Rumors are swirling around the SBL that Queen captain Bryan Frankovich almost quit the league last week. Do you think the Frankovich hating will rear its head again in the playoffs?
No, in most instances the playoffs are run strictly on the up and up. I mean, we’ll still make snide remarks about him…but if he loses in the playoffs it will be because he got beat, not because he was put in the penalty box for not shooting a homer.
Should Oatcake have sent Shelley Goodpastor to the Kamikazies instead of Katie Kelly?
Man…that is a really tough one. I’m going to say that I’m biased. Shelley has always been one of my favorite sbl superstars. That said, there is no question that Shelley isn’t as lights out from triple and beyond as she has been in the past. But, I also think you have to consider best and worse case. Katie is more of a given. She is going to make 4 of every 5 from the double stripe without thinking about it. Shelley meanwhile might only make 7 of 10 at the same range….but Shelley has way more exploding potential, and I have to think she’s more than capable of putting up one of her ungodly 13 of 14, 3 homer, 10 RBI games. Of course, she has to show up for this to come true.
Do you still agree with your statement a few weeks ago that Oatcake and the Queens are the only teams with a realistic shot to beat the Cats in a three game series?
If anything, I’d change my prediction to include only the Queens and not expand the list. I do however think that the blockbuster trade between Oatcake and Jukebox gave both of them a punchers chance. But the Queens have far and away the best shot.
Are you a fan of the current playoff format that has the first place team going all the way to finals?
No, but I honestly can’t think of better one. I didn’t like the idea of not playing for a week in 2004…and I think it does take the possibility of a crazy upset out of the mix. But, the only way to do it would be to leave a team out of the playoffs…and I’m not betting that team would show up if they weren’t in the playoffs.
Which of the four teams without a first round bye is the most likely to make a deep playoff run?
Without a doubt that is Jukebox Hero. The addition of Katie Kelly was a piece that they desperately needed, and if Mike can get Pasci’s ass out of bed I would actually consider them favorites over the Democracy. I also think they have the firepower to surprise Oatcake.
How will any team defeat the mighty laser cats? Maybe by pulling a tonya harding on Terry and Nate? Or is there no hope?
There’s not much hope, but the Cats have looked beatable in the latter stage of the year. The more people who show up for their team, the less at bats that Tomko and Shernisky get. If you can keep persuading Billy “Mini Ted” Deforest to jack up homers and can throw off Spohn, things could get interesting.
Lame duck President Nate Tomko has admitted that things didn’t really work out this year as far as parity in the league is concerned…how do we get back to 2006 and 2007 when any team could pretty much beat any other?
I’m giving him a Presidential mulligan on this season. He couldn’t have known that so many vets would hang it up, or that Bob Spohn would play like one of the super heroes tattooed on his arms. The following people have more to do with the lack of parity than Viceroy Tomko: George Kovac, Jamie Moroco, John Olsavsky, all three Lackeys, Lenny Crist, Ben Smith, Chuck Music, Dank Elly, Jamie Fabian and Mike Frankovich’s parole officer.
Which court would you like to see host the second week of the playoffs?
I’m a big fan of Hoffa Centre…but I didn’t get to play at Buttsex Ballpark this year.
Ben Smith has pretty much made a career out of his legendary performance during the playoffs a couple years ago. Who could be the player this year that could surprise us by having a career playoffs?
One player that comes to mind is Terry Hall. He’s been inconsistent, has never really been an integral part of a deep playoff run, and is not really mentioned among the best players in the league. A Ben Smithian playoff run and an Oatcake finals berth would make a lot of people forget that he had a lower batting average than his girlfriend and John Offutt this regular season.
Do you think the offensive friendly low hoop at the Nespor house will help or hurt the lower seeds this Sunday?
Not really either. I think everybody wins when we play at the Superdrome. While it certainly makes it easier for Mike and Pasci to drain homers, I know for a fact that Kip Corbett loves that middle homer at the Nespor house.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Mac's Mailbag 07-18-2008
A special thank you to Ben, Mike, and Bryan for submitting questions this week.
