Nathan (Min - RP)	0	5	9	0.00	0.40
P	D. Turnbow (Mil - SP,RP)	1	7	8	2.57	1.29
P	J. Beckett (Fla - SP)	0	0	6	0.00	1.00
P	M. Buehrle (CWS - SP)	1	0	17	2.18	0.92
BN	D. Lowe (LAD - SP)	1	0	8	4.11	1.57
BN	J. Garland (CWS - SP)	1	0	15	4.35	1.31
BN	K. Millwood (Cle - SP)	1	0	12	1.38	1.00
BN	T. Hudson (Atl - SP)	1	0	7	4.30	1.09

Pos	Pitchers	W	SV	K	ERA	WHIP
SP	D. Willis (Fla - SP)	1	0	22	4.26	1.58
SP	F. Hernández (Sea - SP)	1	0	18	1.93	0.94
RP	B. Wagner (Phi - RP)	0	4	15	0.93	0.31
RP	D. Báez (TB - RP)	0	4	3	3.60	1.40
P	C. Schilling (Bos - SP,RP)	2	0	18	3.72	1.40
P	J. Valverde (Ari - RP)	0	4	1	0.00	0.00
P	G. Chacín (Tor - SP,RP)	1	0	6	4.50	1.58
BN	R. Dempster (ChC - SP,RP)	0	3	4	0.00	1.33
BN	J. Seo (NYM - SP)	1	0	6	3.71	1.59
BN	J. Peavy (SD - SP)	1	0	9	1.72	1.09
BN	M. Clement (Bos - SP)	0	0	6	3.27	1.91
--	J. Contreras (CWS - SP)	2	0	18	1.59	0.82
--	J. Towers (Tor - SP)	1	0	6	1.00	1.00

Mm mm good.

Now, some 'awards' I've just thrown together to compile the successes and blunders of my predictions and transactions over the course of the season:

Best bat on most teams: David Ortiz, 1B, BOS (Ranked 4th overall, should be the AL MVP.)

Best arm: Mark Buehrle, SP, CHW (If not for a shaky stint late in the season, would have competed for the Cy Young... still might.)

Best midseason pick-up: Zach Duke, SP*--Although David Wright was a midseason pick-up himself.--(Would have won the rookie of the year had he not missed a couple starts. He came right back from the injury too. So, so good looking going into next season and beyond.)

Best late-season pick-up: Derek Lowe, SP, LAD*--Even though I had him on most teams most of the season.--(After he started pitching from another point on the mound--right after getting lit up by the Marlins exploded actually--his numbers exploded.)

Biggest successful gamble: Kevin Millwood, SP, CLE (Led the AL in ERA, and would have had a nice line had he not got terrible support from the rest of his team.)

Biggest gamble-gone-wrong: Aaron Rowand, OF, CHW (Ugly, ugly man with ugly, ugly numbers.)

Biggest surprise: Todd Jones, FLA (Paul Conine... I'll just leave that how it is... : "Todd Jones".)

Biggest disappointment: Nomar Garciaparra, SS, CHC (Had an injury too soon and disappeared for the season. Did finally get his bat going towards the end though, but never got to show if he could have continued his fantastic spring.)

My keepers team, 2005 (the type of guys I'll go after again next year):

C - Victor Martinez, CLE
1B - David Ortiz, BOS
2B - Chad Utley, PHI
3B - David Wright, NYM
SS - Johny Peralta, CLE
OF - Andruw Jones, ATL
OF - Carl Crawford, TAM
OF - Jeff Francoeur, ATL
Util - Miguel Cabrera* (Sure, I didn't have him on any teams, but he'd easily rank as my best 'keeper' outfielder going into '06.)

SP - Rich Harden, OAK
SP - Roy Oswalt, HOU
RP - Joe Nathan, MIN
RP - Brad Lidge, HOU
P - Zach Duke, PIT
P - C.C. Sabathia, CLE
P - Josh Beckett, FLA

Players I'll give more credit to in 2006: Miguel Cabrera, David Wright, Morgan Ensberg, Mark Teixeira, Andruw Jones, Cris Carpenter, Johan Santana, Dontrelle Willis, and Barry Bonds.

So, that's that. I won three leagues myself, and my co-league with my mister-ess (I typed 'mister-ass' at first, but I always hated him and preferred the D-O-Double-G, even though he was obnoxious too). It was a Champions League too and, well, we kicked some major tucus, if that's how you spell that.

This will give me free time till May, at which time I'll come up with all those predictions, rankings, new teams, and that sort of wonderful bullcrap.

Maybe I'll even play ESPN. It's about time I up'd the stakes.