Week 4 Newsletter

[Saxmania]

All our perfect records have now gone, although we've got a couple of teams still hunting for their first win. A little power cut affected the timing of this one, so thanks for your boundless patience. Boundless, I say.

Now with special guest correspondent Pete! Say hi, Pete!


Week 4 newsletter - NYYFans.com Fantasy League

Headlines

Linguists give a megawatt effort but lose to the Gigawatts
The Truth submits to the Horsemen
Wood fall short to the almighty Lous
Bashers flattened by momentum of Rhode Kill
Ice freeze up, lose perfect record to stealthy Squeaks
Swingers getting into swing of things; Wolverines are third straight victim
Sluggers making the early running, frontrunning Marauders stumble
Empire get off the mark, Playaz still stuck in the starting blocks
Naughties lick their lips at first victory of the year
Senators keeping an eye on Gehrig Division, Bombers pause to reload

Doc's 1.21 Gigawatts (318) won at Cunning Linguists (241)

An overall good week for the Gigawatts, with all offensive players contributing at least 10 points with an exception of Bobby Kielty. 2B Michael Young and 1B Jim Thome led the charge with 32 and 31 points respectively, and it is not hard to think that in the immediate future, Thome will heat up his offensive power numbers. That is extremely intimidating to the other teams. Pitching-wise, Ismael Valdez, a great pickup for the Gigawatts, led the pitching charge with 32 points (W, QS, 8.0 innings). However, nobody can be sure that Valdez will be able to keep his pitching up to this level. Jerome Williams, Brandon Webb, and Victor Zambrano contributed with quality starts. Their relief pitching was on par this week, but not exactly top-notch, with no saves earned. Regardless, if the Gigawatts can keep their stellar performance going, they could be a force to be reckoned with. All pieces must fall in place if they expect to defeat the Ice next week.

The Linguists, on the other hand, had great offense but their pitching was not up to par. All their players in their offense scored double-digits with Richie Sexson leading the pack. Johnny Estrada, Tony Graffanino, Jacque Jones, and Rafael Palmeiro all broke the 20 point mark. Other than the usual stellar performances by Kevin Brown and Zach Day, their pitching was not as good as it looks on paper. Estaban Loaiza, while he did not have a horrible start, only contributed 9 points to the team. Sergio Mitre had an abominable start lasting 3.2 innings. Ryan Franklin should just lower his head in shame for the horrible effort he had. Ugueth Urbina and Mike MacDougal both contributed in saves, but it was not enough. This team is barraged with question marks, but if Mulder can resurrect himself into the ace he was before this week, well, the Linguists could only improve.

MVP: Ismael Valdez

Schedules: Cunning Linguists (2-2) vs. New York Squeaks (2-2); Doc 1.21 Gigawatts (3-1)vs. Italian Ice (3-1)

The The Naked Truth (285) lost at The 4 Horsemen (289)

This was a game that could have gone either way. But as the Horsemen's favorite phrase indicates, "To be the man, you have to beat the man, WOOOOOO." When the dust settled, it was clear that the Horsemen was the man. Although their batting was not as good as the pitching, any team would be jealous of their lineup. Juan Pierre led the team with 12 hits and 7 runs with 28 points, while Vladimir Guerrero was not too far behind. It was not a week where the Horsemen exploded with the bats. Their pitching was superb, with Javier Vazquez and Oliver Perez both contributing 53 points to the cause. 2 saves by the relievers iced the cake. This is definitely a dangerous team and one that all teams should be scared of if they indeed make the playoffs.

What a game for the Truth. Not only did they lose by 4 points, they also lost their undefeated record. Jeromy Burnitz led the batters with 31 points while Melvin Mora, Reggie Sanders, Jorge Posada, and Julio Lugo each scored over 20 points also. Pitching-wise, Jake Peavy led all the starters with 35 points, with John Lackey trailing with 18 points. Francisco Cordero had a fairly good week as a reliever, compiling 27 points in the process with 4 saves. Brian Fuentes and Wilson Alvarez hardly helped out, but if Alvarez could have pitched well, the Truth would have won.