You were the only one with a last name other than Frankovich that thought the Queens would pull off the win last week. So, what chance do the rest of the teams have at stealing the left eye from our baseketball overlords?
While I like to say that any team can beat any other on any given week, that just hasn’t been the case this entire year. I don’t think it’s a secret that only the queens and oatcake have even a punchers chance of beating the cats in a three game series. The Queens and Oatcake both have flaws that are more of an issue than the occasional slow start of the Cats…and I think that losing last week did nothing but take the pressure off of the Laser Cats.
Does anyone other than fan favorite Opie Neff have a shot at winning rookie of the year?
No.
Where do you think the SBL will be in 1 year? How about 5 years?
I didn’t think I would ever be saying this, but I can honestly say I don’t see the SBL going away next year and will probably be around in some form or another 5 years from now. It’s more fun than church softball, that’s for sure.
If you could be on a team with three people of your choice not on your team this year, who would they be and why?
I actually think I answered something like this question earlier in the year….but three people I haven’t played with yet are Rando, White Terry, and Mikey
Last week Nate put up a list of his current all-star teams, which didn’t include yourself or Ben Smith…thoughts?
I actually agreed with all his choices (with stats being as they were then) except that I had Mikey as captain of the World instead of Stud. Nothing personal, but Stud doesn’t have the games played or dedication to the league that his cousin’s part time lover has. Also. There’s still a lot of baseketball left to be played this year. Gavin better show up these last couple weeks and M. Frank better keep with the torrid pace to be there come season’s end.
Is Nate Tomko having his best season ever (and thus the best season ever in the SBL)
Man, that’s a tough one. I’m going to have to say yes just because the stats are going to end up being mind numbing. Still, I think the Tomko of 2004 or 2005 (consider that he only played about 2/3 of the time in 2004) may have been a little more dominating overall.
What’s the dumbest prediction that you’ve made this year?
It would probably be the one about Jamie Moroco having baseketball in her blood and not being able to stay away all season.
Was last week’s Cats/Queens game the best of all time?
No. It really only got exciting when the Cats started to come back in the last couple innings. Even the first battle between the two teams in my mind had more back and forth excitement to it. For my money (and off the top of my head) the greatest game of all time would have been from the 2003 playoff series when the gonads and strife lead by Nate battled the Transexual Heartbreakers of Jared Clayton. It was the two best players (who really didn’t get along all that well) in the league battling to see who would eventually go on to become sbl champion…oh, and it took place in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Who would you most like to see write an article this year that has not?
That would have to be Mikey Moroco. He made an attempt last year with the PTI things…and I thought they were pretty lame. But, I have to admit that a year in college has given Mikey a keen sense of humor that I actually find very humorous. Id really like to see that transfer into a regular article.
You were the only one with a last name other than Frankovich that thought the Queens would pull off the win last week. So, what chance do the rest of the teams have at stealing the left eye from our baseketball overlords?
While I like to say that any team can beat any other on any given week, that just hasn’t been the case this entire year. I don’t think it’s a secret that only the queens and oatcake have even a punchers chance of beating the cats in a three game series. The Queens and Oatcake both have flaws that are more of an issue than the occasional slow start of the Cats…and I think that losing last week did nothing but take the pressure off of the Laser Cats.
Does anyone other than fan favorite Opie Neff have a shot at winning rookie of the year?
No.
Where do you think the SBL will be in 1 year? How about 5 years?
I didn’t think I would ever be saying this, but I can honestly say I don’t see the SBL going away next year and will probably be around in some form or another 5 years from now. It’s more fun than church softball, that’s for sure.
If you could be on a team with three people of your choice not on your team this year, who would they be and why?
I actually think I answered something like this question earlier in the year….but three people I haven’t played with yet are Rando, White Terry, and Mikey
Last week Nate put up a list of his current all-star teams, which didn’t include yourself or Ben Smith…thoughts?
I actually agreed with all his choices (with stats being as they were then) except that I had Mikey as captain of the World instead of Stud. Nothing personal, but Stud doesn’t have the games played or dedication to the league that his cousin’s part time lover has. Also. There’s still a lot of baseketball left to be played this year. Gavin better show up these last couple weeks and M. Frank better keep with the torrid pace to be there come season’s end.
