The Chicago Champions were pitted against the Kentucky Kernels in May.  Chicago sleepwalked through the first three games, losing all three by a combined score of 14 to 3.  After dropping the first two contests, the Champions decided to shake things up by playing their kids versus Hiroki Kuroda.  Kuroda threw a three hit shutout and it was time for the regulars to step back in.

Madison Bumgarner returned the favor by firing a six hit shutout at the Kernels, while striking out ten against no walks.  Then Kosuke Fukudome’s two run blast provided some 9^th inning heroics off of previously unscathed closer Sergio Romo, who stayed in the game to work three innings and pick up the win when Buckeye Nick Swisher took rookie reliever Greg Holland yard in the 11^th.  The Freak, Tim Lincecum bested Jered Weaver 5-3, with some help from relievers Papa Grande & Sergio Romo.  Kuroda didn’t fare as well in Crackerjack Park as he had in Kentucky versus the Champs.  Matt “Raisin” Cain was the winner 4-2.

Unfortunately the Twin K’s bats came to life in the last two games, the Kernels winning 6-1 & 7-3.

Dexter “Flyer” Fowler was the hitting star for the Chicago Champions.  All he did was go 11 for 26, for a .423 batting average, with eight extra basehits, 4 doubles, 3 triples, and a homer.  He also drew three bases on balls and was hit by a pitch.  Flyer scored eleven runs, not bad for seven games, and he also drove in two, for good measure.

Manager Mallasch was quoted as saying, “Without Dex we would’ve really been in trouble.  We only hit four homers to their ten and were outscored 35-23, and to think DF scored 11 times himself.  He had an amazing series”.

So far this year Chicago has already had a nine game winning streak & a nine game losing streak and a four game winning streak & a four game losing streak.  The team will be looking for more consistency in June when we travel to Champaign for 30 games against the IAL western foes.

Alex Rodriguez ended last season sitting at 599.  So it was only a matter of time for the slugger to belt number 600. That time came in the 7^th inning of game #2, facing Rising Bamm Beanos rookie righthander Ivan Nova.  It was a solo shot, which put the Chicago Champions up 3-0, in a game they’d hold on to win by the same final score, behind Matt Cain.

Alex is all about winning.  He has been a part of IAL Playoff ball in 13 of 16 seasons.  His team finished in first place in eight of those years, five times with 100+ wins.  AROD’s teams have won five championships.  Remarkably he’s only won one MVP Award, despite hitting 50 or more homers four different seasons, driving in over 100 runs in ten years, and nine times he scored 100 or more.

Rodriguez played his first nine seasons playing shortstop for the Northside Hitmen.  Then Alex moved over to the hot corner after he was dealt to the Chicago Champions in exchange for Miguel Cabrera.  314 of his homers were hit while playing for the Hitmen and to date 290 have been hit with the Champs.

Congrats to AROD on joining the 600 club, with many more to come!  I can still remember seeing him play with the Class A Appleton Foxes of the Midwest League way back in 1994.  It was Alex Rodriguez poster night, I still have the poster, and we even got a baseball card signed by the 19 year old.  Who knew he’d be playing for the Champions, I could only hope.  Way to go AROD!!!

Congratulations to Mike Bunch and the Green Rock Bombers! 

The Bombers won a very exciting 2011 IAL World Series against Don Smith’s Molly Putts Marauders in a series that went six games.  Some of us half-jokingly tease that for those of us not in the postseason, the playoffs and World Series are a ho-hum affair but this series really had its moments.  Personally, I stayed up a lot later than I intended so I could watch the conclusion.    Adam Dunn was named Series MVP. 

I did a write-up on The APBA Blog on the playoffs and World Series. 

Congrats also to Don as well as playoff managers Chuck and Marcus. 

I think Hellickson is a lot better than you are giving him credit. That “B Z” will be there for about 10 years or more.

The rating of the secondbaseman in the draft is a little off. Here is how I see them. Espinosa is Bobby Grich, Jason Kipnis is Jeff Kent that is a worse fielder, Dustin Ackley is Chuck Knoblauch, Jose Altuve is Ted Sizemore. All are pretty good it’s a matter of which one you like. I took Bobby Grich (Danny Espinosa).

