Kermit's Mid Season Report

Happy Fathers day to Leroy, we are halfway through the season and I think its time for a mid-season report! The league has seen some great competition and games this year in the best one yet. I am going to dive into each team and players as well.

1. 199.85 Barn Stormers (10-0)

Most critics had this team winning games, no one had them undefeated. Kevin Vroegh stated they haven’t played a top team and to be honest they haven’t. Their opponents have a 9-41 record on the year, but you still have to play the games and the Barnstormers have.

The Barnstormers bats have been at the top with a 0.462 average and 0.916 slugging, 2nd and 3rd respectively in the league. Pitching wise they are on pace for an historical season, and is what they can base the success off early. Their 2.52 ERA is not only best in the league, but currently 2nd best all time if it holds. The 2016 Bombers held a 2.08 ERA for a whole season, the 2017 Liners and 2015 Fantastic Four both boasted a 3.18 ERA and they are tied for 3rd currently. They also have 92 K’s as a team which is 1st of all teams and include 0.292 opponents’ batting average which is also leading the league.

Jim Tucker – One of my favorite players in the league by far, he has played just 6 of the 10 games for the Barnstormers this year missing more regular season games then he missed all year for the Hawaiians. A passionate leader who prides himself on contact at the plate. In 35 plate appearances this year he has struck out just 3 times, a hidden skill many take for granted in a sport where anything can happen when the ball is put in play. His knuckle ball seems to be working giving up just 1 run in 6 innings pitched as he continues to put himself in the 3 hole with the best ERA on the team limiting his innings pitched on the year. With matching hats and shirts and a bad ass logo he has made Leroy his own and it’s great to see a professional run organization have success.

Kyle Gagliardi – This dude has taken off this year, the #2 pick in the draft is having a season for the ages and currently sits 2nd in the running for Mr. Leroy and 3rd in the running for MVP. If the season ended today, he would make the All Leroy, All Iron, All Salary, All Batting, and All Pitching teams. Him and Caleb are the only 2 players to boast that resume right now. The OTSN founder is in his 2nd season in Leroy and in 5 less games played than last year has already hit more homers and driven in more runners in 32 less at bats. In 63 plate appearances he has struck out just 8 times and like Tuck finds ways to get the ball in play. His 0.540 batting average is almost .100 more than last season and his 1.175 slugging is nearly 0.300. Not only has his bat been on fire, but as the team’s ace he has put together a solid year from the mound. A 3.60 ERA with 30 K’s in 15 innings pitched are solid numbers with a league leading 4 saves on the year. It’s hard to say anything bad about Gags at this point and its good to see his season have the success it has, it’s a season that should get “National” attention so to speak.

Andrew Felde – You can get mixed reviews on Felde depending on who you ask. People whose last name rhyme with Rogus have said he was a cancer to the locker room, and lacked motivation. His 7-0 Record with a 2.00 ERA in 15 Innings pitched with 33 k’s might say otherwise. He has played every game for the Barnstormers and has fueled them with stare down’s in big moments to keep this squad undefeated. Similar to Tuck and Gags this is his second year in Leroy and was tossed around from team to team last year and never got consistency. He currently sits 2nd for pitcher of the year and is the only one even close to competing with Caleb for that award. He is also in the running for MVP (5th) and Mr. Leroy (4th) at the moment because of his dominating pitching. His batting is definitely been above average posting 7 Homers with a 0.400 batting average in 65 plate appearances. I am a big Felde fan and if it wasn’t for the 4th member of this squad this team that I am about to get in to, then this would be my favorite to win it all.

Austin Warner – He is the hardest person to figure out and somehow is putting together a decent season. Austin is currently on pace to play more games for the Barnstormers then he did last year owning his own team. Time will tell if a trip to Congo or Wales are in his future, but right now he is fitting right into the culture of this Barn Stormer squad. His 2.25 ERA is historically good for him, even better than his 2017 campaign with the Liners. His batting numbers are also at an all-time high hitting 0.391. Austin played just 2 games back in the 2014 inaugural season and took 2015 and 2016 off and moved to Hawaii. He returned in 2017 and was the main reason we were featured in both the NWI Times and the Post Tribune that year. He has the most experience on the team and if he comes Monday will play his 50th career game.

Transaction Report: The Barnstormers have made no moves to their main roster all season and have a combined salary of just under $121. Tucker has around $4.50 dollars to play with and the confidence seems high as last week he changed his lineup resulting in a fine. He knows he has money to spend and loves the team he has which could be a game changer if he has cap at the end of the year to use to change lineups before the games start to help strategize. Sean Qualizza, Justin Deckinga, and Kevin Edgington have all played a handful of games for this team throughout the year to fill in.

Summary: This team is rolling on all cylinders and has the perfect schedule to get themselves ready for playoff wiffle. They face the cream of the crop in their remaining games and look to see how they can face off against big names in the league moving forward. The main questions for them will be in the ability of Felde and Gags to continue their dominance throughout the whole year. If they can’t then this team and start is just a bunch of #bs. Owners ranked this team 2nd among the 12 with 3 first place votes.

2. 178.72 Lake County Liners (10-0)

Another year of doubting Caleb, and another year of him proving us wrong. He has found a way to make players around him great yet again and has pushed his Liners to another great start and the Liners now have a 53-10 (.841) record in a league designed for parity.

The Liners have dominated from the plate with a league leading 88 runs scored in 10 games. They have a 0.469 average and a +1.000 Slugging as a team. Not only that 6 teams have more strikeouts from the plate then them and they have 20 more at bats then the 2nd most team. Pitching has been solid for the Liners as well posting a 4.44 ERA with 83 k’s in 54 IP. They had a 9 inning duel with the Corn Bombers a couple week’s back and have pitched 3 more IP then any other team.