Is Nate Tomko having his best season ever (and thus the best season ever in the SBL)
Man, that’s a tough one. I’m going to have to say yes just because the stats are going to end up being mind numbing. Still, I think the Tomko of 2004 or 2005 (consider that he only played about 2/3 of the time in 2004) may have been a little more dominating overall.
What’s the dumbest prediction that you’ve made this year?
It would probably be the one about Jamie Moroco having baseketball in her blood and not being able to stay away all season.
Was last week’s Cats/Queens game the best of all time?
No. It really only got exciting when the Cats started to come back in the last couple innings. Even the first battle between the two teams in my mind had more back and forth excitement to it. For my money (and off the top of my head) the greatest game of all time would have been from the 2003 playoff series when the gonads and strife lead by Nate battled the Transexual Heartbreakers of Jared Clayton. It was the two best players (who really didn’t get along all that well) in the league battling to see who would eventually go on to become sbl champion…oh, and it took place in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Who would you most like to see write an article this year that has not?
That would have to be Mikey Moroco. He made an attempt last year with the PTI things…and I thought they were pretty lame. But, I have to admit that a year in college has given Mikey a keen sense of humor that I actually find very humorous. Id really like to see that transfer into a regular article.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Mac's Power Rankings 07-11-2008
Going to Florida, Looking for jobs and golfing with Rando has pretty much taken up my week, but I figured I'd give you guys a little something...and yes, I'm well aware that I'm spending my Friday night writing an article that will only be read by Rando, Nate, Billy, Kip and Ben. Enjoy!
1) The Laser Cats
Two best players of all time…stop…best defensive team ever…stop…have the ability to turn the switch when they need to…stop…may give tomko an aneurism if a slow start costs them the perfect season…especially against Bryan Frankovich this coming weekend…stop…those who think it isn’t a possibility might be taking the surging queens lightly…stop
2) The Queens of the Rest Stop Reach-around
The queens have been the second hottest team during the last few weeks. Despite drawing the ire of sbl brass for the last four years, the head of the Frankovich monster just can’t seem to be cut off. While I definitely am not a fan of the Frankovich captaining style at times, I think anyone who doesn’t give the queens a shot at beating the laser cats this weekend should rethink it…only if stud comes of course. I mean, he has a lineup that could score 15 runs before the Laser Cats reach that 5th inning plateau, it’s at the queens home court, and Frankovich is due to come through against arch nemesis Nate Tomko. If he fails this time, I don’t think we can really call it a rivalry without laughing…unless you mean the type of rivalry that the steelers and browns have had for the last 14 years or so.
3) The Oatcake Hate Monsters
While stars on vacations combined with the pushing back of the SBL schedule ruined what could have been a competitive game against the laser cats last week, im not ready to blow the trade whistle just yet. This team is still capable of beating anyone on any given sunday.
4) Voltron
Disappointing…very disappointing. I’m not sure they would crack the top two even if they played well, but with their talent they should at least be in the discussion.
5) Banana Democracy
I see that others are drinking the Ben Smith cool-aid once again. Seeing as he has had a couple good weeks in a row, he’s bound to turn into Mr. Hyde real soon. Could the comedown be a result of caving to the pressure from others to shoot more long balls? Four years of inconsistency leaves me skeptical that Ben has turned the corner…though the game against the Laser Cats could be a great time to make me eat crow.
6) The Fleshy Funbridges
Man I love the funbridges…but they have a difficult three weeks to end the season.
7) Jukebox Hero
2-0?!!!! Wowsers!
8) The Kyoto Kamikazees
Usually the way to get back on the right track is to make sure that three players show up. I think Mikey’s interest in baseketball has declined this year in favor of women and booze, but I’m really hoping he doesn’t go down as the captain of the most disappointing team in SBL history. They can still turn it around.
