Season ends in disappointment

In a performance that can only be felt like Mets fans on this day, the LickerStore AllStars have a long and lonely off season to look forward to. Thank you Justin Morneau. You are a complete fuck head.

CHAMPIONS

I'd like to thank the academy, Caleb for trading me A-rod, Justin Morneau for his phenomenal second half, and Joe Nathan for a day bad enough to move Andrew behind me in WHIP.

One year, one championship. After all the barbs taken at my NL style draft, I will be laughing the longest now my friends....all off season. Let the dynasty begin.

To win...

I need two runs, one RBI, and one stolen base to tie Spencer. Christ, if I have a half-way decent day today I could have easily wrapped it up. Time is starting to run out in the late games though...

Game Blog

This about writes the book for the Licker Store AllStars. A very disappointing end to the season. A measly thirteen uninspired at bats on the final day. Bill still has a shot with Kinser and Beltre in the late afternoon game and needs a win from Robertson and a ND or loss from Gaudin....



Jeter, Sizemore, and Hafner taken out of the game. Not good.

Coming down to the wire... A home run will pull me into a tie for first.

Hmmm... Delmon Young into the game. This guy is a head case.

Fields hit a two run home run off the glove of magglio. four to three tiger lead. Pete rose now four rbi back.

Robertson pitching well. Detroit leading four to one in the fifth.

Dye drives in a run. Spencer desperately trying to stay withing striking distance of Youk in RBI. 6 back at Three Twenty EDT

Mora scores. LS 5 runs behind Y

(Three PM) Youk on fire. Guillen hits a home run. Youk now 6 runs ahead of LS.

Pronk doubles in two runs. Tied with the Hoboes in rbi now.

Mags doubles in a run.... Spencer three rbi behind Youk.

So far, Spencer has no one on the bench... Bill has four and I have three. [edit] Johjima is out.

A-Rod playing on the last day of the season... and get an RBI on a flopper... Jeter scores.

Homerun Carlos Pena. Damn this guy is good. Anyone could have had him too. Youk takes the lead in HR.

And Youk draws first blood

Unsurprisingly he does it with a homerun from Carlos Pena. I nearly picked up Pena early in the season and instead opted for Dan Johnson. I figure I'd have about 60 points by now if I snagged Pena.

Mea Culpa

Earlier this season I objected to someone's suggestion (via BP) that I was due to get just 6 homeruns out of Gary Sheffield in the second half of the season.

I got 4. My bad. Thanks Gary.

Roster Notes

UPDATED: Three Fifteen Eastern

Starting Pitching:

Youk: Chad Gaudin vs LAA
Hoboes: Nate Robertson vs CHW
Licker Store: King Felix vs Texas, AJ Burnett vs Tampa
Pete Rose: Jered Weaver vs Oakland

OUT:

Hoboes: B.J. Upton; Nick Markakis; Jorge Posada; Peralta
Licker Store: Delmon Young; Brian Roberts; Victor Martinez, G. Anderson
Youk: Robinson Cano; Mauer, JD Drew, Ibanez
Warning Track: Aubry Huff; I. Rodriguez, Sheffield, Michael Young
Marginally Effective: Vlad
Pete Rose: Johjima

FINAL DAY

To set the table:

What the hell happened!?! Is Youk really going to win this thing... how did the top 3 teams lose 6 points collectively on the second to last day of the year.

3 way tie for HR: LS, WTP and Y tied at 177. BH 3 back.

Runs: BH 1 back from LS. LS 2 back from Y.

RBI: LS 2 back from BH. PRL: 4 back from Y

SB: BH 1 back from LS. LS 2 back from PRL

AVG: BH and Y tied at .282. WTP .001 behind PRL.

Wins: BH tied with Y

K's: Y ten behind LS


Holy shit... this is gonna be fun.

5 More Days

A paltry 5 days left in the season and this year is TOAST. The crown awaits patiently for the inaugural Durham Plays for Keeps Champion. We have a three way race to the finish that could be determined in the final inning of the final game. A stolen base here, a run there, a hit and a strikeout away from glory or shame. The line between internal infamy and forgettable goat doesn't get any thinner than this.

There WILL be an actual "trophy" for the eventual winner (Not sure what it will be yet, but I'll find something).

Also - very important - There is going to be a live game blog on Sunday as I watch each and every game through MLB.TV and Stat Tracker. I'll try to report on each relevant at bat, run, pitch, etc... After the season over there will be a ballot on a couple of rule changes to vote on.

GAME ON!

FINAL WEEK

This is what you play for baby. Should be a dramatic final week as we deal with people subbing starters out of their lineups for playoffs etc..

btw andrew illegally picked up that catcher for the rangers that's hard to spell (saltamachiiaa) or whatever. might want to kick him out of the league.

CMON BABY FINAL PUSH

what the hell

Since the right-hander is up to 215 innings this season, the Rays have decided to shut down James Shields, effective immediately.

This is quite a surprise. We thought Scott Kazmir might get shut down, but he'll make two more starts and be limited to 100 pitches in both. J.P. Howell is going to start Wednesday in place of Shields, who finishes his breakthrough year 12-8 with a 3.85 ERA and a 184/36 K/BB ratio.

Catching Bill

He has a very nice lead now...but things are close in a lot of categories...he could run away with it or be brought down to earth...should be an interesting final 2 weeks.