Fans everywhere enjoy a good friendly, everyone enjoys giving into a good fantasy, and everyone loves the Fall - just too bad there isn't much Wiffle going on. Ah-ha! (Take on Me) That's where the the friendly and fantasy can come across even stronger. Four teams of five have been arbitrarily selected to compete and entertain us over the slow months. To determine the outcome of each at-bat a random number generator from 1 to 1000 is used. Each player's number ranges are different: their AVG and OBP are multiplied by the opposing pitcher's WHIP to set the ranges for hits and walks; from there a player's percentage of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs are spread over their "hit range": singles start at 1, home runs end at the highest number in the hit range. Walks follow above hits, and a pitcher's number of strikeouts in the 2012 season set the strikeout range after walks. Every number above that is an out made in the field: numbers closer to 1000 are fly outs, while lower numbers are ground outs. Depending on the situation sacrifice flies, advancing runners, peg outs, and double plays also come into play. You'll see that strikeouts and walks are disproportional to a real game, and that just adds to the entertainment! Let's just say everyone agreed to play these friendlies mid-pitch.
- The Curves make no lineup changes despite the loss. The team feels confident that the pieces laid out as they are - 1. Bischoff, 2. Buhr, 3. Nagorski, 4. Hewlett, 5. Coffman - will be more than good enough to win the Fall Championship with Evan Bischoff taking the mound (They did score 9 in the loss, with runs at the top and RBIs from the back end).
- Sinkers haven't played since 10/14 in a 17-15 shootout win over the Risers. Asked whether the layoff may hurt their production Phillips responded, "we got this." Then asked if Sinker's championship shirts will feature the slogan Hughes interupted, "will? Been wearing mine since September," as he lifted his jersey to show off a shirt reading "Sinkers, Fall Champions 2012, We always had this." No mention of their lineup, but they haven't changed anything yet. Why start now?
Top 1st
Buhr and Hewlett reach base on a single and walk, but they come sandwiched between two ground outs and a fly out. Curves unable to get anything going against Phillips in the first.
Bot 1st
Easy inning to start the day for Bischoff: two outs on the ground and a lazy pop out. Score is 0-0 after one.
Top 2nd
Two one-out singles (Buhr, Nagorski) and a walk (Hewlett) get a threat going for the Curves. A fielders choice by Coffman keeps the bases loaded with two outs for Bischoff, who makes up for his K earlier in the inning with a 2 RBI double to right-center. Buhr follows with his third hit of the game, a single scoring both Coffman and Bischoff. The inning ends on a Nagorski fly out to left, but four runs in for the Curves.
Bot 2nd
Hewlett robs a home run off the bat of Phillips on the first pitch of the inning. The deep fly shakes Bischoff up, and he walks the next two batters. He settles back down, getting Braden and Alexia on more routine fly outs. 4-0 Curves after two innings.
Top 3rd
Cleansing inning in the third for Phillips with help from Alexia and Hughes turning a double play (SS - 2nd - mound) on Coffman after a Hewlett walk. Bischoff then slaps a single to left, but nothing comes of it as Buhr flies out to Roszell in center. Sinkers quiet the opponents bats, but need to wake theirs up to get in this championship deciding game.
Bot 3rd
Two more walks (Phillips, Braden) by Bischoff, but he gets the other three batters out on fielder's choices. No harm, no foul... and no hits given up yet on the day. Score remains 4-0 Curves.
Top 4th
Three up, three down for the Curves in the fourth. They make it a busy inning for Roszell chasing down fly balls in left, but nothing else. Still comfortable in command of the game, though.
Bot 4th
That comfortable feeling gets a little less as Phillips hits a hard drive to left to lead off an inning for the second time, and this time out of the reach of Hewlett. Solo home run. Bischoff seems to shake off this hard hit quicker getting the next two batters out in the air then on the ground. Braden then steps up and crushes another ball deep to left and over the wall. Second solo home run of the inning. Alexia grounds out to finish the inning, but the Sinkers get on the board and back into this game. They still trail the Curves 4-2 with one inning left to play.