Caleb Jonkman – Every year we say he’s the best, and every year he still seems to find another gear. His current market value is 70.78 in a league with 30.00 being the average. The next closest player is Gags at a 53.12 price. He is blowing away the league in Homers, RBI’s, runs with a .667 batting average. The league average is currently 0.372 for the year, his 1.754 slugging is double the league average. From the mound he has pitched a league high 16 innings and still has yet to give up a run. He surpassed 200 Career Home Runs last week and to put it into perspective only one other person has surpassed the century mark. The hall of famer is doing it again this year, but signs of fatigued showed last week and needing to play close to 30 games this year to win it all might push him to the max when he nears 40+ IP.

Jeff Borkowski – Jeff is a true rookie to the sport and league this year and was scooped up by Caleb after he played a couple games for the Sliders. For a rookie his numbers are very respectable, especially from the mound. Some might say his 3.23 ERA in 13 IP is mainly because of having Caleb in the field behind him, but with 20 k’s to his name he might prove otherwise. He has recently been thrown in the #1 slot, the first player Caleb has ever put in front of himself in a lineup. This shows the respect and trust he has in Jeff to win opening games giving Caleb the chance to pitch twice in the second. A great addition to the league and could be in the running for rookie of the year when all things are said and done.

Matt Miller – Matt was on pace to blow the most improved player award out the window this year. A no name last year that played sporadically for the Sultans has found a home in the Liners and is putting up great numbers from the plate and mound. He has played just 6 games on the year including a last minute back out this week due to a rumored chemical spill in his eyes. No further details have been stated and his status for the upcoming death week is unknown. He is a great fit to the Liners culture as he hits the board and does what he can to get on base.

Robert Warren – Speaking of eyes, the rumored one eyed bandit Rob Warren has had some up and down games for the Liners this year. His numbers show what he is looking to do with 17 runs scored on the year with just 3 RBI’s. He looks to get on and let Caleb get him in and it has seemed to work for the start of the year. His pitching has become shaky in recent outings as he posts a 9.82 ERA in 11 IP this year with just 9 K’s.

Transaction Report: The Liners dropped Mitch Gerlach after the first couple weeks and signed Jeff Borkowski getting themselves under the salary cap. Mike Kubacki Jr. and most recently newcomer Nick “Bundy” Bray have played a few games for the squad.

Summary: It was looking like another easy deep run into the playoffs for the Liners this year until the recent week. With the lineup change the Liners are currently over their salary cap and unable to field their main roster. It’s a hurdle Caleb will have to face in the coming weeks hoping other owners make mistakes and his team stays on board to get them back under the cap. Time will tell if that will happen or if Caleb needs to shake things up and make a signing to assure himself a roster going into the playoffs. Owners ranked this team 1st among the 12 with 4 first place votes.

3. 150.39 Valiant Vultures (7-3)

Quinn has brought a different style of ownership to the league in almost a DGAF attitude. His hot pink shirts with a devouring looking Vulture as his logo has taken the league on storm. Although a recent 1-3 stretch has brought them back to reality a dominant 6-0 start is the reason this team sits at the #3 spot.

The Vultures lead the league in Slugging and have 45 homers on the year. That is more than the Bashers, Bombers, Narwhals, and Turtles combined. The shocking part is they are 10th in the league in ERA at a 8.80 clip, showing currently that you can hit your way to wins. A shocking fact is the difference in runs scored to average from the plate and mound. They have a 82-67 run differential on the year yet have a .433 batting average compared to an opponents batting average of 0.460. They seem to find ways to score guys and get out of jams leaving guys on base when they are on the rubber.

Garret Lytle – The 2018 All Leroy and All Pitcher Garret Lytle has been solid all year yet again. He sits 6th in Mr. Leroy, Ironman, MVP, and Pitcher of Year. He sits 7th in batter of year. He is the team ace with a 2.57 clip have way through the year with 28 k’s in 14 innings. His opponents batting average, Whip, and K’s per 6 are all worse than last year, but his ERA is almost 2.00 better proving he is learning how to get out of pressure moments unscathed. Garret’s power numbers are better this year but his average is down almost 0.50. With the loss of Diehl his numbers need to improve for this team to be relevant.

David Buczek – Dave showed up last year and got a bad reputation and fast. After a few blow ups he bounced around and ended up on the Sliders to finish the year. He was one of the biggest trash talkers and many critics told him to start backing it up. The draft rolled around and he sat through 24 picks without hearing his name. He got up and left and was drafted in the 3rd round at pick number 29. He currently is 3rd in the voting for Mr. Leroy. His bats have been electric this year and Quinn has let him do his thing and its working. His 18 Homers is 6 more than last year already and he has as many hits in 5 less games played. Dave has by far by the steal of the draft and its great to see his passion for the league continue.

Quinn Cloghessy – He stays away from the owner drama bull shit and does his thing. Many had doubts on how he would lead a team this year and he seemed to take the bull by the horns. After losing Chris Diehl after week 3 his numbers have drastically gone down as he moved from the #4 on the team to the #3. A 15.52 ERA has been detrimental to the Vultures in the recent weeks. It’s a shock when he had a 12.21 ERA in 2017, then dropped to 9.67 last year looking like he was continuing to improve each year. He also has a 3-0 record from the mound this year somehow which makes no sense what so ever.

Luke Hillegonds – If has always been a struggle for new players to perform early, but this guy has reached another level. A .128 batting average and 5 hits in 8 games is demotion material, but Quinn seems to keep him on board. His 12.00 ERA and 4 k’s in 8 IP is also demotion numbers, and with Quinn’s mound struggles this gives the Bashers a run for worst two 3-4 pitchers on any team.

