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BradC · 12-14-2012, 08:32 PM

Seamheads Laundry League - NL Report, 12/14/12: Fights and More

With the end of July just a few days away, the Seamheads Laundry League (SLL) National League races have remain as open as they were in the last report: all three division leaders are up by at least six games each as of July 28. The Pittsburgh Pirates remain the team to beat in the entire SLL (63-36), and the teams that were struggling to climb the standings have slipped further in all three divisions:

•*The Phillies and Braves are 16 and 19.5 games out, respectively, in the NL East.

•*The Cardinals are 24.5 games out in the NL Central, the largest deficit for any SLL team.

•*The Giants and Diamondbacks continue to battle for the NL West basement, with the Giants 21 back and the Diamondbacks a half game behind them.

However, the Pirates suffered a blow on July 20 when starting pitcher Chief Bender was diagnosed with a torn labrum that will end his season. While his ERA had jumped to 4.92 from its early season low below 3.00, his record was 10-5 and he had fanned 150 batters in 135.1 innings.

"Bender's loss is a big one," said Pirates GM John Farris. "We have really strong pitching, but now our starting staff lacks depth. I'd like to try to swing a deal for a starter and possibly an outfielder if possible. We have lots of good hitting in the infield, and guys like Joe Gordon and Kelly Gruber waiting in the minors due to that depth, so nothing's out of question to solidify this team for the pennant run."

The Astros are currently 14 games behind the Pirates and have split the first two games of a key four-game series between the clubs. While the Astros' pitching has been mediocre, their hitting has carried the club, especially center fielder Cy Seymour, who leads the SLL with a .386 average and who was the MVP of the All-Star Game, won by the NL, 12-5.

"Cy has been amazing all season," said Astros GM Brandon Williams. "He's like clockwork, and for him to win MVP is a great moment not just for the National League, but for the Astros organization. He showed on the national stage just how great a hitter he is."

On July 17, the Astros' hitting suffered a blow when first baseman Don Mattingly was lost for four weeks with a torn quad. Williams commented: "Losing Don is a major hit, especially at a time where our pitching was finally showing progress. Cy, Don and Alan (Trammell) carried this team when the pitching wasn't there, and now losing Don stings. We're in a bind now, and we have to find contributors to replace Don."

Meanwhile, the Marlins have continued to on cruise control at the top of the NL East, with a 10-game lead over the Nationals and the Mets, the largest division lead of any SLL team. The Marlins have been injury-free, except for leadoff hitter Tim Raines' June 6 injury that left him sidelined for four months.

"I’m not terribly worried about the long-term loss of Tim Raines," Marlins GM Caley Roark said. "We have some decent replacements, including Ichiro, that can easily fill the hole (especially because Raines wasn’t having a terribly good year anyway, [with a .256 batting average])."

Roark added: "The Marlins are certainly riding our high powered offense, which is more than making up for some mediocre pitching. Stan 'The Man' is having a great year, which is sort of expected; however, I’m really liking the production from Cecil Cooper and Brian Roberts (in a platoon role). Pitching-wise, things can get better, especially in terms of the starters’ ERA."

Over in the NL West, the Dodgers are six games behind the Padres, who had opened a large lead earlier in the season before stumbling and then regaining their footing. Dodgers GM Steve Malinowski said: "While we are making a run, I am hoping the team can up our overall batting average a bit as .265 isn't cutting it. Though Schmitty and Gentile are giving us great power leading both leagues in HR, I need them to give me a little bit more consistency when at the plate. It's a long season and as long as we keep pace, I am confident we can take the division."

Other NL News of Note:

The All-Star Game on July 10 was won by the NL, 12-5. The AL opened a 4-1 lead in the top of the third inning, but the NL came back to take the lead and sealed the game with a five-run seventh, highlighted by Tony Perez's two-run triple and Cecil Cooper's first-pitch two-run home run.

The SLL continues to take a tough stand on brawls, handing down 10-game suspensions to Phillies pitcher Andy Coakley and and Brewers left fielder Ellis Burks for their part in fight on July 23. In the top of the fourth inning, Earl Torgeson's two-run home run tied the game at 4-4 for the Brewers, and Coakley plunked Burks with his next pitch. Burks hesitated for a second but charged the mound after Coakley gave him the "Come on" sign. Both benches cleared but order was soon restored and no one else was ejected.

