Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

Overall Rank:

• First Place, 81.5 Points (11 Points ahead of 2nd Place)
• Hitting Total: 43.5 Points
• Pitching Total: 38 Points

Category Breakdown:

Average: Third Place - 8 Points

• Currently: .2777, .0025 ahead of 4th, .03 behind 2nd
• 15-Day Change: -1 Point
• Potential Change: None - even another slump would still likely keep me in 3rd
• Worst Case: -1, 5th Place is at .270, not possible to drop that far.

Home Runs: Tied for Third Place - 7.5 Points

• Currently: 228 HR, Tied with Stanimals, 5th Place has 222, 2nd Place has 239
• 15-Day Change: +1.5 Points
• Potential Change: +.5 or -.5 - Keeping the tie would be unlikely
• Worst Case: -1.5, 6th Place is at 213

Runs: First Place - 10 Points

• Currently: 1004 Runs, 2nd Place has 976, 3rd has 905
• 15-Day Change: None
• Potential Change: Not likely, margin has increased by 1 run over past 15 days
• Worst Case: -1, 2nd Place

Runs Batted In: Third Place - 8 Points

• Currently: 925 RBI, 2nd Place has 928, 1st has 965
• 15-Day Change: None
• Potential Change: +1, margin has decreased by 7 RBI over past 15 days
• Worst Case: 3rd seems probable

Stolen Bases: First Place - 10 Points

• Currently: 192 Steals, 2nd Place has 173, 3rd has 167
• 15-Day Change: None
• Potential Change: Not likely, margin has increased by 1 steal over past 15 days
• Worst Case: First seems probable

ERA: Sixth Place - 5 Points

• Currently: 4.00, 5th Place has 3.95, 7th has 4.36
• 15-Day Change: None
• Potential Change: Not likely, though margin has decreased by .02 over past 15 days
• Worst Case: Sixth seems probable

WHIP: Sixth Place - 5 Points

• Currently: 1.33, 4th and 5th Place also at 1.33
• 15-Day Change: None
• Potential Change: +2, since there’s a virtual “tie” - Improved by .02 over past 15 days
• Worst Case: Sixth seems probable

Strikeouts: First Place - 10 Points

• Currently: 1249 Strikouts, 2nd Place has 1186, 3rd has 1176
• 15-Day Change: None
• Potential Change: Not likely, margin has increased by 35 K’s over past 15 days
• Worst Case: First seems probable

Wins: Second Place - 9 Points

• Currently: 91 Wins, 1st has 103, 3rd Place has 90, 4th has 88
• 15-Day Change: +1
• Potential Change: -2 if other teams (Pi Train, Stanimals) gain ground - margins have remained the same over past 15 days
• Worst Case: -2, 4th Place

Saves: Second Place - 9 Points

• Currently: 83 Saves, 1st has 95, 3rd has 67
• 15-Day Change: None
• Potential Change: Not likely, margin has increased by 8 saves over past 15 days
• Worst Case: Second seems probable

Wrapping It Up:

• Overall Potential Gain: +3.5 Points (85 Points)
• Realistic Potential Gain: +.5 Points (82 Points)
• Overall Potential Loss: -5.5 Points (76 Points)
• Realistic Potential Loss: -1.5 Points (80 Points)

Tim Lincecum threw another complete game on Thursday, but he took the loss after giving up three runs in eight innings to the Diamondbacks. Just 118 pitches tonight for Lincecum, who would have been in line for a victory if not for Eugenio Velez, normally a second baseman, misjudging a liner to left field and allowing two runs to score. He allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out six. It looked like his season might be ended a little early when he tried to bunt in the second and the pitch went off his left hand. However, he proved to be fine.

“It’s a sick feeling,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “You want the kid to get a win so bad, and he pitched his heart out. We’re having a tough time getting a hit with men on base. This is probably as tough a one as we’ve had all year.”

Additionally, the Giants have decided to keep Tim Lincecum on four days’ rest next week to give him two more starts after Thursday’s start against the Diamondbacks. Getting a Cy Young Award apparently trumps the hopes of the Giants’ franchise going forward. Lincecum should have pitched only once more because of the Giants’ off day Monday, but he’ll go Tuesday and Sunday. Jonathan Sanchez loses a start as a result. This likely means that Lincecum will finish with the year at 225-230 innings pitched. The Giants shut him down after 177 1/3 innings in 2007. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Razzball.com had a nifty turn of phrase for Lincecum’s night:

Bit of a scary moment for Lincecum in yesterday’s game. The 118 pitches? Nah, he usually does that by the seventh. The scary moment came in the second when Lincecum tried to bunt a Randy Johnson fastball and it smashed his fingers into the bat. He came back with taped fingers and continued on like nothing happened. Later on, Lincecum won a between-innings chili cook-off, taught some youngsters how to use radiometric dating to disapprove The DaVinci Code and then saved Dunn out in the kiddie pool. Wear floaties, big man!