Top 5th
After that scare, the Curves look to add some insurance with the top of the order due up. Bischoff steps up with a single, and Buhr hits a one-hopper to Alexia in short left that he handles for the first out (FC 2nd). Phillips then kicks it up a notch needing just two pitches K to Nagorski, get Hewlett to pop out to right and end the inning. Curves hold onto their two run lead needing just three more outs to win the Fall Championship.
Bot 5th
Bischoff walks Phillips, then trades out runners on the next two batters with fielder's choices to the circle: both out at second. One out left to get, but Braden keeps the Sinkers alive with a single to left. Alexia draws a walk, bringing Phillips back up to the plate. He draws his second walk of the inning, pushing Hughes across the plate. Tying run standing at third, two outs. Roszell slaps the ball into right, Buhr charges in and flips the ball to Bischoff for the final out! 12 2 6 Curves hang on and win the Fall Championship in exciting fashion 4-3!
The 2012 Fall Fantasy season comes to a rousing close. The 12 2 6 Curves took advantage of the Sinkers' cockiness and jumped out quickly to a 4-0 lead. It was big hits by E. Bischoff and Buhr in the top two spots that pushed in the runs, and that's just what they did all fall long. A classic 1-2 duo, combined to hit .517 with a .576 OBP. Their power numbers were modest, though they did hit four doubles: more than the rest of the league combined. It was the entire team getting into the act, though, to get the win with numbers 3, 4, and 5 - Nagorski, Hewlett, and Coffman - coming around to score those big early runs.
Bischoff had an off night giving up 7 walks and 2 home runs, while getting no strike outs. Luckily his defense played a great game behind him to allow only 3 hits to a powerful Sinkers offense. Even with two players vying for the triple crown, said offense showed no real life until the fourth inning. True, Phillips did have a home run robbed in the second, but taken with the rest of the Sinkers' ABs on the day, it seemed more like hitting for the home run crown than to win the game. A flat performance by the favorites, but they get to go out on fire regardless; those shirts they had made are in need of burning.
Player stats and awards for the Fall Fantasy season to come at the end of the week.
Game 6: 12 2 6 Curves (1-1) VS. Sinkers (2-0)
- The Curves make no lineup changes despite the loss. The team feels confident that the pieces laid out as they are - 1. Bischoff, 2. Buhr, 3. Nagorski, 4. Hewlett, 5. Coffman - will be more than good enough to win the Fall Championship with Evan Bischoff taking the mound (They did score 9 in the loss, with runs at the top and RBIs from the back end).
- Sinkers haven't played since 10/14 in a 17-15 shootout win over the Risers. Asked whether the layoff may hurt their production Phillips responded, "we got this." Then asked if Sinker's championship shirts will feature the slogan Hughes interupted, "will? Been wearing mine since September," as he lifted his jersey to show off a shirt reading "Sinkers, Fall Champions 2012, We always had this." No mention of their lineup, but they haven't changed anything yet. Why start now?
Top 1st
Buhr and Hewlett reach base on a single and walk, but they come sandwiched between two ground outs and a fly out. Curves unable to get anything going against Phillips in the first.
Bot 1st
Easy inning to start the day for Bischoff: two outs on the ground and a lazy pop out. Score is 0-0 after one.
Top 2ndTwo one-out singles (Buhr, Nagorski) and a walk (Hewlett) get a threat going for the Curves. A fielders choice by Coffman keeps the bases loaded with two outs for Bischoff, who makes up for his K earlier in the inning with a 2 RBI double to right-center. Buhr follows with his third hit of the game, a single scoring both Coffman and Bischoff. The inning ends on a Nagorski fly out to left, but four runs in for the Curves.