Transaction Report: He made two steals in the draft getting David Buczek in the 3rd and getting Chris Diehl in the 4th who electrified the league with their bats this year and some say was the main reason this team started off at a 6-0 start. Chris was signed by the Narwhals and Quinn had to find a fourth after learning his 2nd round pick Mike Fiene “went down with an injury”. He signed Luke Hillegonds and has continued using that roster since.

Summary: This team is obviously not as good with Luke Hillegonds in the lineup over Chris Diehl. They still have 2 dominant players in Dave and Garret that if they continue could be the best 1-2 punch in the league. Quinn’s latest struggles and Luke’s horrendous play has contributed to a 1-3 record in the last 4 games and both of them need to excel their game to keep this team relevant. Time will tell if Quinn stays with Luke and time will tell what this team’s identity will be in the 2nd half of the season. Owners ranked this team 6th… wow with no first place votes.

4. 148.25 Clay St. Crocs (8-2)

Jackson Buzea is quietly one of the best wiffle ball players and people in NWI. Coming off a dominant 2018 where he won Rookie of the year he jumped right into ownership. The crocs have taken the hearts of many early with Jackson’s demeanor. He was rewarded the #1 pick in the draft and blew it on an above average player at best that could hinder them from reaching the ultimate goal for Jackson: A Leroy Championship.

The Crocs are one of 2 teams with a sub 4.00 ERA allowing just 33 runs on the year. They have played in a couple extra inning matchups already this season and always seem to make things interesting. They are 2nd in k’s as well with 85 K’s in 41 IP. They have at least one win in every series’ played this year, a very promising moving into the back half of the season.

Jackson Buzea: Many critics destroyed the name of Jackson saying he had no arm for the season, and he has proven them wrong time and time again. He has roped 31 k’s in 15 IP with a 2.00 ERA, 4-0 record and 2 saves. One of the best players in the league again with a +.400 average, he averaged almost 1.5 homers a game last year and that has dropped as he sits with 9 homers in 10 games this year. Not much more to say for this croc he will be an All Star and probably make All Leroy yet again.

Ryan Voges: Ryan has upped his game this year finally after getting some experience last season. He was picked first overall and really hasn’t lived up to the praise he was given. His pitching has upgraded as he is the #2 for the crocs and sits with a respectable 3.43 ERA and his 28 k’s in 14 Innings pitched is on par for elite pitchers. His batting numbers have been so-so with only 13 RBI’s in 10 games, he has 8 Homers to his name and a 0.431 average. Solid numbers for a should have been late first round pick. It all seriousness this guy throws heat and when he gets consistent he will be a top player in the league.

Josh Smits: Mr. 100 has played just 6 games this season and has been solid for the crocs, especially in the #3 hole. He has a 6.00 ERA and 12 k’s in 7 IP, plus a .361 average and 4 Homers on the year from the plate. One of the youngest players in the league has a good shot to make a deep run and play a big part in playoff wiffleball this year, and should learn from two veterans if he plans on sticking around for years to come.

Micah Hescott: He screwed the crocs out of a $1 when he forgot to set his alarm, but showed up against the turtles and actually performed well to help them win both. Not much more to say he has little to no passion for the league and most likely will be dropped in the coming weeks. Time will tell if Jackson tries to get him a couple more games to use him as a playoff backup.

Transaction Report: Jackson has yet to make a main roster move, but has had a couple guys including Cole Felde, Tyler Walk and Tyler Van Kuiken come in and help out the crocs.

Summary Report: Jackson and Ryan have been a good 1-2 that has won them games going forward. Jackson has worked his way up the waiver wire and has publicly voiced his desire to replace Micah as the 4th man on the team. I see them making a good run and being a competitive team come playoff time, but getting their roster set sooner rather than later can only help this inexperienced playoff team. Owners ranked this team 3rd with no first place votes.

5. 138.37 Squint Sluggers (5-5)

Erik Detmar is looking to repeat his success he had last year reaching the finals and has the roster to do it.It’s tough to lose a superstar in Garret Lytle that he had, but James Haworth is a different type of player who is creating success in his own way.Somehow this team sits on a 5-5 record and I think much has to do with the competition when facing Erik.A very vocal leader and personality combined with a young age brings out the best in the competition.

If I told you this team has the best opponents batting average among all 12 teams would you believe me?The Sluggers sit in 1st with an OBA of 0.289 giving up just 56 hits in 47 IP.Of those 56 hits, 24 have been Home runs which is 6th best in the league.They rarely get hit and when they do most of the time it goes over.It’s shocking that a team leading the league in OBA is sitting at 5-5 and in 7th place after half the season, it’s almost unheard of.Especially when this team has scored 56 runs themselves, that’s right they have scored as many runs as they have allowed hits and still sit at 5-5 ball.

Erik Detmar is in the running for All Leroy for his 3rd straight season as he leads a team full of lefties.He has played 99 career games and has 49 career homers.He has hit 8 this year as he looks to beat his career high of 19 he had last season.His 0.982 Slugging is at an all time high in his 6 year career and with only 7 strikeouts from the plate in 10 games he has found ways to make contact.His 1.20 ERA is 0.01 higher than his career best 1.19 ERA he finished with back in 2017 and his 0.33 Whip this year is leading the league and by far best in his career.Opponents are hitting just .100 off him and with 28 k’s this year he has surpassed 300 in his career, the 3rd to reach that feat.

James Haworth is starting to become a household name in Indiana playing for GBL and Circle City Wiffle as well.He prides himself on making contact and stealing extra bases something his owner takes pride in as well.He leads the league in doubles and triples and looks to make his 2nd straight all star team.His 0.544 batting average is appalling and he already has more homers in 10 games this year than he had in 27 games last year.His ERA has also dropped to 5.00 with 14 k’s in 12 IP this year. Many thought he succeeded due to Caleb’s help last season, but he has emerged as a All Star caliber player yet again silencing those notions and performing better this year.

