Probably most leagues have finished up their 2008 season. Not the IAL. We’re in our last month, fighting out the last playoff spots. Not me though… my Twin City Thunderchickens went into the month of January tied for last place with the Chicago Highlanders with an ugly 60-93 record.
As I’ve mentioned before, it could have been worse. We started the season 17-52 then came alive and played eight series over a period of 77 games where we did not lose a series. We did manage to peek above last place for one month before getting slapped around last month by rivals Molly Putts Marauders six games to three.
But to the task at hand… we had a series to play. I don’t know if it’s by accident or by design but the last nine game series we play is usually against our cross-town rivals the Rising Bamm! Beanos. Manager John Brandeberry lives in rural Champaign. I live in Urbana. We’re good buddies but no punches are pulled when we play.
Seeing as I’m in the sharing the cellar with another team, I don’t have any playoff aspirations but with nine games left in the season, I do have goals.
- Going into January, Albert Pujols had 38 homeruns and 109 rbis. If Albert can come away with two more dingers, that gives him 40/100 for the first seven years of his Illowa APBA League career. Ok, yeah I’m tooting my player’s horn a bit but that’s pretty dang incredible.
- Staying within my player limits as laid down by IAL rules. That will be tough. My players are actually doing ok. Pujols has to rest a game. A couple others have at-bat issues but for the most part they are ok. But the PITCHING!! Otsuka has one inning left. Ruddy Lugo has one inning left. Pat Neshek has five. Fortunately, a couple starters IP/G are pretty close to 9.0. Lackey is actually over for some strange reason (guess he’ll be completing his games).
Cynics would probably add “what about that first round draft pick?”. Yeah, yeah, if I lose big, I get my choice of Soto or Longoria. But once Brando and I started rolling the bones on Sunday, that competitiveness kicks in and all thought of standings and draft order gets thrown out the window and I just want to play good APBA.
Which I pretty much did for the four games we played.
Some highlights:
I rested Pujols for the first game and inserted Mike Jacobs in his 1B spot. Whattyaknow, Jacobs came through with 5 hits and 3 rbis including 2 doubles and a homerun in our 10-2 win. Now I’m one of these APBA guys that thinks players are more than just cardstock with numbers on them; they’re members of my team. If they’re going to do that well, I’ll reward them with another start (Pujols’ AB/G for the remainder of the season was kinda low anyway). Well, in Game 2 he went 0-4 with 2 Ks. We managed to win that one anyway 7-6. Rolen’s error in the top oof the ninth started a key rally in that one.
In Game 3, Pujols came back and he was ready. In order, he hit a triple, double, F8, HBP, and yesss! a HR! #39. One more to go!
Interestingly, the number three spot in our order was magical for us in the four games we played no matter who we played (Jacobs, Gomes, Pujols x2). The number 3 spot went 10 for 17 with 9 rbis, five doubles, a triple, three homeruns.
We won the first three games (McGowan, Lackey and Glavine got the Ws) and I began to kiss my first pick goodbye when the Beanos Jamie Moyer and Brad Lidge combined to shut us out for eight innings. Ironically, we DID score one run against Jonathon ‘ACXK’ Papelbon. It wasn’t enough as we lost that one, 2-1.
So far it’s Thunderchickens 3, Beanos 1
Tentatively Brando and I are scheduled to finish the series and the season tomorrow. Hoping for Boxcars for Albert.
As the other team lodged in the cellar of the Illowa League, I also played my last series of the year today. It was brutal – worse yet, the team that I was playing has no manager at this point, as he stopped playing the games part way through the season. So I kicked my own butt. I lost 4 games in the 7th inning or later, and another one in the 6th. Series went 2-7, and I end up with the worst record I’ve ever had in this league, 62-100. I haven’t done stats yet, but I have no hitters with 100 RBI or 100 runs, or 30 HR. I may not have anyone with 90 runs or RBI. It was an ugly year – I hope next season will be better, as I will have 3 B starters and an excellent defense. My offense will be better, although still probably just league average at best.
It’s interesting to see the two teams at the bottom of the Illowa APBA League talking about their teams here. While my Chicago Champions will probably finish first, but probably not win 100 games, this league is really about the friendships forged, rather than the championships won.