It's now September and there's less than 4 full weeks remaining in our fantasy baseball seasons. With the turn of the calendar, I suppose it's time for the next monthly update on my teams as we head into the stretch run. I was originally planning on writing this post yesterday as it was the first of the month. However, having been away the prior two days for the NFFC NYC drafts, yesterday was dedicated to spending some quality time with my family and I never got around to visiting these boards.
If I had written this update yesterday, it would have come from a very positive outlook, the end of August seeing several of my most important teams on a roll, some strengthening its positions, others getting back into the race. What a difference a day can make. Unfortunately, yesterday's games saw pitcher after pitcher that I had rostered for their 2-start weeks in an attempt to gain ground in wins and K's for various teams, instead blow up in epic fashion, one after the other. Instead of helping my teams gain ground in counting stats, these pitchers instead performed what is akin to Armageddon on my ratios. Team after team fell precipitously in these categories taking these teams down in the standings as well. Not a good day. At least I still have another month to undue the damage.
The following is where each of my teams stand going into today with a few thoughts or comments on each. I've listed them in a slightly different order from what I've pretty much followed in previous updates, still keeping them somewhat ordered by category or format, but also in the order of how much focus will be spent on each during these final weeks.
Ultimate Auction - 1st place, 123 points
At the last update, Jim Ferrari had finally overtaken me after stalking me for pretty much the entire season. Jim has done an amazing job with his team, somehow managing to get to a height of 119 points despite punting not one, but TWO categories. Most amazingly, Jim punted saves and still managed to top both the ERA and WHIP categories. Honestly, I didn't even think that was possible. And it's not like he spent his entire budget on Kershaw and Strasburg. In fact, considering the results he didn't spend that much on SP at all. He just hit on every starter he bought during the Auction or picked up in FAAB, Harvey, Sale, Bailey, Samardzija, Masterson, Colon, Quintana, Wood, etc., etc., etc. He didn't miss once and every SP on his roster has outperformed their cost. Once Jim passed me, my team continued its downward trend for the next couple weeks bottoming out in the low 100's and putting even a 2nd place finish for this league in jeopardy. Thankfully, during the last week or two, I've managed to find the formula to get this team turned around again and have regained the top spot. One thing in my favor is that Jim is pretty much maxed out on points due to the punting of saves and steals. Therefore it's pretty much in my hands. If I can stay above the 120 mark, I don't think there's any way he can catch me. I obviously want this league more than any other still realistically in play. Win this one and it's a profitable season no matter what happens elsewhere.
Joe Berg's 12-team Super - 2nd place, 84.5 points
Outside of the Ultimate Auction, I want this league more than any other. The 14K difference between the 1st and 2nd place payouts is the biggest reason. However, there's another reason. Topping this level of competition at stakes this high and in a format that I just don't have the same level of comfort with as the 15-teamers would be something I would be very proud of. Joe Berg had recently run away from the rest of what was once a very close race between a number of renowned fantasy players and opened up a pretty significant double digit lead in this league that carries his name. Though I had fallen off the pace early in August, I've recently managed to turn my team around and have managed to get within 6.5 points of Joe. It won't be easy. Joe's built a powerhouse and just knows this format very, very well. Still, I'm going to do my best to come after you Joe.

Oh and by the way, thanks for Crisp.
Diamond League - 11th place, 72 points
Pitching's been my downfall here. I do have 50 points in hitting. Of course if you do the quick math, that only leaves 22 points on the pitching side. I've just done a brutal job building this staff, from the draft where I left with CC as my ace, having neglected to draft a 2nd ace, and with Carlos "ugh" Marmol as my 2nd closer, to my in-season management where I dropped pitchers like Cory Kluber and Tyler Chatwood BEFORE their successful runs. No matter what I try, and trust me I've tried, I just can't seem to fix this pitching. Honestly, the chances for this team have pretty much come and gone. If it were a lesser league with less invested and not THE Diamond, I probably would have accepted the obvious by now. However, I just can't seem to quit on it yet. This team is still only 16 points out of 4th place and a 10K payday.

I know, I know, I'm probably just deluding myself, but if you break it down that's only 1.5 points points per category!!
Main Event - Las Vegas - 2nd place, 103.5 points
I went into yesterday with an 8 point lead in the standings. Then yesterday happened. While pretty much all of my teams had one or two of yesterday's blow up starters I referred to in this post's introduction, this team had more than their share of them. Alex Wood, Mike Leake, Ross Ohlendorf, and Andre Rienzo combined for an incredible 12.64 ERA and a 2.43 WHIP over 15 brutal IP's and pretty much sabotaged my standings in the WHIP and ERA categories.

Combined with a couple lost points on offense, this team amazingly dropped 10.5 total points in the league standings in one day!!!

I didn't even think that was possible this time of year. A comfortable 8-point lead turned into a 2-point deficit in one unimaginable day. The worst of it is I never felt fully comfortable even with that 8-point lead as it was over the likes of Nolan/Stephenson, Anthony Palavis, and the great Lindy. No lead is comfortable against that level of competition. A deficit feels a helluva lot worse.

