Both series of the FNFT playoffs are now even at one game apiece and have now become best 2 out of 3 series. There was a contingency schedule for the World Series if both playoff series were sweeps. That is obviously not going to happen.
So - Game 3 of the playoffs is Tuesday, August 30. Game 4 is Friday, September 2.
Game 5, if necessary, will be Sunday, September 4. Make a note of that. We have never had an FNFT game on Sunday, but this one will work just like any other FNFT game. Every team in the Major Leagues has a game scheduled on both Sunday and Monday, Labor Day. The schedule turns from Sunday to Monday so every team plays a different opponent, but they all play.
Under normal circumstances, I would do live blogging on Saturday night so if you wanted to, you would know before you went to bed whether there will be a Game 5. However, I'm out of town on Saturday so I won't be able to do updates until my normal time Sunday morning.
As far as lineups go - you will have until the normal time to change your lineup for Friday night's game - noon or whenever (before any games start). Then you will have from midnight Friday (see next paragraph) until 12 noon on Sunday to set your lineup for Sunday's game. That noon deadline is hard - games on Sunday start at 12:05.
If you need to set your lineup for Sunday's game BEFORE Friday night, you will need to email it to me. I will assume that the lineup you have set in the system on Friday night is your lineup for Game 4. Once I have pulled down the Game 4 lineups (Friday night) I will post a note on the website that it's ok to change your lineup for Sunday's game.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
-13
Joe has been bitching about his relief pitching all year:
Despite that, Joe went into last night trailing in the wild card race by two games. His hitting was mediocre but Jake's (Jake S.) hitting was worse. When I did a quick hand tally late last night, Joe was leading Jake 39-28 including 9 points from Joe's #2 RP Jose Valverde and 7 from Jake's #1 RP Craig Kimbrel. Both have starting pitchers going on Saturday. Jake declared, "It's over. I'm not going to win the wild card." I said, "You could be right."
Enter Ryan Madison - Philly's closer - Joe's #1 RP.
He came in to pitch the bottom of the 9th with the Phils leading 4-2. A solid save would put Joe in a very good position going into Saturday's games. But oops, he gave up a single to Jason Werth. Then another single to Danny Espinosa. And another to Jonny Gomes. 4-3 Phillies. Wil Ramos, the Nats catcher bunted the runners to second and third, netting Madison his first positive point of the inning. Jesus Flores pinch hit and was intentionally walked (with Joe muttering 'Jesus Christ' if he was watching).
Ian Desmond then singled, tying the game and eliminating the possibility of a save for Madison. But he then struck out Rick Ankiel for the second out and had a chance to get out of the inning only a hair below sea level.
Enter Ryan Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan). A 3-2 fastball from Madison was send Blowin' in the Wind. A walk-off grand slam. And -13 for Ryan Madison. 'Fuck you up' he did.
Now Joe trails Jake by 14 points going into today's games. Not only must he cover that spread, but beat him by enough to gain 2 games in the standings. Alexi Ogando goes for Joe and Justin Masterson for Jake.
"Can I bench all of my relievers?"
"If someone wants a RP that loves F&%kin you up on Friday, Saturday, Tuesday or Wednesdays, I've got one for you."When I ran the position analysis a couple of games ago, Joe's relievers had scored only 67 points all season - easily the lowest in the league.
Despite that, Joe went into last night trailing in the wild card race by two games. His hitting was mediocre but Jake's (Jake S.) hitting was worse. When I did a quick hand tally late last night, Joe was leading Jake 39-28 including 9 points from Joe's #2 RP Jose Valverde and 7 from Jake's #1 RP Craig Kimbrel. Both have starting pitchers going on Saturday. Jake declared, "It's over. I'm not going to win the wild card." I said, "You could be right."
Enter Ryan Madison - Philly's closer - Joe's #1 RP.
He came in to pitch the bottom of the 9th with the Phils leading 4-2. A solid save would put Joe in a very good position going into Saturday's games. But oops, he gave up a single to Jason Werth. Then another single to Danny Espinosa. And another to Jonny Gomes. 4-3 Phillies. Wil Ramos, the Nats catcher bunted the runners to second and third, netting Madison his first positive point of the inning. Jesus Flores pinch hit and was intentionally walked (with Joe muttering 'Jesus Christ' if he was watching).
Ian Desmond then singled, tying the game and eliminating the possibility of a save for Madison. But he then struck out Rick Ankiel for the second out and had a chance to get out of the inning only a hair below sea level.
Enter Ryan Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan). A 3-2 fastball from Madison was send Blowin' in the Wind. A walk-off grand slam. And -13 for Ryan Madison. 'Fuck you up' he did.
