Fantasy Baseball

[CubbiefanMike]

Near the bottom of the pack... now I know how the Yankees feel... right Tunes? lol

[Paulie Mississippi]

So long as you don't "pray to the porcelin god" afterward you're doing ok Kath.

Oh... and don't tell me Bernie had to get you drunk to get you to "pose" for Day 10?

[TOMMY TUNES]

Day 10 photo is my fave just like TUNES TONIGHT is Kathy's Fave Fantasy Baseball Team. We're playing with a quarter of our team on the disabled list Kathy and we're falling behind a little but we're still in 4th place out of 16. Not bad. Right Kathy?

[Paulie Mississippi]

Sure, she says that now that it's too late for me to sabotage my week and stay in last...

[LC]

Commissioner LC reporting with an update on our standings. Check it out:

WON-LOST-TIED: TEAM/OWNER (GAMES BEHIND LEADER)

55-19-06: Go Down Swingin/Mitch

46-29-05: The Go All the Ways/LC (9.5)

45-31-04: Marathon Men/bmfc-1 (Jeff) (11)

40-36-04: Tunes Tonight/TommyTunes (16)

39-37-04: Party's Over/PopDude (17)

38-36-06: Double Play On/BeatleJay (17)

37-38-05: Rasphillies/Tiggsherby (18.5)

34-38-04: BundleAgainstCurrent/LewBundles (20)

35-41-04: Sunrisers/Paulie (21)

32-38-10: Desperate Fools/Marlene (21)

34-42-04: SmalleyVille/Marvin (22)

34-43-03: Hit Records/CubFanMike (22.5)

31-40-09: Let's Pretenders/Frankie (22.5)

34-44-02: Take It Or Leave Its/Blackhawk Pat (23)

29-40-11: Let's Dancers/Robin23 (23.5)

32-43-05: Overnight Sensations/BrianMichaelPage (23.5)

The big stories:

* Mitch is starting to run away with things, but... it's a long season.

* To show how dramatically the standings can change, Paulie was in last place when we last reported standings (5/08) but he's now in 9th. And PopDude has moved from 15th all the way up to 5th place, stringing together weeks of 7-3, 9-1, 5-4, and 7-2 wins.

* Brian Page and his Red Sox and ex-Sox unit has had three rough weeks in a row (4-6, 3-7, 2-7), dropping him into last place. Hang in there, BMP!

* Commissioner LC has enjoyed watching a flurry of trading activity --- WAY more than in my other leagues, which have been together 16 and 12 years but have very little trading now. Every deal has passed except for a series of three attempted trades by Brian involving Paul Konerko. I vetoed those deals for their imbalance, and I do think it was the right thing to do. Konerko is just starting to heat up. On the other hand, Brian Giles is on the DL, Jose Cruz is MIA, and Jose Guillen is Jose Guillen.

* Paulie is thoroughly enjoying the struggles of the Yankees, especially the injury experienced by Roger Clemens. He traded Clemens and ARod to Tunes just in time, receiving Manny Ramirez, Al Reyes, and Ryan Zimmerman in return.

* Tunes still has a M*A*S*H unit (5 DLed guys, plus Clemens), but he's hanging tough in 4th place.

* BlackHawkPat, our Rules Committe Director, has a fairly healthy squad but also an underperforming one. The Take It Or Leave Its are in disarray after losing three weeks in a row to LC (4-6), Paulie (1-8), and Marlene (2-7). Can he turn it around?

* Robin's Let's Dancers team also is struggling: losing to PopDude (2-7) and Lew Bundles (2-6) the past two weeks. She needs the Mets to heat up, since she has six of their players, plus a key former Met (Scott Kazmir).

* Lew Bundles has boldly predicted he will sail to the top of the league, issuing this release: "BundlesAgainstCurrent manager Lew Bundles has declared a more active ownership...'Let me tell you something kids, Bundlemania is ready to set sail to the top of the ranks. Pity the teams that lie directly in front of him in the standings. They will be capsized one at a time till we reach the top...'" Later, he warned, "Roll or be rolled." He's not just talkin' the talk, either: He's moved from 13th to 8th place in the standings in three weeks.

Fellow owners, feel free to add tidbits of your own....

PS: Kathy, as always, thanks for those inspired cheers last month. They did not go unnoticed. I especially appreciated that rhyme you had for "Mitch"....