Colin Lautenbach was recently signed to the Sluggers and should be should take on the name Detmar when it comes to wiffle.Whether it’s with Brett or Erik they seem to rely on him heavily to control the power from the plate and that is something he hasn’t been able to do this year.Just 4 homers in 8 games has pushed rumors out he is playing through injury.The 2017 Champ is hitting just .356 from the plate a far cry from his career .437 he has hit in through his 5 year career.His pitching has been great but with two dominate fielders behind him, all you have to do is keep it in the park.

Jason Hillegonds is hitting just 0.250 in ten games played and has a 7.20 ERA allowing 9 homers in 10 IP this year.Both his pitching and hitting have decreased immensely from last year when he was a part of the Sluggers team that made the finals.So much that Erik had worked out a plan to drop him from the team that ultimately got revoked.The fall out from that could be the reason for the struggles with the pressure Erik puts on his players to play or get out.

Transaction Report:Kyle Zuidema was released from the team after news came out he was unable to play this year due to internship, a huge loss to the team.Colin was signed to the roster.Tony Lucito and Luke Hillegonds were brought to the league through the Sluggers this year with Tony still on the team and Luke signed to the Vultures.

Summary: This team has lost a lot of close games and can’t seem to put both hitting and pitching together at the same time.They are 5 games back in the standings with 12 to play, but they have a so so schedule remaining that they could make a good run to getting a top 3 seed in the playoffs if they can figure out how to put it together each week.I don’t see Erik making any moves the remainder of the year, but I wouldn’t rule out a swap for Hillegonds if he continues his struggles.He has plenty of cap and if the right fit comes along, watch out. Owners ranked this team 5th with 1 first place vote…. Which was prob Erik.

6. 121.79 Marvelous Maniacs (6-4)

I still remember the text I got from Kevin last year, “I’m coming back”.After finishing college and working in Michigan in the summer of 2017 it was huge for the league to bring back one of the big players that helped bring this league to fruition 5 years ago.With the mass influx of players that came in 2017 and 2018 many don’t know what kind of passion and influence he had for the early days of Leroy.When he approached about being an owner I was even more thrilled, because I knew we had another owner who would make sure things get done right and be able to sport a competitive team, and that’s what he has done.

The Maniacs had a slow start to the season, but things have seemed to be rolling here as of late.The franchise won its 40th game all time last week, the 4th franchise to do so.They have been middle of the road this year scoring 59 runs and giving up 63.They also have a 0.392 batting average with a 0.391 opponents batting average.With the average score being 120.00, they sit right above the average.

Jack Hillegonds’ odd year effect is full swing yet again.In 2015 and 2017 he was All Batting and an All Star.In 2016 and 2018 he was trash, he is on pace for another stellar year and if he keeps playing like he has will get his 3rd All Star appearance of his career.He has 94 Career Home Runs tied with Robby Zandstra for 3rd All time as he looks to be the 3rd player to hit the century mark.He has been lighting it up from the plate again this year with a 0.483 batting average and 15 Homers, 3rd in the league.Pitching has been solid, Kevin has utilized him in the 1, 2, and 3 slot this season trying out different lineups throughout.A 5.00 ERA and 17 K’s in 12 IP is great numbers.

Vince Carullo is a huge bargain for Kevin and made his team title contenders if he plays to his potential.After playing just 4 games last year, he was drafted by the Narwhals in the first round.After a poor start to the season he was released and instantly picked up by the Maniacs.History wise we don’t have much to compare to, but this year has seen ace material written all over it.A 0.80 ERA with a opponents batting average of 0.167 with 33 K’s in 15 IP is exactly what Kevin wanted and got.When it comes playoff time he will be the stud they need to get wins in Game 1 and 3 if need be to get them deep in the playoffs.After last year’s four game stint many thought his batting would be his strong suit and it hasn’t taken off yet.Just 3 Homers in 10 games and 56 at bats wasn’t what he was planning.

Kevin Vroegh is slowly adapting to the new league after sitting out the whole 2017 season.He hit his 50th homer this year and with 10 on the season is on pace to beat his career high of 19 he had back in 2014.His pitchers numbers are shockingly the best of his career.Dating back to 2014 his ERA has gone down in every year he has played.Next week he will pitch his 100th career inning. Many also don’t remember he was a part of the 2016 nationals that got 7th place in our first year in the tournament.He was our main fielder and still prides himself on that to this day.

John Eenigenburg had a solid 2018 with the Sultans going 9-5 on the year with 39 k’s in 27 IP.This year has been rough as he has allowed 27 runs in just 10 1/3 IP for a 15.68 ERA.He has just 11 k’s and a mind blowing 3.48 WHIP.His batting average last year was 0.333, his batting average this year is 0.333. He has 6 Homers this year and seems to be struggling to put it all together.Luckily for him with the signing of Vince he has moved to the 4 slot and can focus on limiting runs in his few innings pitched.

Transaction Report:The Maniacs dropped Chris Bartley after the first couple weeks and signed Joey Rivera.Then in a bold move John Eenigenburg was released to make way for Vince Carullo.Joey’s stint with the team was short lived as John went through all the way through waivers and Kevin had enough cap to resign John E Burg to the main roster.

Summary – This team has the most solid 1-4 in the league and other than E burg all three of the Maniacs are playing above average with Jack at Elite level to start the year.If John can jump on board with the success the others are having and get his pitching numbers down this team could be a serious threat to anyone in the league.Owners ranked them 4th with 3 first place votes.

