Liveblogging the Highlander-Gambler Series

I’ll post some updates on the Highlander-Gamblers series, as it has playoff implications.  We started at 1 pm, and the Gamblers took game 1; the Highlanders have since taken games 2, 3, and 4.  I’ll post updates in the comments!

Finish Coming Down to the Wire

The end of this season is really shaping up to be a down-to-the-wire affair. 5 games separate 2nd place from 6th place, with 5 teams fighting for 3 spots – the Champions have first place wrapped up. The Gamblers have 82 wins, the Bamm Beanos 81, the Marauders 80, the Highlanders 78, and the Hitmen 77. The Bombers are in 7th place with 71 wins, but have two series this month to try and get into it; that’s probably too tall of an order, as they would need to win 14 of 18 games to have a decent chance.

The Bamm Beanos appear to have already played their final series, taking 7 from the Upperdeckers. That puts them at 88 wins, and pretty much locked in to the playoffs. The Gamblers play the Highlanders this Sunday, and I’d guess that I need to take at least six games from Todd to put me in position to knock the Marauders out of the playoffs – I’d need to take 7 of 9 to knock the Gamblers out, and I can’t see that happening. So, the Gamblers also look pretty solid for the playoffs.

The Marauders play the Bombers in one of the two series Mike has to play. If they take five, they also put themselves in a position where the Highlanders would have to win 7 to force a one-game playoff. Meanwhile the Hitmen sit at 77 wins and probably need the Highlanders and Marauders to get their clocks cleaned this month in order to have a chance. The Hitmen play the Kernels this month. If the Gamblers were to take at least 4 from the Highlanders, and the Marauders lost 6 to the Bombers, that would put them both at 83 and Chuck could tie them with 6 wins. Heck at that point the Bombers would only need to win 6 from the T-Chix to win 83 themselves, creating a 4 way tie for 4th place.

Meanwhile the Kernels, Upperdeckers, and T-Chix all have the chance to play spoiler this month to one degree or another – although it looks like the Upperdeckers already lost their chance, the T-Chix play the Bombers and the Kernels play the Hitmen. Those series could impact the playoff picture if the teams above them do poorly, as outlined above.

What a season!

November Standings and Leaders

2009 ILLOWA LEAGUE W L PCT Chicago Champions 91 62 .595 Rising Bamm Beano’s 81 72 .529 Chicago Highlanders 76 68 .528 Molly Putts Marauders 71 64 .526 Three Rivers Gamblers 71 64 .526 Northside Hitmen 73 71 .507 Green Rock Bombers 71 73 .493 Kentucky Kernels 62 73 .459 Moline Upperdeckers 63 81 .438 Twin Cities Thunderchickens 59 85 .410

Twin City Thunderchickens firstbaseman Albert Pujols is leading the IAL in hitting (.337), slugging (.686), OBP (.435),  runs (113), hits (164) and rbis (139).

November 2009 Standings and Leaders