Vance Worley is better than you give him credit. He is more like a Bob Forsch, not a super star but a real good pitcher.

Matt Downs is a good utility infielder who can really hit. Wonderdog ring a bell? Another Rex Hudler!!

Desmond Jennings is the exact player that B.J. Upton turned out to be, but Jennings is two years younger and 4 years less experience. He could still develop into a better player than Upton is.

Mike McKenry was the best fit for what was left. I never envisioned that I would get stuck at catcher. With the Catchers that were let he could help me on limits at 3B so he was the choice. I thought I would get Salvador Perez in my 3rd pick.

The Happ for Herrera trade helped both teams. Happ has a better track record than Herrera so I would give the edge to Don.

The Gordon for Michael Young trade you are way off. Michael Young is the best player in the trade by far plus he covers everywhere. Big Advantage Keith.

Keppinger & Johnson for Nix and a pick. Keppinger is a very good back up and Johnson will never be even that good. Nix is a bun for coverage. The pick however wasn’t really McKenry. It was Jennings. A back-up catcher had to be taken. Without this trade I do not have the extra pick to take Jennings. That makes a big difference.

Kuroda for Andrus Hiroki Kuroda is a proven year in year out “ B “ starter and the best player in this trade advantage Keith.

Posey for Wainwright: Which would you rather have, one of the 5 best Catchers in baseball or one of the 5 best pitchers in baseball? Since I already have one of the other 5 best catchers in baseball I’ll take the Pitcher and Catcher over two Catchers. You can only play one catcher at a time.

Upton for Hardy. A B.J. Upton type outfielder you could get in this draft (Desmond Jennings), A 30 Home Run hitting Gold Glove Shortstop you could not get in the draft. Enough said.

This is my two cents worth. Let’s hear from the rest of the manager. Do you agree with Tedd’s statement or mine. Maybe you have your own ideas. Let’s hear them!!!!!!!!

2012 IAL ROOKIE DRAFT REVIEW

1)  TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS: Jeremy Hellickson P: This young righthander throws four pitches for strikes.  He is a pitcher, in every sense of the word.  Posting numbers that resulted in a B-Z grade.  His best pitch is his changeup.  Still I am not a fan.  I tend to shy away from righties without strikeout letters, ever since I was burned when I chose Dave Rozema over Ron Guidry, Oops!

2)  THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Michael Pineda P: This big kid gets the strikeouts that Hellickson doesn’t.  So you’d think I’d be all over this guy with a major man crush, but an early season trip to the DL has me concerned.  Yet you have to love this guy’s stuff.  When healthy he can dominate, also should get lots of run support pitching for the Yankees.

3)  CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Brett Lawrie 3B: Lawrie is a righthanded hitting version of Larry Walker.  Brett playing thirdbase makes him even more valuable than Walker.  This Canadian can flat out rake!  Best hitter in the draft & he can steal bases too.

4)  KENTUCKY KERNELS: Greg Holland P*: The Kernels are competing and getting this filthy reliever might be the missing piece to get Keith another ring.  Holland has it all!  With Andrew Bailey hurting, Greg might be Kentucky’s closer of the future.

5)  CHICAGO CHAMPIONS: Eric Hosmer 1B: Going into the draft, Lawrie was the #1 hitter available, with Hosmer being #1A.  Eric has a great makeup!  He reminds me of Joey Votto.  With Morneau still battling post concussion symptoms & El Caballo getting a little long in the tooth, Hosmer shows up just in the nick of time.

6)  RISING BAMM BEANOS: Ivan Nova P: They wanted Lawrie, but when he was gone, they decided to retool to compete for a playoff slot, anything can happen.  Nova is a big guy, who throws hard, being supported by the Yankees bats can’t hurt.  Ivan is a nice piece to round out a rotation.

7)  GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Danny Espinosa 2B: Espinosa is a power hitting switch hitter, who plays 2B.  He also steals bases.  Due to his obscene strikeout rate, he’ll never hit for average, although he does draw some walks.  Also Danny is a converted SS, who can really field.