MVP: Javier Vazquez and Oliver Perez

Schedule: The Naked Truth (3-1) @ Valiant Vanquishers (1-3); The 4 Horsemen (3-1) @ Newburgh Naughties (1-3)


Guys with Wood (209) lost at Larrupin' Lous (315)

Another close game that resulted in an extremely unfortunate loss for one team, but a lucky win for the other team. Both teams passed the pinnacle 300-point mark, but there could only be one winner in this game of Fantasy Baseball. Lets start out with the winning Lous. Their offense was less than spectacular, with three players contributing with less than 8 points. Todd Helton and Dave Roberts carried the offense with 34 and 33 points respectively. That was basically it for the offense, because the next highest point total was Johnny Damon with 19 points. Luckily for the Lous, their pitching carried the team. Wade Miller and Jeff Suppan each had spectacular weeks pitching, with 41 and 39 points respectively. However, the story of this game was not Miller and Suppan, but Trevor Hoffman and Akinori Otsuka. Between the two of them, they combined for an ungodly 64 points, five saves, 2 Holds, and 1 win. Relief pitching was definitely the strong point for them.

A tough loss for the Wood, would have been a win if their hitting could have lived up to the hype. Hee Seop Choi led the team in batting with 41 points, but that was it. Only Derek Jeter, Mark Bellhorn, and Matt Lawton passed the 20 point plateau. The rest of the players were not especially spectacular. However, on any given week, the Wood could have won with their pitching, with Ben Sheets leading the way with 45 points. Their relief pitching was stellar also, with five saves. Overall, if the Wood were playing any other teams (well, most), they would not have lost.

MVP: Trevor Hoffman and Akinori Otsuka

Schedules: Guys with Wood (0-4) @ Rhode Kill (3-1); Larrupin' Lous (1-3) @ Juniors Bashers (2-2)

Rhode Kill (357) won at Junior's Bashers (209)

The Rhode Kill are beginning to look a bit like a juggernaut, thanks to an array of strong pitching performances from their rotation. Kaz Ishii led the procession with two wins, including a complete game, for a grand total of 61 points for the week. Jason Schmidt was right behind, striking out 15 in 12 innings for a brace of wins, and there were also strong outings for Wolf, Redman, and Garcia. This meant that mitting because a little more relaxed - Carlos Pena exerted himself a little with 8 double plays, while Phil Nevin came up with seven, and Aramis Ramirez got a hold of a couple for some leisurely jobs around the bases. Throw in a couple of saves for Eric Gagne, and things are looking pretty comfortable in the Rhode Kill's locker room.

There's rather more cause for concern over in the Bashers' front office, with a second below-par performance resulting in the team's second defeat in as many games. Again, it was the rotation at fault, with Nate Robertson and Bartolo Colon both pummelled in their starts (Robertson's 3.1 IP resulted in 8 earned runs), and Tim Wakefield relegated to two innings in relief. The Bashers hitters were in fine form when they got to the plate - Beltre smacked three homers while Luis Gonzalez went 8-24 with three doubles - but Garret Anderson didn't make it there all week, and Womack and Durhma were there only briefly. With playing time a concern right now, the Bashers need the run of the green with them to build some kind of form, because at the moment they're not scaring anyone.