Bot 2nd
Hewlett robs a home run off the bat of Phillips on the first pitch of the inning. The deep fly shakes Bischoff up, and he walks the next two batters. He settles back down, getting Braden and Alexia on more routine fly outs. 4-0 Curves after two innings.
Top 3rd
Cleansing inning in the third for Phillips with help from Alexia and Hughes turning a double play (SS - 2nd - mound) on Coffman after a Hewlett walk. Bischoff then slaps a single to left, but nothing comes of it as Buhr flies out to Roszell in center. Sinkers quiet the opponents bats, but need to wake theirs up to get in this championship deciding game.
Bot 3rd
Two more walks (Phillips, Braden) by Bischoff, but he gets the other three batters out on fielder's choices. No harm, no foul... and no hits given up yet on the day. Score remains 4-0 Curves.
Top 4thThree up, three down for the Curves in the fourth. They make it a busy inning for Roszell chasing down fly balls in left, but nothing else. Still comfortable in command of the game, though.
Bot 4th
That comfortable feeling gets a little less as Phillips hits a hard drive to left to lead off an inning for the second time, and this time out of the reach of Hewlett. Solo home run. Bischoff seems to shake off this hard hit quicker getting the next two batters out in the air then on the ground. Braden then steps up and crushes another ball deep to left and over the wall. Second solo home run of the inning. Alexia grounds out to finish the inning, but the Sinkers get on the board and back into this game. They still trail the Curves 4-2 with one inning left to play.
Top 5th
After that scare, the Curves look to add some insurance with the top of the order due up. Bischoff steps up with a single, and Buhr hits a one-hopper to Alexia in short left that he handles for the first out (FC 2nd). Phillips then kicks it up a notch needing just two pitches K to Nagorski, get Hewlett to pop out to right and end the inning. Curves hold onto their two run lead needing just three more outs to win the Fall Championship.
Bot 5th
Bischoff walks Phillips, then trades out runners on the next two batters with fielder's choices to the circle: both out at second. One out left to get, but Braden keeps the Sinkers alive with a single to left. Alexia draws a walk, bringing Phillips back up to the plate. He draws his second walk of the inning, pushing Hughes across the plate. Tying run standing at third, two outs. Roszell slaps the ball into right, Buhr charges in and flips the ball to Bischoff for the final out! 12 2 6 Curves hang on and win the Fall Championship in exciting fashion 4-3!
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | |
| 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 12 2 6 Curves (2-1) | Sinkers (2-1) | |||
| OFFENSE | OFFENSE | |||
| E. Bischoff | 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R | Hughes | 0-4, BB, R | |
| Buhr | 3-5, 2 RBI | D. Braden | 2-4, HR, BB, RBI, R | |
| Nagorski | 1-4, R | Alexia | 0-4, BB | |
| Hewlett | 0-2, 3 BB | Phillips | 1-2, HR, 3 BB, 2 RBI, R | |
| Coffman | 0-4, R | Roszell | 0-4, BB | |
| PITCHING | PITCHING | |||
| E. Bischoff | 3 R, 3 H, 2 HR, 7 BB | Phillips | 4 R, 7 H, 3 BB | |
| Standings | |||
| W | L | +/- | |
| 2 | 1 | -1 | |
| 2 | 1 | +2 | |
| 1 | 2 | -1 | |
| 1 | 2 | 0 | |
Bischoff had an off night giving up 7 walks and 2 home runs, while getting no strike outs. Luckily his defense played a great game behind him to allow only 3 hits to a powerful Sinkers offense. Even with two players vying for the triple crown, said offense showed no real life until the fourth inning. True, Phillips did have a home run robbed in the second, but taken with the rest of the Sinkers' ABs on the day, it seemed more like hitting for the home run crown than to win the game. A flat performance by the favorites, but they get to go out on fire regardless; those shirts they had made are in need of burning.
Player stats and awards for the Fall Fantasy season to come at the end of the week.
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