1) The Laser Cats
Two best players of all time…stop…best defensive team ever…stop…have the ability to turn the switch when they need to…stop…may give tomko an aneurism if a slow start costs them the perfect season…especially against Bryan Frankovich this coming weekend…stop…those who think it isn’t a possibility might be taking the surging queens lightly…stop
2) The Queens of the Rest Stop Reach-around
The queens have been the second hottest team during the last few weeks. Despite drawing the ire of sbl brass for the last four years, the head of the Frankovich monster just can’t seem to be cut off. While I definitely am not a fan of the Frankovich captaining style at times, I think anyone who doesn’t give the queens a shot at beating the laser cats this weekend should rethink it…only if stud comes of course. I mean, he has a lineup that could score 15 runs before the Laser Cats reach that 5th inning plateau, it’s at the queens home court, and Frankovich is due to come through against arch nemesis Nate Tomko. If he fails this time, I don’t think we can really call it a rivalry without laughing…unless you mean the type of rivalry that the steelers and browns have had for the last 14 years or so.
3) The Oatcake Hate Monsters
While stars on vacations combined with the pushing back of the SBL schedule ruined what could have been a competitive game against the laser cats last week, im not ready to blow the trade whistle just yet. This team is still capable of beating anyone on any given sunday.
4) Voltron
Disappointing…very disappointing. I’m not sure they would crack the top two even if they played well, but with their talent they should at least be in the discussion.
5) Banana Democracy
I see that others are drinking the Ben Smith cool-aid once again. Seeing as he has had a couple good weeks in a row, he’s bound to turn into Mr. Hyde real soon. Could the comedown be a result of caving to the pressure from others to shoot more long balls? Four years of inconsistency leaves me skeptical that Ben has turned the corner…though the game against the Laser Cats could be a great time to make me eat crow.
6) The Fleshy Funbridges
Man I love the funbridges…but they have a difficult three weeks to end the season.
7) Jukebox Hero
2-0?!!!! Wowsers!
8) The Kyoto Kamikazees
Usually the way to get back on the right track is to make sure that three players show up. I think Mikey’s interest in baseketball has declined this year in favor of women and booze, but I’m really hoping he doesn’t go down as the captain of the most disappointing team in SBL history. They can still turn it around.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Mac's Mailbag 6/28/08
Ben Smith:
Which teams are underachieving right now? Which are overachieving?
I think the Kamikazees and the Queens have been the early disappointments of the year. As far as overachieving, I guess you could go with the banana democracy…who have one and competed in a few games in which they were outclassed.
Can Terry Hall step it up and get into the POTY mix as many pundits predicted?
I’m going to have to agree with Nate that he simply isn’t going to be on the level of the big three. I do however think he’s on the one team on which he doesn’t have to be on that level to make a splash in the postseason.
Katie Kelly:
What SBL team name do you think is the best of all time?
It would be really close between Bukkake Tsunami and Minoriteam. I know the Tsunami came from the overused “odd sexual phrase,” but I loved their shirts.
Who would win in an all girl SBL scrum?
The SBL guys…and in a less important way, Shelley Goodpastor.
Nate:
Give me a team of possible All Star snubs that you could turn into world title contenders.
Sure. This is assuming a lot, but is possible: Myself, Shelley, Rando, Stud…and Opie coming off the bench.
Cassie “The Assassin” Pyle-Nespor:
What Dewey Decimal call number would you give for baseketball?
Well, the easy thing to day would be to classify it as: DVD FIC BAS, but that would be cheating. In non fiction and most closely related to basketball, it would definitely start with 796.323….but without my copy of DDC I cant really get into location codes and variants.
Opie:
Which SBL diva should I ask out and why? Who should I avoid?
Wow man. You picked the wrong league for single guys. The more I think of it, I guess every single lady in the SBL has some attachment that could lead to you getting your ass kicked or banished from the SBL...Katie has Terry, Aryn has Nate, and if you tried anything with Shelley I’m pretty sure the gods of the left triple would strike you down on the spot. A kid named O’Mahoney once tried to get fresh with Katie Kelly and his body still hasn’t been found. I think your best bet is to ask Rob about his pierced tongue.