[TOMMY TUNES]

TOMMY SEX "It ain't over 'til it's over."

[LC]

Um, Kathy, why did he just write "Tommy Sex"?

Did he mean "Tommy Sez"? Or is he getting a little too excited about fantasy baseball?

--A concerned Commissioner LC

[Mitch]

Thanks Kathy !!!!!

[TOMMY TUNES]

Perhaps it was a Freudian slip. I'm just realizing now what I typed. Oops!

[TOMMY TUNES]

A week ago today TUNES TONIGHT were in 4th place and about to go head to head with the team in 3rd place (Marathon Men).

Today TUNES TONIGHT are in 3rd place and about to go head to head with the team in 2nd place (Go All The Ways). We shall see what happens.

Just wait till my players all come off DL/NA status. Watch out.

I predict at least a 2nd place finish in the regular season for the boys in TUNESTRIPES.

[TOMMY TUNES]

Hey Mitch! Those footsteps you hear are mine.

[blackhawkpat]

My team put LC's "underperforming" headline (no truer words were ever spoken) on our bulletin board and went 8-2 and moved from 14th to 8th, led by moving Nick Punto into the starting lineup (five stolen bases last week), Derrek Lee finding his power stroke again, Pudge Rodriguez raising his average fifty points in two weeks, the additions of Ryan Braun, Chone Figgins, and Casey Kotchman into regular duty and the benching of Melvin Mora and Ray Durham. We stole eleven bases and hit ten homers last week, which probably equalled our last MONTH previously!

Now, if only Johan Santana and Joe Nathan could read. Maybe the memo didn't get to Minnesota yet?

Damn you, BJ Ryan!

[Lew Bundles]

Somebody throw BundlesAgainstCurrent a life jacket...

[LC]

Quote:

Originally posted by LC:

Um, Kathy, why did he just write "Tommy Sex"?

Did he mean "Tommy Sez"? Or is he getting a little too excited about fantasy baseball?

--A concerned Commissioner LC

Hmmm......Freudian slip, maybe ......shall I edit that? Yes? No? Let's take a poll........

Well, I suppose the one to ask is Mrs. Tunes. I mean, he did write (and I quote):

"TOMMY SEX: 'It ain't over til it's over.'"

[TOMMY TUNES]

Kathy,

Please say hi to LC for me and try to convince him to go to WAB. pLEASE GIVE mARLENE A KISS FOR ME (AND TELL HER TO TRADE ME ALL HER BEST PLAYERS). -TT

[TOMMY TUNES]

Kathy,

I wish you did bring me. LC is a great guy. He's like the Male Marlene. You couldn't find a sweeter guy. I've spoken to him on the phone many times but have not yet had the pleasure of meeting him in person. Hopefully at WAB (Whadda ya think Kath?)-TT

[marlene]

Awww....thank you TT ! We would have LOVED having you there !!

And meeting Larry was just AWESOME...he absolutely DID give us the "Star" treatment...he's just THE BEST !!

[LC]

Marlene, Kathy, and Bernie, the pleasure was all mine! That was a huge thrill to meet --- live and in person --- three of my favorite EC.com personalities. Not to get all mushy and sappy, but I've gotta send those Just couldn't help it -- the quality is so amazing....

PPS: Tunes, you'll be happy to know that Marlene and I did not make a fantasy trade. BUT... we do have something brewing, and we're gonna work it until it gets done. Also, about WAB -- if there's a chance for me to juggle my schedule in August, I would love to make it down to NJ. I will see what I can do, because I know it would be a kick.

[LC]

Gosh, those posts above by Kathy and Marlene make my day every time I read 'em. I've gotta print 'em out but... how do I get those hearts to beat on paper?

Well, enough basking in that warm glow. On to business. Go Down Swingin' still has a stranglehold on first: a 9-game lead. Mitch has done this (fantasy sports) before with a fair amout of success, so don't expect any wilting. To beat him, a contender will have to hustle.

