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.
Game 4: Cheese (0-1) VS. 12 2 6 Curves (1-0)
- Following their 7-6 defeat in Game 1, the Cheese make a few lineup shifts to get the most out of their offense. Crozier (2-4, BB) bumps up to the lead off spot, followed by Shore (1-5) who brings a lot of extra base power. Lewis (2-4) takes over the three-hole, with Pfefferle (2-4, HR) backing him up, and Cosby rounding out the order. Lewis gets the start.
- The 12 2 6 Curves make only one change in their lineup: bumping Buhr (2-3, 2 BB) up to the two spot. Evan Bischoff (3-6, 2 2B) stays at lead off, and Nagorski (3-6, HR) moves down to third in the order to put him in position to best do damage with another home run. Hewlett and Coffman remain in the four and five slots. Hewlett is on the mound.
Top 1st -
Crozier leads off the game with a shot into left-center for a single. Shore just misses on a 3-1 pitch, flying out to Buhr in right. Lewis puts a ball on the ground to Bischoff in left, who gets the ball to the circle for the out at first; Crozier safe at second, two outs. Pfefferle draws a walk, then Cosby rolls over a pitch and grounds out to left.
Bot 1st -
Bischoff starts things off for the Curves with a line drive directly at Shore in left for out number one. Buhr then puts a ball on the ground the other way, but Cosby charges and flips to the pitcher in time for the second out. A routine ground ball out off the bat of Nagorski ends the inning. 0-0 after one.
Cheese scoresheet
Top 2nd -
Hewlett makes quick work of the Cheese in the second, throwing just 8 pitches. Crozier grounds out to Bischoff in left on the second pitch he sees, Shore sees three pitches and drives a single to right, Lewis then pops up the first pitch back to the mound, and Pfefferle fouls off a good first pitch then hits a high fly to Nagorski in center to end the inning.
Bot 2nd -
Hewlett draws a walk to start the inning, then Coffman pops out behind the pitcher's circle. Bischoff hits another ball hard to left, this time for a single; runners on first and second. Buhr puts a ball on the ground to left-center, Crozier charges to his right and makes the throw to the circle for the out at third. Nagorski puts a ball down the left-field line, Shore gets to it in time to hold him to a single and Buhr at second. However, Bischoff scores from second. Hewlett then walks for the second time in the inning, loading the bases. Coffman puts the ball in play, and Cosby makes the catch in right to retire the side. Curves take a 1-0 lead after two.
Top 3rd -
The Curves run wakes up the Cheese offense, and fiercely! After a Cosby ground out, Crozier singles to center, Shore and Lewis draw walks to load the bases, then Pfefferle ropes a single into right-center that scores Crozier and Shore from second. Cosby walks to load the bases for the top of the order, and Crozier drops a single between Nagorski and Buhr to score Lewis; bases remain loaded. Shore works the count, fouls off four tough pitches, and eventually draws his second walk of the inning; this one pushing Pfefferle across the plate. Lewis follows slapping the ball into right field, Bischoff whips his throw to the circle in time to get Cosby at home; two out. Pfefferle connects on a high pitch, and hits it deep to right field; Buhr camps under it and shudders the flood gates. 4 runs cross the plate, Cheese take a 4-1 lead.
12 2 6 Curves scoresheet
Bot 3rd -
Bischoff leads off the third with a long battle, drawing a walk, and Buhr follows with an infield single; a charging Shore holds the ball at third to not throw it away. The play looks smart as Nagorski trickles a ball just past the 20' dead-ball line for another infield single, but cannot push across a run. With the bases loaded Hewlett hits a single to right, Bischoff scores, Buhr rounds third and tries to score; Cosby throws a relay to Lewis in front of the plate, but they miss the peg; two runs score and Nagorski moves up to third on the throw. On the first pitch Coffman hits a ball on the ground to left; Shore throws to Crozier at second and he attempts to turn the double play in the circle, but the throw is just late. RBI for Coffman on the fielder's choice at second. Bischoff then knocks a ball over Lewis' head into short center; Crozier charges, tags the bag, and whips the ball to Lewis for the double play to end the inning. Curves add 3 to bring things back even at 4 heading into the fourth.
Top 4th -
Just as in the third, the Cheese offense responds furiously. Cosby leads off by crushing a 2-0 fastball over the fence in left. Three consecutive singles by the top of the order push across a second run, with Shore advancing to third on Lewis' flare to right. The Curves catch a break turning a double play (left-second-circle) on Pfefferle; Shore scores from third on the play for the third run of the innings, bases empty. Cosby keeps things going with a single to center, and Crozier belts a deep drive over the wall in right-center; the second home run of the inning and fourth and fifth runs. Swinging on the first pitch Shore nearly adds to both those numbers, but has a home run taken away by Buhr in right. Big inning for the Cheese puts them up 9-4 just six outs away from a win.