Billy:
How do you feel about the penalty President Corbett gave KT Kelly last week?
I think I made it fairly clear that I wasn’t a fan. A game earlier, Rando threw shoes, socks, and dead babies on the floor and was allowed to continue in a game that was over the week before. Then the next game Katie gets put in the sin bin during the most important part of a big game for insulting the ref? If we’re passing out penalty innings for questioning the refs, I think there are far bigger culprits than Katie Kelly. While I still think Kip will make a fine president, that’s not change we can believe in.
What do you think of the return of Jared Clayton to Voltron and it’s possible effects on the rest of the season?
Wow, I really wish Voltron played the Laser Cats in week 7 instead of week 6. Give Clayton a week to get back into the swing of things with his new team, and you’ll forget who Terry Shernisky is. He was battling with Nate Tomko while Terry was in high school. But seriously, the thought of he and Billy together is scary.
PJ:
Why didn’t you go on vacation with us this year?
Honestly I just cant afford it, and it fell on the wrong week. I just moved out of Chambersburg with the intent to find a new job in Western PA. Not a good time to be taking vacations with me having nothing to do but drink heavily.
Which teams are underachieving right now? Which are overachieving?
I think the Kamikazees and the Queens have been the early disappointments of the year. As far as overachieving, I guess you could go with the banana democracy…who have one and competed in a few games in which they were outclassed.
Can Terry Hall step it up and get into the POTY mix as many pundits predicted?
I’m going to have to agree with Nate that he simply isn’t going to be on the level of the big three. I do however think he’s on the one team on which he doesn’t have to be on that level to make a splash in the postseason.
Katie Kelly:
What SBL team name do you think is the best of all time?
It would be really close between Bukkake Tsunami and Minoriteam. I know the Tsunami came from the overused “odd sexual phrase,” but I loved their shirts.
Who would win in an all girl SBL scrum?
The SBL guys…and in a less important way, Shelley Goodpastor.
Nate:
Give me a team of possible All Star snubs that you could turn into world title contenders.
Sure. This is assuming a lot, but is possible: Myself, Shelley, Rando, Stud…and Opie coming off the bench.
Cassie “The Assassin” Pyle-Nespor:
What Dewey Decimal call number would you give for baseketball?
Well, the easy thing to day would be to classify it as: DVD FIC BAS, but that would be cheating. In non fiction and most closely related to basketball, it would definitely start with 796.323….but without my copy of DDC I cant really get into location codes and variants.
Opie:
Which SBL diva should I ask out and why? Who should I avoid?
Wow man. You picked the wrong league for single guys. The more I think of it, I guess every single lady in the SBL has some attachment that could lead to you getting your ass kicked or banished from the SBL...Katie has Terry, Aryn has Nate, and if you tried anything with Shelley I’m pretty sure the gods of the left triple would strike you down on the spot. A kid named O’Mahoney once tried to get fresh with Katie Kelly and his body still hasn’t been found. I think your best bet is to ask Rob about his pierced tongue.
Billy:
How do you feel about the penalty President Corbett gave KT Kelly last week?
I think I made it fairly clear that I wasn’t a fan. A game earlier, Rando threw shoes, socks, and dead babies on the floor and was allowed to continue in a game that was over the week before. Then the next game Katie gets put in the sin bin during the most important part of a big game for insulting the ref? If we’re passing out penalty innings for questioning the refs, I think there are far bigger culprits than Katie Kelly. While I still think Kip will make a fine president, that’s not change we can believe in.
What do you think of the return of Jared Clayton to Voltron and it’s possible effects on the rest of the season?
Wow, I really wish Voltron played the Laser Cats in week 7 instead of week 6. Give Clayton a week to get back into the swing of things with his new team, and you’ll forget who Terry Shernisky is. He was battling with Nate Tomko while Terry was in high school. But seriously, the thought of he and Billy together is scary.
PJ:
Why didn’t you go on vacation with us this year?
Honestly I just cant afford it, and it fell on the wrong week. I just moved out of Chambersburg with the intent to find a new job in Western PA. Not a good time to be taking vacations with me having nothing to do but drink heavily.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Mac's Mailbag 06/18/2008
Where has Ben Smith been?