MVP: Kazuhiro Ishii

Schedules: Rhode Kill (3-1) vs. Guys with Wood (0-4); Junior's Bashers (2-2) vs. Larrupin' Lous (1-3)

Italian Ice (217) lost at New York Squeaks (243)

An important win for the Squeaks, keeping them with the early pace in the Mantle Division, and spelling an end to the Ice's opening salvo in the 2004 League. They are indebted to Jason Johnson, as the Detroit starter's 32 points was more than the difference between the two teams - although Johnson's two starts were rocky, and resulted in no wins, they did generate a couple of quality starts for the Squeaks. Strong wins for Jose Contreras and C.C. Sabathia helped cover up a rocky one from Sidney Ponson, and the bullpen was strong enough for two pair - saves and holds. Andruw Jones managed 9 hits on the week, including a pair of triples, and Albert Pujols helped him out with some slick fielding. Luis Rivas' disappearing act aside, this was a smooth, but not overpowering, performance for the Squeaks.

Their best-ever start is now officially over, but the Italian Ice remain top of the DiMaggio Division, and will look to improve on this week's disappointing total in order to re-assert their pennant credentials. They were let down in several roster spots, but the rotation was the most obvious problem area - Kelvim Escobar was scratched from his start at the last minute, so compiled no points, and Gil Meceh (0) and Kenny Rovers (2) were barely any better. Kerry Wood's dominating 8 innings with 10 strikeouts salvaged some pride, and Alfonso Soriano's 9 double players, 4 doubles, and 6 ribbies also helped. But Juan Gonzalez' eight plate appearances yielded just a solitary hit, and Craig Counsell was little better. Must do better all around, because this division won't wait around for the Ice to regroup.

MVP: Jason Johnson

Schedule: New York Squeaks (2-2) @ Cunning Linguists (2-2); Italian Ice (3-1) @ Junior's Bashers (2-2)

Michigan Wolverines (244) lost at Saxmania's Swingers (346)

The longest active winning streak in the league now belongs to the Swingers, as they produced a solid performance to dispose of the Wolverines. Steve Finley's sudden hot streak proved important, as the Arizona outfielder slammed four homers and scored nine times. His 43 points were supplemented by a couple of good starts from Roy Halladay, and every starter in the rotation came away with at least one quality start in their week's work. There was also offence from Magglio Ordonez, Mark Loretta, and Edgar Renteria - the bullpen was the only major disappointment, with just a couple of holds to show for three relievers' efforts. Still, some good form for the Swingers, who must now try to create some space between themselves and the rest of the Mantle Division.

Thankfully for the Wolverines, their major competitors in the DiMaggio Division were also defeated, or else they would have lost some ground in the evolving pennant race. As it is, their performance is still cause for concern, as their pitching failed to back up some solid hitting. Paul Konerko, Vinny Castilla, and Miguel Cabrera were all locked in at the plate, and no hitter managed less than 11 points all week. But Carlos Zambrano's 4.1 innings proved expensive for both the Cubs and the Wolverines, Eric Milton couldn't go more than five innings for his win, and Hasegawa and Mateo were both ineffective in relief. With 74 points sitting on the bench, perhaps it's time for the Wolverines to make some changes, as they look to rise above .500 once again.

MVP: Steve Finley

Schedule: Saxmania's Swingers (3-1) @ NY Bombers (2-2); Michigan Wolverines (2-2) @ Senators (2-2)

The Marauders (207) lost at Tugger's Sluggers (337)

It's a brand new Sluggers team, seemingly intent on putting the disappointments of previous years behind them, and they're making a strong start to their 2004 campaign. This week's triumph was a strong all-around performance, but Juan Uribe's acquisition proved especially prescient - the Chicago shortstop's 3 home runs was the high point of 13 hits and 6 runs scored. Elsewhere, Jim Edmonds, Lance Nix, and Bobby Abreu each jacked a couple out, and Ron Belliard and Frank Thomas were in the hits as well. The rotation was a little spotty, with Matt Morris and Bret Myers both disappointing, but Andy Pettitte (29) and Mike Maroth (25) helped sort that out, while Shawn Chacon and Jose Mesa each racked up three saves from the bullpen.