8)  MOLLY PUTTS MARAUDERS: Vance Worley P: Other than his grade of B, I see nothing impressive about this guy.  His fastball tops out in the low 90s & he throws an average slider.  Worley is not a top ten pick, IMHO.

9)  NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Jemile Weeks 2B: Rickie’s little brother, yet his game is a lot different than his big bro.  He’s a switch hitter, with good speed, and very little power.  I thought he was a good fielder, but he was only rated a 6.  Jemile has had trouble staying healthy.  Dustin Ackley would have been a much better choice!

10)         MOLINE UPPERDECKERS: J.P. Arencibia C: This kid has raw power!  He strikes out a lot & will never hit for average.  Arencibia will also never be better than a 7 on defense.  Wilson Ramos is head & shoulders above this guy.  Still J.P.’s pick makes some sense, as a backup to Mauer, he provides a power stick off the bench.

11)         TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS: Jason Kipnis 2B: Kipnis is a converted outfielder, learning secondbase in the bigs.  That being said, this kid can hit!  I was surprised by Tom’s pick of Jason, thought he’d end up being a Champ.

12)         THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Aroldis Chapman P*: The absolute steal of the draft!  It’s a head scratcher that rebuilding teams would leave this Cuban out there to be gobbled up by a contender.  You can’t teach a 100 MPH fastball!  The best pitcher in the draft, period!

13)         CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Brandon Beachy P: Brandon has the stuff, knows how to pitch, and competes.  Beachy is a member of the Atlanta Braves rotation, which is always a plus.  He mixes his good change with his good fastball, and the results are good.

14)         CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Dee Gordon SS: Everyone seemed to have SS covered, which left him out there for Rob.  Moore’s draft of Lawrie & Gordon, reminds me of his draft of Beltre & Tejada, nice!  Dee is the son of reliever Tom “Flash” Gordon, and he can fly.  Gordon is a tremendous athlete, I see him developing power as he matures, outstanding selection!

15)         CHICAGO CHAMPIONS: Mike Moustakas 3B: Moustakas was rated as a higher prospect than KC teammate Hosmer.  Now both rookies are both on the Champions.  While Eric is a little ahead of Mike right now, both have huge futures in Chicago.  This lefthanded hitter has plus power and makes solid contact.

16)         RISING BAMM BEANOS: Cory Luebke P: Like I said before, John decided to compete.  But getting Luebke might be another case of getting another piece to the rotation.  In today’s game, you can never have too many good arms.  This lefthander knows how to pitch, can strike hitters out, and pitches in a pitcher friendly ballpark.

17)         MOLINE UPPERDECKERS: Kenley Jansen P*: Marc loves hard throwers & Kenley throws hard!  I was looking at Jansen as a possible replacement for Jose Valverde.  This guy is nasty!

18)         MOLLY PUTTS MARAUDERS: Wilson Ramos C: For a guy, who doesn’t believe in quality backstops, he has a couple of the best young catchers in the business, in Posey & Ramos.  Wilson will be an 8, hits for average, and will launch 20 homers per year.

19)         NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Paul Goldschmidt 1B: Goldschmidt walks slowly & carries a big stick.  Paul has tremendous power, but will never hit for average.

20)         MOLLINE UPPERDECKERS: Dustin Ackley 2B: Here is another case of overkill.  Marc already has Todd Walker and now he adds Ackley.  Still hard to pass on the best secondbaseman in the draft, was hoping he might slip to me.

21)         TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS: Aaron Crow P*: Crow is a hard throwing reliever in the mold of Jeff Reardon.  Aaron was drafted high as a starter by the Royals, but seems to have found his niche in the pen.

22)         THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Mike Minor P: Another member of the Atlanta Braves rotation, this lefty looks to be a good one.  Minor pitched for Vanderbilt, the same college that produced lefthanded ace, David Price.

23)         CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Jordan Walden P*: Walden has hit triple digits on the radar gun.  Yet his control is poor, as is his slider.  Still you can’t teach speed.  He’ll need to improve his control if he’s going to be successful.