Bot 4th -
It took until the fourth inning, but this is what the Curves' lineup shift was meant to do. Buhr gets on with a single, then Nagorski knocks the ball over the fence in left-center. Lewis rebounds with his first strike out and a ground out, before Bischoff knocks a ball into right for a single. Lewis tidies up quickly getting Buhr to fly out to Shore in left. Curves chip away at the lead with 2 runs, still trail 9-6 as we go to the fifth.
Top 5th -
Hewlett has his best inning since the second. He opens up dealing his first strike out of the day against his counterpart, Lewis. Pfefferle dribbles an infield single, followed by a seeing eye variety off the bat of Cosby. Hewlett then gets Crozier to weekly fly out to Nagorski in center, runners hold, and bookends the inning with a swinging strikeout by Shore. Last call for the Curves needing 3 runs.
Bot 5th -
Lewis looks locked in to close the game down. He gets Nagorski out on a weak pop up to Pfefferle, and Hewlett on a slow roller to Shore. Coffman then gets to him with a single down the left field line, and Bischoff follows with a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Buhr puts a nice swing on Lewis' patented riser, but drives it to the deep part of the park in center. Crozier gets underneath of it and records the final out. 9-6 Cheese win!
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
R |
H |
|
| 0 |
0 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
9 |
13 |
|
| 0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
9 |
| Cheese (1-1) | | 12 2 6 Curves (1-1) |
| OFFENSE | | OFFENSE |
| Crozier | 5-7, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R | |
E. Bischoff | 2-4, 2 BB, 2 R |
| Shore | 2-5, 2 BB, RBI, 2 R | |
Buhr | 2-6, 2 R |
| Lewis | 1-5, BB, RBI, R | |
Nagorski | 3-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R |
| Pfefferle | 2-5, BB, 2 RBI, R |
| Hewlett | 1-3, 2 BB, 2 RBI |
| Cosby | 2-4, HR, BB, RBI, 2 R | |
Coffman | 1-5, RBI |
|
| PITCHING | | PITCHING |
| Lewis | 6 R, 9 H, 1 HR, 4 BB, 1 K | | Hewlett | 9 R, 13 H, 2 HR, 5 BB, 2 K |
| Standings |
|
W |
L |
+/- |
|
| 2 |
0 |
+3 |
|
| 1 |
1 |
+2 |
|
| 1 |
1 |
-2 |
|
| 0 |
2 |
-3 |
The lineup changes for both teams were successful at boosting offensive production to the tune of three more runs for the Cheese and one more for the Curves. Though, obviously, those results are more apparent for the Cheese. Crozier thrived in the move to the lead-off spot: going 5-7 (now hitting .637 this Fall), getting his first HR and first 3 RBI, as well as scoring 3 more runs for 5 on the Fall. Pfefferle had his second two-hit game and added his fifth and sixth RBI of the Fall. Cosby also had his second two-hit game, getting his first HR and RBI, expertly fitting into the five slot. Nagorski had another great game for the Curves: his second three-hit game of the Fall (hitting .545), second HR and third, fourth, and fifth RBIs.
At 1-1 both teams are still in the hunt for the Fall Championship with just two games left to play. The Cheese close out their season against the 0-2 Risers, and the Curves go head-to-head with the 2-0 Sinkers. Both games have implications on crowning the champion. The cleanest way to decide the champion is
A) a Sinkers victory; at 3-0 they would stand alone with no need for any tie-breakers. A 1-2 Curves team would finish third with a loss to the Cheese and win over the Risers. However, a Curves victory in that game makes things much more interesting.
B) A Curves win
and a Cheese win makes three teams 2-1, each with a head-to-head win over one of the others: Cheese over Curves, Curves over Sinkers, Sinkers over Cheese. Therefore the champion - as well as second and third place - would be crowned by run differential.*
C) A Curves win and a Cheese
loss makes the Curves the outright champion with their victory over the only other 2-1 team, Sinkers - Sinkers would be second, Risers third, and Cheese fourth.
Bottom line on what's at stake in these final two games: Sinkers and Curves can finish anywhere from first to third; Risers can still place as high as second; and Cheese can finish anywhere on the board - first to last!
#MeaningfulGamesInOctober
*
On the other end of the spectrum, a loss by both the Cheese and Curves puts three teams at 1-2 and will see second through fourth place decided by run differential.