Another perfect record ruined - the Marauders now descend to a mere 3-1 in their opening season. They didn't exactly go down fighting, with a league-worst score highlighting some questions in their lineup. Kevin Millar continues to struggle, going 3-15 with just 2 points net on the week. Only two hitters topped 20 points, and big bats Kent and LoDuca were worryingly quiet, while Reed Johnson played his way off the club with a week full of singles. There was some decent picthing, with Roger Clemens and Carl Pavano continuing their strong starts - sadly the bullpen threw things away again, as Chad Fox recorded just two outs while allowed 4 runs to score, and Justin Speier was even more expensive. Time to get it out of their system, as the Marauders have little room for manoevre in the Gehrig Division.

MVP: Juan Uribe

Schedule: Tugger's Sluggers (3-1) vs. 9 Angry Playaz (0-4); The Marauders (3-1) vs. Evil Empire (1-3)

9 Angry Playaz (268) lost at Evil Empire (282)

After a hard-luck loss in week 3, a pleasing win in week 4, with the Evil Empire laying down the foundations of their 2004 campaign after a shaky start. They owe a debt of gratitude to Jake Westbrook, who was easily the difference between the sides with a 41-point week, comprising a complete game win with just two hits allowed. Brad Radke was also in better form, with a workmanlike 14 innings in two starts. Barry Bonds continues to be the fulcrum of the offense thanks to an absurd 16 walks, and there was also some support from Shawn Green and Troy Glaus. Interestingly, Scutaro at second was comprehensively outhit by his benched replacement, Orlando Hudson, while Omar Vizquel also produced a good week while riding the pine. With power in reserve, the Empire can now start to make their plans for global domination, starting with the DiMaggio Division.

Things are going from bad to worse for the Playaz, who saw several standout performances going to waste as the back-end of their rotation collapsed. Carlos Delgato's 11-29 pace included 8 runners driven in and a couple of long bombs, and Mike Lowell had a similar line on the week. While Curt Schilling was on the mound, all was confidence, as the veteran starter went 7.1 without allowing a run and while striking out eight. But Scott Schoeneweis and Brett Tomko couldn't keep up their part of the deal, and Danys Baez was expensive in relief. The Playaz are getting some good work, but can't complement it with all-around roster performance - until they do, they're going to be looking up at the rest of the Mantle Division.

MVP: Jake Westbrook

Schedule: Evil Empire (1-3) @ The Marauders (3-1); 9 Angry Playaz (0-4) @ Tugger's Sluggers (3-1)

Valiant Vanquishers (258) lost at Newburgh Naughties (298)

An important game for the Naughties, who avoid going to 0-4 and thus salvage some much-needed prode from a problematic start to the season. Once again recent acquisition Ted Lilly came in very handy - the former Yankee managed a complete game while striking out 12 in 14.2 innings, grabbing a brace of wins from a struggling Toronto team. Brian Giles' hot streak was also useful, as the San Diego outfielder went 11-25 with a trifecta of taters - comfortably the best on the roster. David Riske ruined another game for Cleveland, but the rest of the bullpen held things together long enough to send the Vanquishers packing, and Newburgh now find themselves with momentum for the first time this year.

The Vanquishers, like the Playaz, need more even performances from their roster if they are to make serious noise in the Mantle Division. They were pretty much completely dependent on Randy Johnson to spare their blushes in week 4, as the Arizona ace came away with a pair of wins in just 12 innings thanks to a dominant 19 batters whiffed. His pair of wins, however, were more than the rest of the staff put together - Joe Kennedy ate some innings, but the rest of the pitching was adequate at best. David Ortiz, Darrin Erstad, and Eric Hinske were comfortably the best of the hitters, yet the poor showings of Redmond, Tino Martinez, and Eckstein meant that their contributions were all in single figures this week. With just 12 points total from the bullpen, the Vanquishers are now becalmed - perhaps the benched Aubrey Huff might help?