Lastings Milledge went 0-for-4 in the loss to the Mets on Thursday. Milledge would seem to be guilty of trying too hard against his former team. He ends the season series against the Mets with a .203/.282/.250 line in 64 at-bats. He’s fanned 20 times in 17 games against the Mets and 72 times in 112 games versus everyone else. (Rotoworld)

Dodgers INF Blake DeWitt hit a two-run single to center in the fourth inning of Thursday’s game vs. the Pirates. DeWitt and the Dodgers won in extra innings and he finished 1-for-4 and added two walks. DeWitt has been strong at the plate in September, raising his average from .256 to .263. DeWitt is seeing a lot of starts at second base, but still remains a low-end Fantasy option. (CBS Sports)

Mat Gamel was scheduled for tests Thursday after admitting to a sore right elbow. It’s been bothering him for some time, but he had been keeping it a secret, even from the Brewers. He probably figured that he wouldn’t get his September callup otherwise. It’s something that would affect his throwing more than his hitting, but it might help explain his terrible second half slump. He’s likely to begin 2009 at Triple-A Nashville. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

Brewers OF Corey Hart doubled twice on Thursday in an extra-inning loss to the Cubs. Hart went 2-for-6 with an RBI. Hart isn’t exactly having a good run at the plate right now, but he still has too much potential to bench in Fantasy. Stick with Hart through thick and thin. (CBS Sports)

John Maine (shoulder) will throw a simulated game Saturday and should be made available Monday. Maine is hoping to contribute out of the bullpen for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. There’s talk that he may even take over as the team’s closer. This is a shift from what has been reported to date (i.e. that Maine wouldn’t return before the playoffs). The article went on to report that Maine’s velocity has been down in recent tests. Expect the Mets to be cautious with their pitcher: Maine may only get a few innings of relief work before the end of the season. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

Chris Dickerson was held out of the lineup Thursday with soreness in his achilles tendon. Manager Dusty Baker is hoping Dickerson will be able to return this season, but he isn’t sure it will happen. “I’m a little worried,” Baker said. “The Achilles is no joke. How to prevent it I don’t know. He’s getting treatment.” Dickerson has been fitted for a special pair of cleats with orthotic inserts, but his progress in adjusting to them has been slow. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

Overall Standings

Rank Team                Batting Pitching Total Dif  Behind
---- ------------------- ------- -------- ----- ---- ------
 1   Atomic Roadrunners  43.5    38.0     81.5  0.5  0.0
 2   X-Men               32.0    38.5     70.5  1.0  11.0
 3   Shoeless Jews       32.0    32.0     64.0  0.0  17.5
 4   Stanimals           25.5    37.0     62.5  0.5  19.0
 5   Goodfellas          39.0    23.0     62.0  0.0  19.5
 6   The Pi Train        25.0    27.0     52.0  0.0  29.5
 7   Uncle Lester        12.0    38.0     50.0  0.0  31.5
 8   Cover Zero          26.0    16.5     42.5  0.0  39.0
 9   Get Off Kong!       23.0    13.0     36.0  0.0  45.5
 10  Misogynistic Padres 17.0    12.0     29.0  -2.0 52.5

Yesterday's Stats

Atomic Roadrunners Players Yesterday (9/18/08)
Player                        BA HR R RBI   SB
------------------------- ------ -- - --- ----
Blake, Casey 3B LA        0.0000  0 0   0    0
DeWitt, Blake 3B LA       0.2500  0 0   2    0
Dickerson, Chris OF CIN   0.0000  0 0   0    0
Fielder, Prince 1B MIL    0.2500  0 1   1    0
Headley, Chase 3B SD      0.0000  0 0   0    0
Iannetta, Chris C COL     0.0000  0 0   0    0
Jones, Chipper 3B ATL     0.3333  0 1   0    0
Milledge, Lastings LF WAS 0.0000  0 0   0    0
Moss, Brandon OF PIT      0.0000  0 0   0    0
Reyes, Jose B. SS NYM     0.4000  0 1   1    0
Sandoval, Pablo C SF      0.0000  0 0   1    0
Teixeira, Mark 1B ANA     0.3333  0 1   1    0
Theriot, Ryan SS CHC      0.0000  0 0   0    0
Victorino, Shane CF PHI   0.3333  0 0   0    0

Atomic Roadrunners Players Yesterday (9/18/08)
Player                       ERA  K S   W WHIP
------------------------- ------ -- - --- ----
Lincecum, Tim SP SF         3.38  6 0   0 0.88
Lindstrom, Matt RP FLA      0.00  2 0   0 1.00