RANK) WON-LOST-TIED: TEAM/OWNER (GAMES BEHIND LEADER)

1) 72-31-07: Go Down Swingin/Mitch

2) 62-39-09: The Go All the Ways/LC (9 behind)

3) 60-43-07: Tunes Tonight/TommyTunes (12)

4) 56-49-05: Marathon Men/bmfc-1 (Jeff) (17)

5) 55-49-06: Double Play On/BeatleJay (17.5)

6) 54-51-05: Rasphillies/Tiggsherby (19)

7) 53-51-06: Party's Over/PopDude (19.5)

8) 48-50-12: Desperate Fools/Marlene (21.5)

9) 52-55-03: Take It Or Leave Its/Blackhawk Pat (22)

10) 48-58-04: SmalleyVille/Marvin (25.5)

11) 47-57-06: Sunrisers/Paulie (25.5)

12) 44-55-11: Let's Pretenders/Frankie (26)

13) 45-57-08: BundleAgainstCurrent/LewBundles (26.5)

14) 44-59-07: Hit Records/CubFanMike (28)

15) 41-58-11: Let's Dancers/Robin23 (29)

16) 41-60-09: Overnight Sensations/BrianMichaelPage (30)

* Notable movement: Tunes slithered from 4th to 3rd place, Marlene climbed to 8th (from 10th), and BHPat went from 14th to 9th. Meanwhile, Pop Dude dropped from 5th to 7th and the Bundleman tumbled from 8th to 13th after an 8-2 drubbing at the hands of, ahem, the Go All the Ways. Bundles' struggles continue this week; through Wednesday, he's down 7-2 vs. Paulie. Hang tough, Lew.

* Matchup of the week: I'd nominate the Marlene/Tunes showdown. Their game is knotted at 4-4 through Wednesday.

* The Red Sox are hot, so the Overnight Sensations' struggles don't make sense: Brian has practically an all-Sox team.

* Robin (Let's Dancers) made a blockbuster trade, picking up Jose Reyes of her beloved Mets, plus Dan Johnson, for Justin Verlander and Chris Young in a deal with my GATWs. She timed it well: Verlander pitched a NO-HITTER on his last day with the Let's Dancers.

* Feel free to add more tidbits, folks....

[LC]

Just got another thrill from reading Kathy's post above.... No time to revel, though. I owe an update. Here goes:

RANK) WON-LOST-TIED: TEAM/OWNER (GAMES BEHIND LEADER)

1) 92-40-08: Go Down Swingin/Mitch

2) 76-54-10: The Go All the Ways/LC (15 behind)

3) 76-55-09: Tunes Tonight/TommyTunes (15.5)

4) 76-56-08: Marathon Men/bmfc-1 (Jeff) (16)

5) 69-64-07: Take It Or Leave Its/Blackhawk Pat (23.5)

6) 67-64-09: Double Play On/BeatleJay (24.5)

7) 68-65-07: Party's Over/PopDude (24.5)

8) 66-67-07: Rasphillies/Tiggsherby (26.5)

9) 60-65-15: Desperate Fools/Marlene (28.5)

10) 63-71-06: Sunrisers/Paulie (30)

11) 57-70-13: Let's Pretenders/Frankie (32.5)

12) 59-72-09: BundleAgainstCurrent/LewBundles (32.5)

13) 59-72-09: Hit Records/CubFanMike (32.5)

14) 59-75-06: SmalleyVille/Marvin (34)

15) 50-75-15: Let's Dancers/Robin23 (38.5)

16) 48-80-12: Overnight Sensations/BrianMichaelPage (42)

NOTES:

* Mysterious Mitch continues his stranglehold on first and his silent ways (59 transactions, 0 posts on an otherwise active bulletin board).

* BH Pat's Take It team moved from 9th to 5th since our last report (2 weeks ago), while football champ Tiggsherby dropped from 6th to 8th and Marv dropped from 10th to 14th.

* Brian finally got rid of Paul Konerko, trading him to Rules Director BH Pat for just enough talent to get the trade through. Brian just couldn't stand having a 40-HR, 100-RBI guy on his team, so he kept him benched most of the season. (Word is that Konerko didn't like it much there, either.)

* Speaking of moves, BeatleJay (Double Play On) has now made 107 transactions. Way to go, BJ! I like a fluid roster. If they ain't puttin' up numbers, send 'em packing! Other frequent-flyer transactors: Paulie (92), PopDude (48), CubFanMike (48), Tunes (45), Yours Truly (38). Last year, Paulie set a record for all of fantasy baseball with 210 transactions.