MVP: Ted Lilly

Schedule: Newburgh Naughties (1-3) vs. The 4 Horsemen (3-1); Valiant Vanquishers (1-3) vs. The Naked Truth (3-1)

Senators (239) won at NY Bombers (223)

Back to .500 we go, as the Senators flex some offensive muscle behind the outstanding pitching of Matt Clement. The Chicago starter might be considered his team's 4th or even 5th starter, but he produced two outstanding outings for week 4, going 16 innings and striking out 18 for 71 points - one of the highest individual points totals you're likely to see all year. With the rest of the rotation (Kris Benson excepted) barely awake, it fell to the hitters to carrry the day, and they happily did so. J.D. Drew totalled 6 ribbies and 7 free passes, while Mark DeRosa drove in 10 and Erubiel Durazo got to admire three long balls. Tim Redding's scratched start, Rocky Biddle's continued struggles, and Kevin Mench's wasted 36 points (he was benched) all remain concerns, but for now the Senators are wielding their power judiciously.

After the bombardment, a lull in the points-scoring, as the Bombers pause to catch their breath. This week it cost them a game, as last week's form disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived. No player contributed more than 26 points - a disappointment considering that Vicente Padilla had two starts - and several pitchers struggled significantly. John Garland gave up too many hits for safety in his start, while LaTroy Hawkins blew a save and Russ Ortiz couldn't get through the fourth inning of his start. There were a few homers to celebrate in the lineup, but all spread around pretty evenly, and the traditional power hitters (Dunn, Giambi, Ramirez) need to step their slugging pace up if they're to carry the Bombers to the team's first pennant.

MVP: Matt Clement

Schedule: Senators (2-2) vs. Michigan Wolverines (2-2); NY Bombers (2-2) vs. Saxmania's Swingers (3-1)

Facts & Stats

Weekly Results

Team of the Week: Rhode Kill (357 points)
Player of the Week: Matt Clement (71 points)
Lucky Team of the Week: New York Squeaks (won with 243 points)
Unlucky Team of the Week: Guys with Wood (lost with 309 points)
Matchup of the Week:The Naked Truth vs. The 4 Horsemen (difference of 4 points)

Most Home Runs: Tuggers Sluggers (13)
Best On Base Pct: Tuggers Sluggers (.4279)
Most Net Steals (SB-CS): Cunning Linguists; Italian Ice; Junior's Bashers; Larrupin' Lou's; Saxmania's Swingers (4)

Most Wins, Pitching: Rhode Kill (7)
Most Strikeouts, Pitching: Guys with Wood (52)
Most Saves: Tuggers Sluggers (6)

*Most Points, Offense: Tuggers Sluggers (213 points)
Most Points, Pitching: Rhode Kill (214 points)
Top Defense: New York Squeaks; Rhode Kill (23 points)

* Does not include points earned in defense categories. (CSC, DPT, E, OFAST, PBC).

SEASON TO DATE:
*Most Points, Offense: Michigan Wolverines (722 points)
Most Points, Pitching: Rhode Kill (594 points)
Top Defense: Rhode Kill (83 points)

* Does not include points earned in defense categories. (CSC, DPT, E, OFAST, PBC).


Player Leaderboard - Top 5

Hitters				Starters				Relievers
1. B. Bonds (EE)		147	1. R. Johnson (VV)		142	1. A. Benitez (Sen)	92
2. A. Pujols (NYS)		131	2. R. Clemens (TM)		124	2. A. Otsuka (LL)		77
3. M. Young (DG)		129	3. K. Wood (II)		123	3. M. Rivera (GwW)		74
4. T. Helton (LL)		128	4. M. Clement (S)		121	4. Fr. Rodriguez (II)	72
4. J. Bagwell (NN)		128	5. J. Vazquez (T4H)	120	5= E. Gagne (RK)		70