Now Joe trails Jake by 14 points going into today's games. Not only must he cover that spread, but beat him by enough to gain 2 games in the standings. Alexi Ogando goes for Joe and Justin Masterson for Jake.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Stayin' Alive
All three divisions have been clinched. John, Joel and Brett are in the FNFT playoffs. Jake S. goes 0-4 and now leads Joe by only 2 games for the wild card spot. Gerry is also still in the wild card race but trails by 5 games.
One more Friday, then it's FNFT playoffs. If a 1-game playoff is necessary to decide the wild card, it will be this Sunday, August 21.
One more Friday, then it's FNFT playoffs. If a 1-game playoff is necessary to decide the wild card, it will be this Sunday, August 21.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday... maybe
For perhaps the first time ever, the FNFT postseason schedule includes Sunday-Monday games.
If there is a 1-game playoff it will be this Sunday, August 21. The games from Monday, August 22 will count as they normally would. Please note that not all MLB teams play on Monday, August 22. So for those teams not schedules, you will only get the Sunday game. That's obviously not ideal, but it's really the only way I could schedule it. The only teams that could possibly be involved in a 1-game playoff at this point are Jake S., Joe and Gerry. Please plan accordingly.
Also, if the playoffs go to a Game 5, it will be on Sunday and Monday, September 4-5. That Monday is Labor Day and all MLB teams are scheduled to play both Sunday and Monday.
Similarly, the World Series would conclude with Game 7 on a Sunday too (September 25). I did this to avoid scheduling the last and second to last days of the MLB season which ends Wednesday, September 28.
Now, if there is no 1-game playoff and if BOTH playoff series end in three games, the World Series start will be moved up to Friday, September 2 and all of the Sundays will be erased from the post-season schedule.
If there is a 1-game playoff it will be this Sunday, August 21. The games from Monday, August 22 will count as they normally would. Please note that not all MLB teams play on Monday, August 22. So for those teams not schedules, you will only get the Sunday game. That's obviously not ideal, but it's really the only way I could schedule it. The only teams that could possibly be involved in a 1-game playoff at this point are Jake S., Joe and Gerry. Please plan accordingly.
Also, if the playoffs go to a Game 5, it will be on Sunday and Monday, September 4-5. That Monday is Labor Day and all MLB teams are scheduled to play both Sunday and Monday.
Similarly, the World Series would conclude with Game 7 on a Sunday too (September 25). I did this to avoid scheduling the last and second to last days of the MLB season which ends Wednesday, September 28.
Now, if there is no 1-game playoff and if BOTH playoff series end in three games, the World Series start will be moved up to Friday, September 2 and all of the Sundays will be erased from the post-season schedule.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Pennant Race
I drove up Bark Lake Road yesterday which is near my house. The south side of the road is lined with sugar maples and most of them have a several leaves with bright red tips. It must be getting close to playoff time in FNFT.
John and Brett are the first two teams to clinch playoff spots. John may have technically clinched last Friday. Realistically he cliched in May. Brett has clinched the Roger Clemens Division and will be making his first appearance in the FNFT playoffs in his third season in the league.
Joel leads the Pedro Martinez Division by 9 games over Gerry. His magic number is two. Assuming he wins, this will be his first appearance in the FNFT post-season since losing to Gerry in the World Series in 2002.
Jake S. leads the Wild Card race by 4 games over Joe and 8 over Gerry. His magic number is 7. He could technically still catch John for the division title in which case John would then be the wild card. This would be his first FNFT post-season appearance in eight seasons in the league.
Joe and Gerry are the two teams on the outside looking in. Gerry would seem to need nothing short of a miracle to pick up 8 games in the wild card race or 9 games in his division race. Joe trails by 4 in the wild card race - difficult but clearly not impossible.
As for the rest of you... It was just one of those years. The divide between the top six teams and the bottom six teams never closed.
As for me, I am headed toward having the worst record in FNFT for the second time in three years. With a championship sandwiched in between. Weird. But I'll take it.
John and Brett are the first two teams to clinch playoff spots. John may have technically clinched last Friday. Realistically he cliched in May. Brett has clinched the Roger Clemens Division and will be making his first appearance in the FNFT playoffs in his third season in the league.
Joel leads the Pedro Martinez Division by 9 games over Gerry. His magic number is two. Assuming he wins, this will be his first appearance in the FNFT post-season since losing to Gerry in the World Series in 2002.
Jake S. leads the Wild Card race by 4 games over Joe and 8 over Gerry. His magic number is 7. He could technically still catch John for the division title in which case John would then be the wild card. This would be his first FNFT post-season appearance in eight seasons in the league.
Joe and Gerry are the two teams on the outside looking in. Gerry would seem to need nothing short of a miracle to pick up 8 games in the wild card race or 9 games in his division race. Joe trails by 4 in the wild card race - difficult but clearly not impossible.
As for the rest of you... It was just one of those years. The divide between the top six teams and the bottom six teams never closed.
As for me, I am headed toward having the worst record in FNFT for the second time in three years. With a championship sandwiched in between. Weird. But I'll take it.
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