24)         KENTUCKY KERNELS: Hank Conger C: Conger has some skills.  Yet the Angels decided to send him down and pick up a catcher rather than give him a shot.  Maybe he’s not ready or maybe he’s just not that good.

25)         CHICAGO CHAMPIONS: Salvador Perez C: The Kansas City Royals thought so highly of this youngster that they signed him to a long term contract even though he only had 39 big league games under his belt.  Even though Perez suffered a knee injury, he remains a solid choice considering Victor Martinez also hurt his knee.

26)         RISING BAMM BEANOS: Matt Downs BAT: Matt Downs is officially the first whore pick of the draft.  Downs plays a variety of positions, none of them particularly well.  Truth be told, he’s a hitter, who just might help get the Bamm Beanos into the playoffs.

27)         GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Desmond Jennings OF: Green Rock needed a speedy outfielder after dealing B.J. Upton to his son Marc.  Jennings has some holes in his game, starting off strong, but slumping as weaknesses were exposed.

28)         MOLLY PUTTS MARAUDERS: Freddie Freeman 1B: Molly Putts went back to the Atlanta Braves organization for a hitter to go along with last year’s selection of Jason Heyward.  Freeman is a clutch hitter, who is a Gold Glove caliber defender, and he’ll draw a walk.  Although he doesn’t have foot speed, this is a very nice pick, and he should be a starter at 1^st for years to come.

29)         NORTHSIDE HITMEN: J.D. Martinez OF: Martinez is a doubles machine.  While he’ll never be a super star, he’s a solid hitter, who’ll replace retiring Manny Ramirez.

30)         MOLINE UPPERDECKERS: Eduardo Nunez IF: Nunez is a super utility man.  This kid can play, but he’s stuck behind Jeter, AROD, & Cano in the Bronx.  Still there’s no arguing about the value of a versatile player like this saving picks.

31)         TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS: Daniel Descalso IF: Descalso filled in at thirdbase for the Redbirds, but primarily he’s a secondbaseman.  But even if Kipnis pans out, it still might be smart picking Danial, with ODOG getting up there in age.

32)         THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Vinnie Pestano P*: Vinnie had a nice year, has the same name as Todd’s son, and might help get the Gamblers into the playoffs as the team’s closer.  Can you say, one-year wonder?

33)         GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Mike McKenry C: A bum, looking for a park bench.  McKenry didn’t even make the top 30 prospects for the Buccos.  He isn’t even a good backup, maybe he won’t get a card.

34)         NORTHSIDE HITMEN: Javy Guerra P*: This reliever has balls, he’s also developed a sinking changeup.  Guerra reminds me of a young Sergio Romo.  He will be a good replacement for Joakim Soria, he’s a lot like him too.

35)         CHICAGO CHAMPIONS: Jose Altuve 2B: This little man got his chance last year and he’s grabbed the starting keystone spot in Houston with both hands.  Altuve is a slick fielder and a sparkplug.  He’s a fan favorite!

36)         RISING BAMM BEANOS: Steve Cishek P*: I propose a rule, if you can’t pronounce his name, you can’t draft him.  He has a sinking fastball & a fading changeup, a nice combination for a relief pitcher.

37)         MOLLY PUTTS MARAUDERS: Brent Morel 3B: Morel is a line drive, gap hitter, who is a good defensive thirdbaseman.  DonS used to collect shortstops, now it looks like he’s collecting thirdbasemen, with Hanley moving to the hot corner, joining Kung Fu Panda.

38)         TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS: Danny Duffy P: Another steal, when Tom announced, Duffy, there were a lot of obscenities muttered.  If everybody knew about this lefty, why was he still there at pick #38.  Danny is a lefty with a high 90s fastball, nice!  Sixth Kansas City Royals player taken in the draft.

39)         THREE RIVERS GAMBLERS: Josh Collmenter P: Josh got by with a funky motion as a rookie, usually these type of pitchers don’t do it for long.  I’d be surprised if he’s graded again.  Still, he might help get the Gamblers into the playoffs, roll the dice!

40)         CHICAGO HIGHLANDERS: Carlos Carrasco P: He’s out for the year, so he’ll only be around for one year.  Don’t really understand taking a “dead guy” in the draft, but he’ll be a draft pick next year.