Standings

Ruth Division						Gehrig Division
Team			W/L	GB	Points Av.	Team			W/L	GB	Points Av.
The Naked Truth		3-1	-	276.8		Doc's 1.21 Gigawatts	3-1	-	296.8
Tugger's Sluggers		3-1	-	267.3		The 4 Horsemen		3-1	-	284.3
NY Bombers		2-2	1	293.5		The Marauders		3-1	-	271.5
Cunning Linguists		2-2	1	267.3		Senators			2-2	1	262.5
Guys with Wood		0-4	3	239.8		Larrupin' Lous		1-3	2	250.3

DiMaggio Division						Mantle Division
Team			W/L	GB	Points Av.	Team			W/L	GB	Points Av.
Italian Ice		3-1	-	249.3		Rhode Kill		3-1	-	327.3
Michigan Wolverines	2-2	1	284.5		Saxmania's Swingers	3-1	-	315.8
Junior's Bashers		2-2	1	267.3		New York Squeaks		2-2	1	267
Evil Empire		1-3	2	263.8		Valiant Vanquishers	1-3	2	263.5
Newburgh Naughties		1-3	2	234.8		9 Angry Playaz		0-4	5	252

Notes

Thanks again to Pete. He rocks.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[YanksRockMan]

no problem..i'll do a few

[Saxmania]

Outstanding. Choose a few games, and then PM the other AssComs to let them know which ones you've chosen. If you PM me the text when you're done, I'll include it in the newsletter. Big thank yous.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[YanksRockMan]

I'll do the Linguists-Gigawatts, Truth-Horsemen, Woodys-Lous

EDIT: I will be out for a while, so if someone else can do Ice-Squeaks and Wolverines-Swingers, please do so. Thanks.

[Bozidar]

if ya'll want to leave mine out of it, entirely, that's fine with me

[patrick.o]

Originally posted by Bozidar
if ya'll want to leave mine out of it, entirely, that's fine with me

Actually, it would be kind of cool if everyone in the league wrote a special Bashers/Rhode Kill wrap up, and then we could all vote and judge which version was best.

[Saxmania]

Speaking of which, some signatures need changing around here.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[#1PaFan]

Originally posted by patrick.o
Actually, it would be kind of cool if everyone in the league wrote a special Bashers/Rhode Kill wrap up, and then we could all vote and judge which version was best.

Do you think I should do one???

[miko]

Originally posted by Bozidar
if ya'll want to leave mine out of it, entirely, that's fine with me

Yeah ditto. I can't stand to hear Pete talk about his great victory anymore even though 3 of his guys had career weeks which they will NEVER duplicate!

[miko]

Originally posted by Saxmania
Speaking of which, some signatures need changing around here.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

Boz, would it be possible to change my sig for me again? Talk to Lucky Boy Petey about what exact wording he would like in my sig. Hey Pete did you buy a lottery ticket last week too by any chance?

[Yankchic22]

Originally posted by Saxmania
Speaking of which, some signatures need changing around here.

You're right... Anyone want to tell me the Empire's score for week 4?

[patrick.o]

I love getting spanked by BigE

That's too funny

[Saxmania]

Fixed. Thanks again to Pete, who's the AssCom of the moment. Three gold stars for you, my good sir.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[#1PaFan]

When the eff did I get Mark Mulder??? Man, I gots to sober up sometime!!!

[YanksRockMan]

Originally posted by #1PaFan
When the eff did I get Mark Mulder??? Man, I gots to sober up sometime!!!

whoops...my bad

[Saxmania]

Fixed.

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[Big_E]

Well done, Sax and Pete!

[patrick.o]

Well done as always, Mr Mania, and you too Pete.

[#1PaFan]

Originally posted by patrick.o
Well done as always, Mr Mania, and you too Pete.

Agreed! But hey, I'll gladly take Mark Mulder!!!

[miko]

Good job Petey. I am surprised you didn't rub some salt in my wounds. It changed my opinion of you. You are a still a crack head but you are a decent reporter. Thanks again for the beating and the new signature.