7. 117.42 Scrappin Turtles (6-4)

It is a 99.9% chance this will be Matt’s last year as an owner, and even more rumors have him scheduled to retire from the league at season’s end. Matt has damn near done it all in this league and ownership was something he added to his list in recent years. The two time champ had a horrendous finish to the year last year with the Clams and couldn’t go out like that so he gave it another go as the newly branded Turtles in 2019. A shocking first round pick in Tim Wiltjer had many critics putting this team in the bottom portion of the league.

Slow and steady became the motto for this squad as they have put together some wins that many thought they couldn’t get early on. Of the 10 games for the turtles this year, 8 have been games within 3 runs. The turtles are 6-2 in games decided by 3 runs or less. One of the losses by more than 3 was to the crocs and went to extra innings as well. This squad has been in every game except 1 so far this year and has found ways to score runs when needed to pull out wins.

Robby Zandstra is one of the most electrifying players in the league. Robby loves to hit dingers and throw as hard as he can, and has made that pretty clear year after year. You rarely ever see him take a walk and his pitch has one of the top 3 velocities in the league. His strengths lead to his weakness’ as he is always looking to crush the ball. As mentioned before he is tied with Jack Hillegonds on the all time list with 94 and looks to reach that century mark soon. He and Caleb are the only 2 players to have double digit homers in every season of the league. His 0.389 batting average his a career worst for him. In 2017 his lowest year he was at 0.432. His 7.33 ERA is the highest hits been since 2015, and he has given up more hits than strikeouts for the first time since 15 as well.

To see what Matt Dykstra has become is a tragedy for the sport. To say he is only a shell of his former self would just be to good of a pun for this article. Matt is one of the smartest players in the league and knows the game inside and out, as well as what he can and can’t do. His managerial decision to put himself 3rd and sometime 4th in the lineup on occasion keeps innings of his arm. Last year that wasn’t the case and time and time again the 3rd go around would be a max run inning given up by Matt. Matt is leading the team from the plate and mound this year with a 1.33 ERA and a 0.468 batting average. His slow and steady motto has worked and we can only hope he gets back to the 2016 cocky Matt come playoff time.

Tyler Van Kuiken is fresh to the league this year and is looking to make his mark as a true rookie this year. He was signed for Justin Deckinga who had a 0.00 ERA at the time and was a proven champion after helping the Liners win it all last year. It was a shocking move for a player in Tyler hitting just 0.333 with 3 homers in 10 games played and 57 at bats. His pitching numbers are atrocious with a 14.00 ERA and just 8 k’s in 12 IP. Matt has put a ton of faith in the young stud hoping him and Robby can mold him into a solid two way player. His fielding is one plus giving the turtles a solid fielder for both Matt and Tim when they struggle.

Your Truly is having a good year in terms of past, with a 5.33 ERA and a career low 1.56 WHIP things seem to be rolling early in the year. The batting stats haven’t been gaudy so to speak with a measly .289 batting average. But 13 RBI’s on the year is already more than I had last year in twice as many games. It’s nice to not have to run a team this year and look forward to doing this more in the years to come.

Transaction Report: Justin Deckinga was released from the team after a 4-0 start and Tyler Van Kuiken was signed. They have utilized both their Kermit players Tyler Walk and Shane Anderson throughout the weeks, and both are playoff eligible and making huge contributions to the squad.

Summary: The turtles are trying a new way to win games, arguably one of the best trash talking teams in the league they keep themselves in games and try to maintain control of how the games are played. Not a lot of others have faith in this team getting far, but have a better record than most and are currently tied in 5th in the standings. If Robby gets to All Leroy form and Tyler becomes even a solid average player this team could have potential to steadily win games throughout the season and playoffs. Owners ranked them 7th.

8. 97.53 Bushleague Badgers (3-7)

The most recognized team among Twitter bots have completely imploded this season to almost everyone’s shock. No one seemed to predict the struggles both Marty and Jared have had throughout the first half of the year. The Badgers are the one of the oldest franchises in the leagues history and played their 100th game this past week as a franchise. Jared has slowly created a reputation of quiet arrogant like atmosphere that has built the Badger name to leagues even outside of Leroy.

The shocking part is the record, and even more so is the schedule doesn’t look much easier moving forward. It would take a miracle for this team to even get 10 wins this year in the 22 game season and its looking like they may be a death bracket team as this point. Critics said this team was dominating at hitting and had questions on the mound. Well unfortunately they still have questions on the mound, but those questions have also been directed to the plate where they have a 0.352 batting average, 0.20 lower than the league average. The Badgers have scored just 44 runs on the year and have given up 51.

Jared Jonkman – The season Jared has put out so far could be the biggest disappointment the league has ever seen. He sits 2nd all time in Homers hit and has just 4 in 8 games played. Last two years combined he up 71 total. He has never had a season under the 0.400 batting average mark and he currently sits at 0.244. Not only that he has 18 strikeouts at the plate and 23 total bases… its crazy to see. The final awful batting stat I will share is his slugging percentage last year was 1.151, currently he sits at 0.511; more than half of last year’s. His pitching has been better than average with a 4.80 ERA. He has just 10 k’s in 10 IP though and sits at 0-2 on the year. The 4 time all star may not make the All Star team for the first time since 2014.

Marty Rasala has found himself back on the Badgers and has found himself putting up 2016 numbers like when he was on the team previously. Marty is in his 4th full season and is having the worst season to date from the plate. A career 0.482 hitter from the plate sits at 0.400 this year. His pitching numbers are mind blowing… 2016 his rookie year: 3.25 ERA, 24 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 11.75 K/6. 2017: 2.20 ERA, 30 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 13.60 K/6. 2018: 3.88 ERA, 34 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 9.00 K/6…. 2019 -à 8.00 ERA, 12 IP, 2.17 WHIP, 8.00 K/6. Its shocking to see such a huge downfall especially from a guy who just pitched his 100th career inning last week.