12-14-2012, 08:32 PM	#9
BradC All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: northern CA Posts: 1,870 Blog Entries: 1	Seamheads Laundry League - NL Report, 12/14/12: Fights and More Seamheads Laundry League - NL Report, 12/14/12: Fights and More With the end of July just a few days away, the Seamheads Laundry League (SLL) National League races have remain as open as they were in the last report: all three division leaders are up by at least six games each as of July 28. The Pittsburgh Pirates remain the team to beat in the entire SLL (63-36), and the teams that were struggling to climb the standings have slipped further in all three divisions: •The Phillies and Braves are 16 and 19.5 games out, respectively, in the NL East. •The Cardinals are 24.5 games out in the NL Central, the largest deficit for any SLL team. •The Giants and Diamondbacks continue to battle for the NL West basement, with the Giants 21 back and the Diamondbacks a half game behind them. However, the Pirates suffered a blow on July 20 when starting pitcher Chief Bender was diagnosed with a torn labrum that will end his season. While his ERA had jumped to 4.92 from its early season low below 3.00, his record was 10-5 and he had fanned 150 batters in 135.1 innings. "Bender's loss is a big one," said Pirates GM John Farris. "We have really strong pitching, but now our starting staff lacks depth. I'd like to try to swing a deal for a starter and possibly an outfielder if possible. We have lots of good hitting in the infield, and guys like Joe Gordon and Kelly Gruber waiting in the minors due to that depth, so nothing's out of question to solidify this team for the pennant run." The Astros are currently 14 games behind the Pirates and have split the first two games of a key four-game series between the clubs. While the Astros' pitching has been mediocre, their hitting has carried the club, especially center fielder Cy Seymour, who leads the SLL with a .386 average and who was the MVP of the All-Star Game, won by the NL, 12-5. "Cy has been amazing all season," said Astros GM Brandon Williams. "He's like clockwork, and for him to win MVP is a great moment not just for the National League, but for the Astros organization. He showed on the national stage just how great a hitter he is." On July 17, the Astros' hitting suffered a blow when first baseman Don Mattingly was lost for four weeks with a torn quad. Williams commented: "Losing Don is a major hit, especially at a time where our pitching was finally showing progress. Cy, Don and Alan (Trammell) carried this team when the pitching wasn't there, and now losing Don stings. We're in a bind now, and we have to find contributors to replace Don." Meanwhile, the Marlins have continued to on cruise control at the top of the NL East, with a 10-game lead over the Nationals and the Mets, the largest division lead of any SLL team. The Marlins have been injury-free, except for leadoff hitter Tim Raines' June 6 injury that left him sidelined for four months. "I’m not terribly worried about the long-term loss of Tim Raines," Marlins GM Caley Roark said. "We have some decent replacements, including Ichiro, that can easily fill the hole (especially because Raines wasn’t having a terribly good year anyway, [with a .256 batting average])." Roark added: "The Marlins are certainly riding our high powered offense, which is more than making up for some mediocre pitching. Stan 'The Man' is having a great year, which is sort of expected; however, I’m really liking the production from Cecil Cooper and Brian Roberts (in a platoon role). Pitching-wise, things can get better, especially in terms of the starters’ ERA." Over in the NL West, the Dodgers are six games behind the Padres, who had opened a large lead earlier in the season before stumbling and then regaining their footing. Dodgers GM Steve Malinowski said: "While we are making a run, I am hoping the team can up our overall batting average a bit as .265 isn't cutting it. Though Schmitty and Gentile are giving us great power leading both leagues in HR, I need them to give me a little bit more consistency when at the plate. It's a long season and as long as we keep pace, I am confident we can take the division." Other NL News of Note:* The All-Star Game on July 10 was won by the NL, 12-5. The AL opened a 4-1 lead in the top of the third inning, but the NL came back to take the lead and sealed the game with a five-run seventh, highlighted by Tony Perez's two-run triple and Cecil Cooper's first-pitch two-run home run. The SLL continues to take a tough stand on brawls, handing down 10-game suspensions to Phillies pitcher Andy Coakley and and Brewers left fielder Ellis Burks for their part in fight on July 23. In the top of the fourth inning, Earl Torgeson's two-run home run tied the game at 4-4 for the Brewers, and Coakley plunked Burks with his next pitch. Burks hesitated for a second but charged the mound after Coakley gave him the "Come on" sign. Both benches cleared but order was soon restored and no one else was ejected.