He hasn’t fallen off the face of the earth. In fact, he’s been making changes to the SBL page for me because linux and the SBL page just don’t get along. While I suspect that “car troubles” has been secret code for “my girlfriend doesn’t want to spend her weekend with a bunch of idiots who take a made-up game way too seriously,” Ben has told me that he plans to be a regular in the second half of the year. Now, if we could only get Jon to show up and drop that ridiculous average down a few points.
What does your Oatcake team have to do to knock off the undefeated laser cats?
Well, aside from my idea to give Nate a beer laced with ruffies, I think all of the following have to happen:
1) Shelley has to be there.
2) I have to get out of moving my friend from her apartment and be there
3) The Laser Cats have to get off to a slow start
4) Oatcake has to have two five run innings off the bat
5) Either Nate or Terry needs to have one of those 6 for 12 type games
6) We can’t miss double plays or fail to box out
7) Terry Hall has to play like Terry Hall can
8) We need to score over 25 runs
If all that stuff happens, we have a shot.
Aside from yourself, who is the best of the “good at baseketball but not at basketball” crowd?
Hey now. Basketball certainly wasn’t my sport in high school or ever, but I’ll have you know that Big Rando and I once carried the scrubby duo of Nate and Billy to a third place finish in one those YMCA 3 on 3 things. But I digress…
Hmmm, Jon O was the first to come to mind, but the more I think about it, he might be good at basketball. I think I’ll go with Kip Corbett. I’ve never seen him play, but I’m assuming it isn’t his thing.
A few weeks ago, Nate said that Terry Hall was looking more like Billy and less like one of the big three every game. Your thoughts?
Well, let me start off by saying that being compared to one of the five best players of all time is hardly a slap in the face. But, it is true that Nate, Terry, Clayton, and to a lesser degree, Frankovich, have shown a killer instinct and will to win that is hard to stop. It’s no fluke that teams with one transcendent star with a killer instinct have won every SBL title. Teams with balance like Oatcake may have no problem scoring 18 per game every time out, but what happens when they need to score 30? I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think it was a fair description. Personally, I hope he catches fire and torches the rest of the league.
Will the Laser Cats be considered the greatest team of all time at season’s end?
It’s certainly possible. While they are off to the best start, they certainly aren’t totally demolishing teams like other teams in the past have done. They could never have gotten off to these slow starts against teams like the Double Bluffs or the Thunder Studs. Add in the fact that those teams had to deal with the monetary systems of player point values and it only speaks to the fact that they have a way to go before being considered the best ever.
Which team has the best chance to upset the Cats?
I maintain that the Queens have the best chance. If Bryan, Stud and Aryn show up to play Nate, Terry, and company, they have the talent to match up. While it certainly is no secret that Bryan has a habit of vanishing when he plays Nate’s teams, isn’t he about due?
What do you think should be on the agenda for President-elect Corbett?
I think the era of Kippy will usher in a lot more technology usage. I fully expect there to be more videos taken and perhaps made into an end of the year type video. Some other ideas he’s thrown out there that would be great? An electronic scoreboard and a computerized stat system that will not only make keeping the book easier, but it will sync up to the website for up to the minute stats…which should allow Frankovich to know when to shoot that middle single to boost his average.
After two straight weeks of several players shooting homers strictly for stats, have things gotten out of hand?
Yeah, when Lee was on the path to 100, I thought it was a refreshing chang-up and a good storyline for a struggling funbridge team. When it happened again this past week, I really think the Kamikazies needed to focus more on winning both games that everyone shooting nothing but homers. Stats are one of the coolest things about the SBL, but sometimes the pursuit of these stats can take away from the game.
Which rookie has been the biggest addition this year?
While I’m partial to the kid who doesn’t wear shoes (Gillshire), I have to give it to Opie. He’s pretty awesome, and nobody could call him a ringer.
Who has been the MVP of the first half of the season?