Sam Staal was a gifted to the Badgers and could be the only hope for this team if he wasn’t leading the league in strikeouts at the plate and had a sub .250 average again… oh wait, he is. Sam is on pace to lead the league in strikeouts from the plate for the 3rd time in the last four years. His batting average is just above his 2016 season at 0.245 and has twice as many k’s from the plate (27) as hits (13). Just 3 homers on the year has him sitting at the 49 mark for career homers after playing 96 total games. Many don’t remember that this stud lead the league with 20 Homers in the 2014 season. His pitching has been very good this year. He has an ERA at 3.71 which is the best its been since his return. His 0-4 record doesn’t show his ability to throw strikes and keep the ball in play giving up just 3 homers from the mound. A fun fact for Sam is he has 49 Homers on his career and has given up 49 homers on his career… what hits 50 first.

Cameron Varlan should be the first player mentioned on this team of big names for his ability to even keep this team a float. He is coming off a season where he never could get comfortable as Austin openly put him on the trade block week in and out throughout the year. This year he seems to sense some structure and can get comfortable knowing he will be on the Badgers week to week. Leads the team with 9 homers and a 0.418 batting average. He has 16 RBI’s and 12 Runs also leading the Badgers. His 3.79 Era and 0.269 opponents batting average are a far stretch better than last year’s 10.42 ERA and 0.406 OBA. He sits with 17 K’s in 12 2/3 IP, he had 17 K’s total last year in 25 1/3. Cameron should be the #1 for this team the rest of the year.

Transaction Report: The Badgers recently signed Sam Staal for Luke Prince who never made it out to the fields this season. Bo Hofstra and Joel Dykstra have made some appearances for the team with little luck.

Long story short this team is 1-7 against teams not named the Narwhals. They have played the Sliders already and besides the Bombers have to play all teams above 0.500 to finish out the season. The only hope is that somehow with Sam’s addition to this team they can find a mesh and figure out what each players role is, because currently it is a free for all on who should do what and who is what on this team. Owners ranked them 8th.

9. 96.48 Corn Bombers (2-8)

When you think Corn Bombers you think dominance and tradition. It’s like watching the Bulls after they lost Jordan, many thought Brett was the Jordan and Erik the Scotty but with the complete fail that is the Bombers franchise in recent years many have to wonder what kept the Bombers afloat through the years. With rumors that Brett will be entering the draft next year with limited availability it’s sad to watch something so great go out so bad.

The Bombers are on pace to have the second worst season from the plate we have seen from a team in the history of the league. The 2015 One Hit Wonders are the only team ranked lower than the Bombers and it isn’t by much. They have a 0.286 batting average and have scored 20 runs in 10 games… the Liners scored 21 runs in the first game of the season. Caleb has 25 Homers on the year, the Bombers have 9 as a team in 10 games. I could go more and more into the historically awful season this borderline minor league squad is having, but we need to get into the players.

Brett Detmar has played 103 games and has a career 0.418 batting average. He sits at 0.283 right now currently with just 3 Homers and 5 RBI’s in 46 at bats. He also preached he wasn’t a good batter, but was always above league average and this year it isn’t the case. He already has 2 Losses to his name from the mound and a blown save. Brett is the only player to have made the All Pitching team in every single year… yes even Caleb didn’t make it in 2014. It’s looking like this may be the year he doesn’t make it even with solid numbers. A 2.73 ERA and 1.36 Whip are the highest they have been since 2015. He sits at 397 K’s in his career though and looks to become the 2nd pitcher to hit the 400 mark this week. The only thing he is doing right is strikeouts leading the league in K/6 at 15.82. Yes he has 29 K’s in just 11 IP.

It’s a travesty to see talent like Kyle Schaaf’s get wasted yet again. Last season he had to ride out the Sultans team into destruction when he had to be dropped for because of awful managing from the owner in Robby Zandstra. He was signed to the Leroy Clams late in the year and had to be in the death bracket after helping the sultans reach a #3 seed and get knknocked out in the first round. This year he has a 2.93 ERA and 23 k’s in 14 1/3 IP on the year. Unless something dramatic changes this stud is heading for the death bracket yet again.

Jake Van Vuren has under the radar played 77 career games in his career. He has never been known as a good hitter with a career average hovering around 0.300. This year his 0.163 batting average in 43 at bats is absolutely pitiful. He hasn’t hit a homer yet and has struck out 22 times at the plate… that’s right he has struck out over half his at bats. Jake was dominant from the mound last year posting a 2.84 ERA in 19 IP… he has been solid so far this year with a 4.00 ERA and his 1.33 WHIP ain’t to shabby either in 9 IP. For some reason the game always falls on him though and he seems to find a way to lose it. He has a career 5-18 record from the mound.

Chandler Kimmel is the #4 for this team I think. He has played just 4 games and Brett seems to utilize him when he is running late. A 10.50 ERA in 4 IP with 1 k isn’t the greatest and to top it off he has an 0-3 record from the mound in the four games he has played. The only thing we look forward to is how fast Chan can unload the fridge and with the purchase of a full fridge we can only imagine the damage he will be doing to it in the coming weeks.

Transaction Report: Brett has made no moves to his roster…. He passed on John Eenigenburg and Sam Staal waiting for who the hell knows. Mitchell Gerlach and CVG (Carter VanderGriend) are his two kermits currently. It’s mind blowing that I can’t mention more in this paragraph with how bad this team is.

Summary: The Bombers aren’t who they used to be and that’s for sure, the hole left by Erik can’t seem to be fixed and when Erik signed Colin the only glimmer of the 2016-2017 Bombers he had left is now gone. He seems lost in his nurse gown unsure where to go. Every week passes and he gets his ass handed to him and he drives away saying he’s quitting… then every week he comes back with a red ass waiting for another spanking from the next team. Owners ranked them 9th.