Why'd I even start those 4 duds you might ask? A misguided attempt to still be relevant in the Overall where I had a lot of room to move in both Wins and K's. However if I knew then what I know now, I would have just started 4 middle relievers instead.
Main Event - New York - 3rd place, 97.5 points
A year long very tight race between 4 teams, Cory Schwartz has recently created some separation between himself and the remaining three teams in the hunt, John Hogan, Laurence Edelman and myself. Even with Cory's move, he only has an 8 point lead over 2nd and amazingly only 1/2 point separates 2nd place from 4th. My team here is the virtual opposite of my Diamond squad as it has 64 pitching points, but is struggling mightily in hitting. When I drafted this team, hitting was the least of my worries. However, year long health issues to several of its core players has left it scraping for hitting points. Still, this team still has a realistic shot at taking the league if all falls right the final month. If I can manage to pull out both this league and the Las Vegas Main to win two Main Event titles in one year, it would rank as my greatest achievement since I started playing this hobby. It's a long shot, but even as a remote possibility, it is something I really want.
Main Event - Online - 6th place, 93 points
With this team, even I can't dream of three Main Event titles in one season. This team just won't be able to get there. However, it does still have a shot at cashing and cashing in all three of my Main Event entries would be an accomplishment I would be very proud of in itself. Currently 15 points out of 3rd, it's probably not in the cards. Still, I'll make every effort to get there. This is the team I am chronicling for BHQ. I'm sure they wish I had chosen one of the other two.

Or maybe at this point, they just wish they had chosen someone else to represent them.
KJ's MLBC Salary League - 1st place, 123 points
Sitting in first place 13 points ahead of Alan Greenberg in 2nd, I'm starting to feel comfortable that I will hold on in this league. Then again, before yesterday I was trying to convince myself that I should feel a little more comfortable with my Vegas Main.

I can't take anything for granted, especially against this level of competition.
Online Championships 3/31 - 2nd place, 94 points
Another team that was rolling before Sunday's pitching disaster, it's still only one point out of first. It's not the biggest payout I'm still fighting for, but it would be nice to take this one down.
Online Championships 3/17 - 3rd place, 75 points
This team has come back from the dead and to now make a run a serious run at cashing. Now only 5 points out of 2nd, it'd be nice to be able to pull off this dead & buried to cash comeback.
XII - Online - 3rd place, 83 points
My one XII that I still have a realistic chance at cashing being only 5 points out of 2nd. 1st place however won't be happening here as Eric John sits there with a team that's currently 2nd in the Overall. What a monster he's put together. The curse of league placement. My squad here is 25th in the Overall but 3rd in its own league. Top heavy is an understatement.
XII - Las Vegas - 5th place, 70 points
This team has been surging recently, but it's probably too little too late. Only 13 points outside of 2nd, it still has a chance, but passing 3 other teams the level of Joe Anthony, Rick Thomas, Bob Particelli, and Chad Schroeder to get there is a much tougher task than making up the 13 points on its own.
XII - NYC - 4th place, 75.5 points
16.5 points out of 2nd, barring some miracle, it's probably just not going to happen for this team. I can't believe this team was top 5 in the Overall going into June. What the hell went wrong?
FBPC Main Event - 5th place, 88 points
The red headed stepchild of the FFPC, this contest just lacks the buzz of the NFBC. There hasn't been a message board post from a player in this contest since April. Too bad because I do enjoy the format and really like the back end. I'll play out the season, but if I do ever live up to my annual promise to cut down on leagues, I'll need to be convinced why this shouldn't be one of them. Currently 5 points out of the last cash spot, if I do go out I'll work hard to make it with some hard earned cash.
CDM Mid-Season Premier League - 6th place
Being in 6th place out of 25 of the best salary cap players when playing this contest for the first time in years and only for the 3rd time ever surprised even me. Still, back a little under two months into this contest I was top 5 in the overall. Of course, it was then that the experience players of this contest decided to smack me around like the novice I am. Still I remain top 80 out of around 700. It's a fun contest but even with my unanticipated decent showing, I'm not sure I'll play again next year. I wish they allowed moves mid-week, but that's far from my biggest issue. My biggest beef is with the 6pm EST lineup deadline, a deadline an hour earlier than every other contest I play, and one that's cost me a couple times this year already. I have no idea why they would set it so far in advance of the 7pm games. On the other hand, I will say that even though I don't visit it often, the BBS is a truly special message board and may be worth the price of admission on its own.
Max's 1000 Slow Draft - 11th place, 70 points
A complete disaster. For numerous weeks, I was forced to go with holes in my lineup getting zeros from multiple positions. I promised myself last year that I would not play any more slow drafts. I just don't like not being able to fix my roster. It's not so bad in football where you can just forget a slow draft disaster as the computer does all the work. Here you're forced to still deal with the disaster twice a week in order to do the right thing and set a lineup. I wasn't going to play any slow drafts this year but gave in while texting back and forth with Max while the league was taking signups. Not Max, not Greg, not the Fantasy Gods themselves will be able to convince me next year.

It's a great format and for some like Max, it's the most enjoyable. I'm just a fixer at heart and so it doesn't work for me. (Then again, maybe I'm just bitter because this team sucks just soooooooo bad.

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Well there you go, the status of each of my teams. I have quite a few battles that'll be played out over the next four weeks and plenty of dough dependent on the outcomes. It should be a blast of a final month and I look forward to taking part in a few fun races. Hopefully I can pull out some of them. I'm not sure if anyone is still reading this blog. The boards have been eerily silent recently. But for anyone who is, good luck in all your races (unless of course, you're one of those mentioned above that I'm chasing.

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