41)         MOLINE UPPERDECKERS: Phil Humber P: The Upperdeckers are going for it, so taking Humber makes sense.  Phil is in the White Sox rotation and he has control, smart pick!

42)         MOLLY PUTTS MARAUDERS: Zack Britton P: If this guy can just hang on till the IAL gets rid of the pitcher’s hitting card, DonS is smart like a fox!  Zack has good stuff and is a battler, if his arm can stay attached he might be a good one.

43)         TWIN CITY THUNDERCHICKENS: Steven Strasberg P: I’d say protecting Strasberg was a no-brainer, but after not protecting Jacoby Ellsbury last year, I don’t know.  A very nice keep!

44)         KENTUCKY KERNELS: Mark Trumbo 1B: This big man carries a big bat, and he hits the ball hard.  With Pujols & Morales both on LAA, Trumbo is a man without a position.  Kentucky is going for it, Mark might provide a big bat off the bench at a key time, thinking ahead.

45)         GREEN ROCK BOMBERS: Adam Wainwright P: Here is another no-brainer.  Wainwright is a good one, but how long will it take for him to get his game back?

2012 IAL ROOKIE DRAFT GRADES

A+ HIGHLANDERS: Lawrie, Beachy, Gordon, Walden, Carrasco: Two superstars, Lawrie & Gordon will be lineup fixtures for years to come, Beachy is a solid starter, Walden is suspect unless he can harness control, and Carrasco is gone after this year, dead man walking.

A GAMBLERS: Pineda, Chapman, Minor, Pestano, Collmenter: Chapman is a legitimate ace, Minor is a solid starter, Pineda if healthy will be a good one, and anything beyond this year for Collmenter will be a bonus.

A CHAMPIONS: Hosmer, Moustakas, Perez, Altuve: Hosmer provides insurance in case Morneau can’t bounce back, Moustakas is sizing up AROD’s shoes, Perez looks to be this team’s catcher of the future, and Altuve adds life at secondbase.

B+ UPPERDECKERS: Arencibia, Jansen, Ackley, Nunez, Humber: Ackley is a player, but blocked by Walker, Jansen is another power arm for the pen, Arencibia has power, but little else, Nunez is a super utility man, and Humber rounds out the rotation nicely for now.

B BAMM BEANOS: Nova, Luebke, Downs, Cishek: Nova & Luebke add rotation depth, while Cishek gives them another bullpen arm, and Downs is a bat off the bench.

C+ HITMEN: Weeks, Goldschmidt, Martinez, Guerra: Goldschmidt has big time power, Martinez is a doubles machine, and Guerra will be the closer here.  I’ve drafted Jerry Browne, Bump Wills, & Josh Barfield, glad Weeks was off the board to remove any temptation.

C KERNELS: Holland, Conger, Trumbo: Holland will step into Bailey’s closer’s role, Trumbo has nice power off the bench, and Conger has talent if given a chance to play.

C- THUNDERCHICKENS: Hellickson, Kipnis, Crow, Descalso, Duffy, Strasberg: Duffy is the real deal, Hellickson might be a #4 or #5 starter, Kipnis will be a 7 at best & has a good bat, Crow looks to be a solid reliever, Descalso has no future, and credit was given for Strasberg last year.

D+ MARAUDERS: Worley, Ramos, Freeman, Morel, Britton: Ramos was the best catcher in the draft & has a bright future, Freeman is a piece to build a ballclub around, Morel has a nice glove with doubles power, Britton has a future if healthy, and Worley has reached his peak & it’s all downhill from here.

F BOMBERS: Espinosa, Jennings, McKenry, Wainwright: You get what you see in Espinosa & Jennings, McKenry is a bum, and Wainwright was just a protect.

2012 OVERLOOKED ROOKIES

1: OF Lucas Duda: He may never be more than a 1, but he’ll always have a 1.  This kid can hit!

2: P Henderson Alvarez: The sky’s the limit for Alvarez.  He has pinpoint control, knows how to pitch, and reminds me of Greg Maddux in the way he goes about his business.