10. 75.29 Noble Narwhals (0-10)

It’s shocking the ranking system has this team anywhere but the bottom. The managerial decisions made throughout the year to date could be the worst all time and have cost them multiple wins on the year. Greg Gierling has used his Going Corn show to get into the hearts and souls of many in the league with his biased opinions of teams like the Sliders and Bashers when he sits winless yet again with a legit chance of being the first franchise to not make the playoffs in the league’s history.

The Narwhals pitching has actually been solid this year with a 6.83 ERA and giving up just 52 runs on the year. The Vultures, Maniacs, and Turtles have all given up the same or more runs throughout the year to date as well. The problem is the hitting, if it wasn’t for the Bombers absolute shit show of a season, this team would be the 2nd worst all time. They like the Bombers have a 0.286 team batting average and sit with just 22 runs scored on the year.

Chris Diehl was recently added to the team and helped them to two losses in his debut with the team. He is a stud batter that would have made the all batting team until recent news of his moving in mid to late July. He has a 0.583 batting average with 12 Homers and 24 RBI’s in just 48 at bats this season, making a name for himself. The struggle for him is at the mound, a 15.84 ERA and opponents batting average of 0.571 is wretched. He has given up 9 Homers in 8 1/3 IP and can’t seem to find a pitch that works with the actual wiffle ball. All in all I never have talked to him, but am grateful he made it out this year, and if he ever moves back we will welcome him with open arms.

Justin Deckinga is a 2018 champion that saw himself with out a team for a few weeks this year. In a shocking move Matt dropped him like last week’s news after a solid couple weeks for the turtles. He is borderline in the talks for becoming an all star again this year and hopes the Narwhal curse doesn’t effect those chances. Last year was his first full season and he was lucky enough to coat tail off Caleb to get a championship right away. I like Justin a lot and he played 26 games last season and is one of the most reliable guys this league has to offer. His 3.60 ERA so far this year in 10 IP is a far cry increase to his 9.49 ERA in 30 1/3 he had last year. His batting numbers have increased as well hitting 4 Homers with 11 RBI’s in 48 at bats this year holding a 0.438 clip from the plate. The shocking stat for Justin is for all players with 25 games or more he sits 2nd all time with a 0.722 winning percentage in games played at 26-10. Hopefully he can bring that winning culture to the Narwhals and help them at least make the death bracket.

Zach Hise came to opening day this year with a pack of smokes and I instantly liked him. He is the only player to play all 10 games for the Narwhals this year and leads the team with 8 Homers and 13 RBi’s in those games. He started as a Kermit until getting signed full time for the squad. A 6.97 ERA is not good, but for a rookie you can’t ask for more. A great addition to the league for sure and we hope to get to know him and see his growth throughout the years to come.

Greg is having another rough go as of late. He started the year hot from the mound only to see it blow up in recent games as he benched himself the last week. A 14.25 ERA is probably because of the wind but hey he does have 11 K’s to his name in just 8 IP this year. The real struggles have come from the plate this year as we see so many players getting better at throwing strikes. Just a few years ago he lead the league in singles, but with a 0.135 ERA everyone is throwing strikes and making him swing. Greg needs to find his bat this year and get some confidence back to get himself back in the 0.330 range that he sits career wise.

Transaction Report: The Narwhals have released every single one of their draft picks so far. Vince Carullo, gone: Sam Staal, gone: Brad Kamstra, gone. All were replaced by the 3 players above. Mike Kubacki Jr has also played some games for the squad.

Summary: This team sits 10th in team ranking and hasn’t got a win yet. Last week they should have, but poor managerial decisions put both their best pitchers last and they blew games in the final innings. This team can only hope to get out of the final playoff spot and will be faced with a decision to make. Greg has to find another stud to replace Diehl or find two decent players and replace himself in the lineup, hoping no one claims that player off waivers. It’s going to be interesting to see, but one thing is for sure Greg will be active. Owners ranked them 12th.

11. 67.61 Backdoor Sliders (2-8)

The most storied franchise in league history owned by Jordan Mosel. The Sliders have played 105 games and this looked to be the year they finally have a deep playoff run. The only team to be apart of all 6 seasons in Leroy had a stellar draft to find himself making yet again piss poor decisions and poor managing to find himself at the bottom yet again.

The Sliders only two wins have come courtesy of a walk off by Brian “Two Name Texas” Travis. They have had one of the hardest schedules to date with their opponents having a 37-13 record. They split the series with the Badgers and the Turtles. The other 6 games came against the Crocs, Liners, and Barnstormers who are combined 28-2. Everyone on this team other than Binky Barnes is playing far worst than they did last year, especially Jordan himself.

Alec is coming off an all star year after wining a championship in his first season. His batting average is around the same… mid 0.300’s but he has lost a lot of power this year with his Slugging dropping from 0.818 to 0.571. His pitching got so good last year many were calling him an ace, and that was the reason Jordan took him with his first-round pick. Caleb praised Alec up and down and this year he sits with a 8.34 ERA a 2-4 record and a blown save. He absorbs 43 dollars of the 127 dollar cap the Sliders have and is playing at a 23 dollar level, almost half.

Jordan Mosel has had ups and downs through his career and once again at the worst time he has hit a down. In 92 games played in his career he has a 0.394 batting average and in 6 seasons has never had an average under 0.327. He sits at 0.279 right now and has just 3 Homers and 7 RBI’s in 43 at bats on the year. He also for the first time has more strikeouts at the plate then hits. To cap it off his ERA at 9.00 is the highest its ever been and his 2.40 WHIP is the highest its ever been in his 6 year career. I don’t know if asains are on his mind or what, but Jordan is failing to lead, and failing to perform in a season that could have seen the Sliders make a deep run.