I think you have to go with Nate and Terry as co-mvps right now…but the surprise behind them is Stud. I mean, we have to give him credit for at least a few of Bry Bry’s double plays right? If he plays more than six games in the second half of the season and the Queens surge….watch out.
He hasn’t fallen off the face of the earth. In fact, he’s been making changes to the SBL page for me because linux and the SBL page just don’t get along. While I suspect that “car troubles” has been secret code for “my girlfriend doesn’t want to spend her weekend with a bunch of idiots who take a made-up game way too seriously,” Ben has told me that he plans to be a regular in the second half of the year. Now, if we could only get Jon to show up and drop that ridiculous average down a few points.
What does your Oatcake team have to do to knock off the undefeated laser cats?
Well, aside from my idea to give Nate a beer laced with ruffies, I think all of the following have to happen:
1) Shelley has to be there.
2) I have to get out of moving my friend from her apartment and be there
3) The Laser Cats have to get off to a slow start
4) Oatcake has to have two five run innings off the bat
5) Either Nate or Terry needs to have one of those 6 for 12 type games
6) We can’t miss double plays or fail to box out
7) Terry Hall has to play like Terry Hall can
8) We need to score over 25 runs
If all that stuff happens, we have a shot.
Aside from yourself, who is the best of the “good at baseketball but not at basketball” crowd?
Hey now. Basketball certainly wasn’t my sport in high school or ever, but I’ll have you know that Big Rando and I once carried the scrubby duo of Nate and Billy to a third place finish in one those YMCA 3 on 3 things. But I digress…
Hmmm, Jon O was the first to come to mind, but the more I think about it, he might be good at basketball. I think I’ll go with Kip Corbett. I’ve never seen him play, but I’m assuming it isn’t his thing.
A few weeks ago, Nate said that Terry Hall was looking more like Billy and less like one of the big three every game. Your thoughts?
Well, let me start off by saying that being compared to one of the five best players of all time is hardly a slap in the face. But, it is true that Nate, Terry, Clayton, and to a lesser degree, Frankovich, have shown a killer instinct and will to win that is hard to stop. It’s no fluke that teams with one transcendent star with a killer instinct have won every SBL title. Teams with balance like Oatcake may have no problem scoring 18 per game every time out, but what happens when they need to score 30? I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think it was a fair description. Personally, I hope he catches fire and torches the rest of the league.
Will the Laser Cats be considered the greatest team of all time at season’s end?
It’s certainly possible. While they are off to the best start, they certainly aren’t totally demolishing teams like other teams in the past have done. They could never have gotten off to these slow starts against teams like the Double Bluffs or the Thunder Studs. Add in the fact that those teams had to deal with the monetary systems of player point values and it only speaks to the fact that they have a way to go before being considered the best ever.
Which team has the best chance to upset the Cats?
I maintain that the Queens have the best chance. If Bryan, Stud and Aryn show up to play Nate, Terry, and company, they have the talent to match up. While it certainly is no secret that Bryan has a habit of vanishing when he plays Nate’s teams, isn’t he about due?
What do you think should be on the agenda for President-elect Corbett?
I think the era of Kippy will usher in a lot more technology usage. I fully expect there to be more videos taken and perhaps made into an end of the year type video. Some other ideas he’s thrown out there that would be great? An electronic scoreboard and a computerized stat system that will not only make keeping the book easier, but it will sync up to the website for up to the minute stats…which should allow Frankovich to know when to shoot that middle single to boost his average.
After two straight weeks of several players shooting homers strictly for stats, have things gotten out of hand?
Yeah, when Lee was on the path to 100, I thought it was a refreshing chang-up and a good storyline for a struggling funbridge team. When it happened again this past week, I really think the Kamikazies needed to focus more on winning both games that everyone shooting nothing but homers. Stats are one of the coolest things about the SBL, but sometimes the pursuit of these stats can take away from the game.
Which rookie has been the biggest addition this year?
While I’m partial to the kid who doesn’t wear shoes (Gillshire), I have to give it to Opie. He’s pretty awesome, and nobody could call him a ringer.
Who has been the MVP of the first half of the season?