--LC

PS: Kathy, since Mitch has been well-cheered, I'd say our friend BeatleJay deserves one this week. It's his first year in thpalying, but he's caught on quickly and is right in the playoff hunt, thanks to some shrewd draft picks (Ichiro, Magglio Ordonez, Jeremy Bonderman) and some even "shrewder" pickups (Kevin Gregg, Reggie Willits, John Buck, Travis Buck).

[TOMMY TUNES]

Just got another thrill from reading Kathy's post above.... No time to revel, though. I owe an update. Here goes:

RANK) WON-LOST-TIED: TEAM/OWNER (GAMES BEHIND LEADER)

1) 92-40-08: Go Down Swingin/Mitch

2) 76-54-10: The Go All the Ways/LC (15 behind)

3) 76-55-09: Tunes Tonight/TommyTunes (15.5)

4) 76-56-08: Marathon Men/bmfc-1 (Jeff) (16)

5) 69-64-07: Take It Or Leave Its/Blackhawk Pat (23.5)

6) 67-64-09: Double Play On/BeatleJay (24.5)

7) 68-65-07: Party's Over/PopDude (24.5)

8) 66-67-07: Rasphillies/Tiggsherby (26.5)

9) 60-65-15: Desperate Fools/Marlene (28.5)

10) 63-71-06: Sunrisers/Paulie (30)

11) 57-70-13: Let's Pretenders/Frankie (32.5)

12) 59-72-09: BundleAgainstCurrent/LewBundles (32.5)

13) 59-72-09: Hit Records/CubFanMike (32.5)

14) 59-75-06: SmalleyVille/Marvin (34)

15) 50-75-15: Let's Dancers/Robin23 (38.5)

16) 48-80-12: Overnight Sensations/BrianMichaelPage (42)

NOTES:

* Mysterious Mitch continues his stranglehold on first and his silent ways (59 transactions, 0 posts on an otherwise active bulletin board).

* BH Pat's Take It team moved from 9th to 5th since our last report (2 weeks ago), while football champ Tiggsherby dropped from 6th to 8th and Marv dropped from 10th to 14th.

* Brian finally got rid of Paul Konerko, trading him to Rules Director BH Pat for just enough talent to get the trade through. Brian just couldn't stand having a 40-HR, 100-RBI guy on his team, so he kept him benched most of the season. (Word is that Konerko didn't like it much there, either.)

* Speaking of moves, BeatleJay (Double Play On) has now made 107 transactions. Way to go, BJ! I like a fluid roster. If they ain't puttin' up numbers, send 'em packing! Other frequent-flyer transactors: Paulie (92), PopDude (48), CubFanMike (48), Tunes (45), Yours Truly (38). Last year, Paulie set a record for all of fantasy baseball with 210 transactions.

--LC

PS: Kathy, since Mitch has been well-cheered, I'd say our friend BeatleJay deserves one this week. It's his first year in thpalying, but he's caught on quickly and is right in the playoff hunt, thanks to some shrewd draft picks (Ichiro, Magglio Ordonez, Jeremy Bonderman) and some even "shrewder" pickups (Kevin Gregg, Reggie Willits, John Buck, Travis Buck).

YeahKathy, See if you can find a word that rhymes with BJ's shrewd pickups John Buck and Travis Buck in your cheer. It would be great if you could work his initials into the cheer also.

[TOMMY TUNES]

Congrats Kathy. You made a BJ cheer that rhymed Buck and Buck without using the word %$ck. You should be very proud of yourself/ Nice job! But you did forget about the BJ.

[LC]

A new twist - a cheer inspired by Cheap Trick's "Can't Stop Falling Into Love"

Kathy,

Brilliant in every way. BeatleJay, you have now made it as a fantasy owner! Getting a Kathy original cheer is pure gold.

--Commissioner LC

[popdude]

Congrats Kathy. You made a BJ cheer that rhymed Buck and Buck without using the word %$ck. You should be very proud of yourself/ Nice job! But you did forget about the BJ.

Got BJ?

[BeatleJay]

It's official, I'm a 'cool young dude'! Thanks Kathy, I feel inspired. I'm gonna go kick some... Wait- I'm playing against Marlene this week, I'll play nice this time.

League is a kick, but it matters who you pick-

When prepping for the playoffs, two Bucks will do the trick.