3: P Kyle Drabek: Overmatched as a rookie, but will have a very productive major league career.  This is one that got away!

4: 1B Anthony Rizzo: There were enough firstbasemen in this draft that proved it as rookies.  All this kid needs is a little more seasoning in the minors.  Soon his jerseys will be flying off the shelves at Wrigley, just like the balls he’ll hit out onto Sheffield Avenue.

5: 2B Darwin Barney: It was a great year for rookie secondbaseman, with everyone taken being arguably better than Barney.  That said, this kid is not a stiff, and should get better as he matures, love his hustle!

6: OF Eric Thames: Did a solid job as a rookie, look for it to continue throughout his career.

7: P* Tim Collins: A little lefty with a big arm, a poor man’s Billy Wagner.

8: OF John Mayberry, Jr.: A very athletic big man, who can pound the ball.  Not a star, but possibly a 4^th outfielder in our league.

9: OF Allen Craig: Everyone knows this kid can hit, the perfect DH.

10: P* Bryan Shaw: A reliever with good control, balls, and knows how to get batters out.

2012 TRADE REVIEW

BAMM BEANOS send J.A. Happ to the MARAUDERS for Jonathan Herrera.  A 30 year old Northwestern lefthander for a 28 year old utility infielder, hmmm, these two guys aren’t worth a second thought.  It’s kind of a wash, except it seems like a utility infielder might be slightly more valuable than a pitcher looking for the plate.

BAMM BEANOS 6, MARAUDERS 4

KERNELS send #2 DC (Dee Gordon), #5 DC (Carlos Carrasco), & Pineiro to the Highlanders for Michael Young, Brian Sanches, & Jon Garland.  It comes down to Dee Gordon for Michael Young and while I love Dee Gordon, I have to call this trade even because of what this trade does for both teams.  Michael Young will really help the Kernels in their quest for another ring.

KERNELS 5, HIGHLANDERS 5

HIGHLANDERS send Jeff Keppinger & Chris Johnson to the BOMBERS for #4 DC (Mike McKenry) & Jayson Nix.  Keppinger & Johnson provide quality backups & coverage, and allowed the Highlanders flexibility in the draft.  While McKenry & Nix are a couple of bums out wondering if you have any spare change.

HIGHLANDERS 7, BOMBERS 3

KERNELS send Elvis Andrus & #4 DC (Javy Guerra) to the HITMEN for Hiroki Kuroda & Eric Young, Jr.  Here again, even though Andrus is a top flight SS and Kuroda is an aging starting pitcher, I’m going to call this a good trade for both teams.  The Hitmen get a big time player in Andrus & a future closer for 200 B innings and speed off the bench.  GO KEITH GO!!!

KERNELS 5, HITMEN 5

UPPERDECKERS send Jason Varitek to the BAMM BEANOS for #5 DC (Phil Humber).  Varitek provides a good hitting backup at catcher & then he goes away, while Humber helps round out the Upperdeckers rotation.  Slight edge Upperdeckers.

UPPERDECKERS 6, BAMM BEANOS 4

BOMBERS send Buster Posey & Yunel Escobar to the MARAUDERS for Adam Wainwright & Adam LaRoche.  Really Mom, they’re magic beans!  Maybe Mike is trying to collect all the Adams in the league.  Seriously, a starting SS & the best young catcher in baseball for a pitcher coming back from major elbow surgery (although success from Tommy John surgery almost seems to be a given) and a bum firstbaseman.  Even if Wainwright does come back, the Bombers are taking all the risk here.

BOMBERS 2, MARAUDERS 8

BOMBERS send B.J. Upton & #2 DC (Kenley Jansen) to the UPPERDECKERS for J.J. Hardy & Todd Helton.  Hardy is the best player in this trade, and yet I have to give the advantage to Marc.  Upton gets on base, his card is always gonna be better than what he does in real life baseball because of his combination of speed, power, & walks.  The Upperdeckers needed a leadoff hitter, now the Bombers do.  Jansen gives the Upperdeckers another bullpen arm, while firstbaseman Helton is a stop gap measure at best.  The only plus for the Bombers is now Hardy is batting for him, not hitting against him.