I think you have to go with Nate and Terry as co-mvps right now…but the surprise behind them is Stud. I mean, we have to give him credit for at least a few of Bry Bry’s double plays right? If he plays more than six games in the second half of the season and the Queens surge….watch out.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
SBL Power Rankings 06/18/08
Now that I’ve been there a couple of weeks in a row, I guess I feel qualified enough to pump out a new edition of the SBL Power Rankings. If any of you assholes submit me some questions, I might even answer those in the next couple of days too.
1) Laser Cats
While I’m not quite ready to christen them the best team ever, it is impossible to deny that the Cats are head and shoulders above the other teams in the league this year. Though they have a habit of mailing in the first few innings, the Laser Cats can score in bunches when they have to, and news that Nate isn’t going to be missing time afterall isn’t good news for the rest of their league.
2) Oatcake Hate Monsters
The Hate Monsters certainly belong at number two on the list, but beating up on teams they should beat up on isn’t going to cut it the second half of the season. Getting Shelley back will help fill the gap, but they will need to find a way to win with Mac missing a couple of the next few weeks. We’ll know a lot more after their three games against the cats in the next four weeks.
3) Voltron
Losing to Kyoto last week certainly doesn’t inspire my confidence, and if more than one of the Queens had stuck around last Sunday, Voltron may have been in a different spot. Still, you can’t deny that all of the players on this team have moments that leave us awestruck. I just want to see more consistency on both sides of the ball before I make up my mind on this team.
4) The Queens
How does a team with Aryn Christman leading off, Bryan Frankovich in his prime, and Stud actually coming regularly play .500 baseketball. While I actually think this team has the best chance to hand the Laser Cats a loss this year, they shat the bed the first half of the year…and their problems go deeper than just poor attendance last week.
5) Bananna Democracy
They lost both games this past week, but they also played two of the league’s better teams. Big wins over good teams in the past few weeks give them the street cred to remain at 5.
6) The Fleshy Funbridges
God do I love watching the Funbridges…sadly, they just aren’t very good.
7) Kyoto Kamikazees
SBL superstar entering his prime and out of his lover’s shadow….check
Rookie ringer who seems to be made of more Shernisky than O’mahoney…check
Two SBL HOFers who contribute when they show…check
A Lackey…check
(In short, this team frustrates me.)
1) Laser Cats
While I’m not quite ready to christen them the best team ever, it is impossible to deny that the Cats are head and shoulders above the other teams in the league this year. Though they have a habit of mailing in the first few innings, the Laser Cats can score in bunches when they have to, and news that Nate isn’t going to be missing time afterall isn’t good news for the rest of their league.
2) Oatcake Hate Monsters
The Hate Monsters certainly belong at number two on the list, but beating up on teams they should beat up on isn’t going to cut it the second half of the season. Getting Shelley back will help fill the gap, but they will need to find a way to win with Mac missing a couple of the next few weeks. We’ll know a lot more after their three games against the cats in the next four weeks.
3) Voltron
Losing to Kyoto last week certainly doesn’t inspire my confidence, and if more than one of the Queens had stuck around last Sunday, Voltron may have been in a different spot. Still, you can’t deny that all of the players on this team have moments that leave us awestruck. I just want to see more consistency on both sides of the ball before I make up my mind on this team.
4) The Queens
How does a team with Aryn Christman leading off, Bryan Frankovich in his prime, and Stud actually coming regularly play .500 baseketball. While I actually think this team has the best chance to hand the Laser Cats a loss this year, they shat the bed the first half of the year…and their problems go deeper than just poor attendance last week.
5) Bananna Democracy
They lost both games this past week, but they also played two of the league’s better teams. Big wins over good teams in the past few weeks give them the street cred to remain at 5.
6) The Fleshy Funbridges
God do I love watching the Funbridges…sadly, they just aren’t very good.
7) Kyoto Kamikazees
SBL superstar entering his prime and out of his lover’s shadow….check
Rookie ringer who seems to be made of more Shernisky than O’mahoney…check
Two SBL HOFers who contribute when they show…check
A Lackey…check
(In short, this team frustrates me.)
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