BOMBERS 3, UPPERDECKERS 7

GAMBLERS send Howie Kendrick to the MARAUDERS for Yunel Escobar.  I know I told DonS that I liked Escobar, but I didn’t know that would put him on the “trade immediately” list.  I know Kendrick plays for the Halos, but the Marauders have Uggla at 2B, while they could use Yunel at SS.  With Pedroia at 2B for the Gamblers it makes sense to move Howie for Jeter’s eventual replacement.  Both players are virtually equal with the stick, one plays 2B, the other plays SS.

GAMBLERS 6, MARAUDERS 4  

IAL Accomplishments:

• 7th all-time in career triples with 82
• 1269 career runs and 961 rbis

IAL Accomplishments:

• 9th all time in career homeruns with 475
• 2nd all time in career walks with 1372
• 6th all-time career OBP with .390
• Highest all time single season OBP with a .501 mark in 1995
• 7th highest all time single season in rbis with 162 in 1998
• Third highest all time single season in walks with 151 in 1995
• World Series Championships:  1998, 2006

Rookie pitchers

Mike’s dog has as big an appetite as he does :)

Brando and I went to the lovely town of Colona to both play Papa Bunch and son on Saturday.  In both series, our team got off to a good start but ended up on a losing note.  We ended up losing 3-6 to Marcus and 4-5 to Mike.

That puts us at 61-83 and deeper in the basement, I’m sure. 

Some highlights:

In three straight games against the Bombers, Troy Tulowitzski went 9 for 13 with 5 rbis and 7 runs scored on three homeruns. 

Ryan Zimmerman had 3+ rbis in four separate games including Game 8 against the Bombers when he hit two homeruns and drove in five.  For the 18 games, he drove in 20.

Some lowlights:

Albert Pujols hit .222 with 0 homers with 1 rbi in 14 games and 45 at-bats.

In three straights starts, Manny Parra gave up a total of 39 runs and 21 walks. 

We have Molly Putts and the Beanos left.  We only need to two wins to avoid a 100-loss season.  Unless Albert picks it up, I’m only fairly certain we can do this.  Limit are good though if by good you mean I can pitch Manny Parra.

Greg Maddux Gets the Call

Greg Maddux was inducted into the IAL Hall of Fame. He finished his career with a record of 354 wins versus 232 losses. Besides leading all time in wins, Greg also tops the charts in starts 749, complete games 193, 63 shutouts, and innings pitched 5,086’. Maddux is 2nd all time in strikeouts 3,925, compared to only 1,271 bases on balls, over a 3-to-1 ratio. His career ERA of 3.59 is just out of the top ten, #10 currently stands at 3.57.

In 1988 the Chicago Champions drafted Greg Maddux as D-Y, after he’d posted a 5.61 ERA, a 6-14 record, and allowed 181 base hits over 155” innings of work for the Chicago Cubs. He started 42 games for the Champs in his rookie season, finishing with a 4-15 record and a 6.83 ERA, who knew of the greatness that was to come. Maddux was one of several Champions drafted, who shared their birthday, April 14th, with Chicago skipper Tedd Mallasch.

The six-time Cy Young Award winner, relied on guile, grit, determination, along with competitiveness, but his pinpoint control was what defined Maddux as a pitcher. In 1997 he walked only 13 batters in 245 innings worked. In fact from 1996-98, he only issued 59 free passes over 712’ innings pitched. Greg was a winner, winning twenty or more games 1993-96, and then again in 2001.

It wasn’t just about personal performance for Maddux, if the team wasn’t winning Greg wasn’t happy. Fortunately the Champions finished in 1st place in his rookie year and then again in his last season in the bigs, with a lot of reasons to celebrate in between. Four times Chicago finished in first place and five times they won it all.

It’s kind of neat to compare his MLB numbers with his IAL numbers. Here are his real life stats compared to his in the Illowa APBA League:

He came in as the Batboy and went out as the Professor. Here’s to the greatest pitcher in the history of the Illowa APBA League, Greg Maddux!

- Tedd Mallasch, manager of the Chicago Champions