Brian Travis is the sole reason this team even has a win. He has 2 walk off Homers this season and although he isn’t playing up to par as he did last year… he is having some mild success. A 0.310 batting average with 7 Homers in 58 at bats ain’t to shabby. The rest of the main roster players have 8 Homers combined up till this point. His pitching numbers have been better this year as well. He finished last year with a 10.23 ERA and because of that was not drafted by the Sluggers this year, a team he helped reach the finals in 2018. He is sitting at a 7.09 ERA this year with 13 K’s in 11 IP.

I can’t believe I have to write a paragraph about a player that has played 2 games, but hear I am because Jordan refuses to get rid of Barnes when he can’t play him due to salary restrictions. I will give Ryan this he is by far one of the best trash talkers in the league and I do love seeing him play, but it’s a shame he can’t because of poor managerial decisions. He pitched good in his one outing giving up 1 run in 2 IP. Hopefully we at least see him once more so he gets his 4 games and becomes not only playoff eligible, but eligible to be drafted to a different manager next year.

Transaction Report: None….. he passed on everyone and everything for who the hell knows why at this point. Zach Turpin has played some games, I think Joey Rivera played some, who knows who else at this point.

Summary… the only thing keeping this franchise relevant is the rivalry it has with the Badgers and the big booty it has in the logo. It’s like the browns, they have been around so long and have failed so long you just expect it at this point. Maybe one day a miracle will happen and someone will lead this 2-11 playoff record team to a semi final at the least. Owners ranked them 10th.

12. 48.29 Big Unit Bashers (1-9)

I had my doubts on letting Grant return to be an owner this year. Especially when he claimed he was retiring mid season last year… but the Bashers came back. If I told u this franchise made the finals in 2015 would you believe me? Grant kept the name Bashers for the first time in history after being the Muffin Men in 2014, the Soup a Stars in 2015, and the One Hit Wonders in 2016.

The Basher name came from his brother in 2017 and after taking 2018 off the franchise came back. After missing the draft because he had a last minute “steak” that he couldn’t pass up he picked a guy that moved to Colorado, his brother, and Colin Lautenbach who said before the draft he would come and play for anyone but the Bashers. So here we are.

Jeremy Rat was the biggest pick up off the century for Grant and it was the one guy he needed to turn his franchise around. The GBL Commissioner is hitting 0.482 with 9 Homers and 16 RBI’s in 56 at bats on the year and is the biggest source of run support for this team. Shockingly his pitching was even more dominant. Rat has a 1.71 ERA with 21 K’s in 14 IP with a 0.79 WHIP this year and looks like ace material. He is on pace for an All Leroy season if he continues to come and the bashers can only hope he continues to play so they make the playoffs.

Alex Friedman was just dropped to the Kermit roster by the team because of injury so I’ll still give him a paragraph. Al is the ORWBL Commissioner and it was pretty cool to see 2 other leagues commissioners playing for the same team, even if it is the worst in our league… where u at Dudas? In what would have been his 3rd full season of Leroy he was struggling from the mound yet again. A 14.14 ERA with only 5 K’s in 9 1/3 IP shows the main struggle ORWBL players have coming over to Leroy. He has played 47 career games and was on pace to hit 50 before the broken arm and was having a rough go around at the plate as well. Career low with a 0.244 average and just 3 homers in 45 at bats didn’t give the Bashers much for being the #2 for this team.

Grant Reynhout should hit the 100 games played mark this year as he sits at 92 career games. His 12.00 ERA in 11 IP this year is just below average as he struggles to be consistent at the mound. We have all seen times where grant can have velocity and good pitching he just fails to do it over and over. With just 4 K’s in 11 IP his 2.18 K/6 is the worst its ever been in his career. He is putting up career numbers at the plate hitting a best 0.347. He seems to be getting on and no one is getting him in with just 8 runs scored in those 17 hits.

While his brother his having a career best from the plate, Co Founder Kyle is having a career worst. Mainly known for his hitting and power hitting he sits at a 0.174 average with just 4 Homers on the season. Straight trash numbers, and I hate to say it. It seems like the he has no motivation out there this year and isn’t helping his brother lead this team week in and out. He has never been a strong pitcher but a 19.24 ERA in 9 2/3 IP is a whole lever of bad for him. He has 12 K’s on the year the same amount as 2018 and 2017, but either the fielding is failing him or something because giving up 31 runs in less than 10 innings is like batting practice.

Mike Kubacki was signed to this team as of today to fill Alex’s void and it was what the Bashers needed. Mikey is a long time GBL player that had to retire this year due to a new job and we couldn’t wait to see what he could do from the corn. Many didn’t think he could throw the ball well but a 0.92 WHIP and 12.50 K/6 says differently. Although he can’t play this week he is the #2 the team needs to get them going in the right direction. He hasn’t been lighting it up from the plate with a 0.250 batting average and just 2 homers, but if he can solidify their pitching with rate and let the others get some momentum and score runs this team could be fun to watch in the second half of the season.

Transaction Report: They signed Alex for Geoffrey and Rat for Colin, both great moves at the time. With recent struggles from Kyle and Alex one of them had to go, and the injury made the decision for Grant, leading to a Kubacki signing.

Summary for this team is they have to hit the reset button. Grant has to be in talks with Rat about how to better this team and keep him coming or they have no shot. The signing of Kubacki gives life to this team and they need to go into the second half with the notion of getting better each week and letting the results happen. Stop doing to much and have fun and wins will come. One of the teams doesn’t make the playoffs, if they don’t figure something out it will be them. Owners ranked them 11th.

Some other notable Kermit players that are eligible for the playoffs and to be signed to a main roster include:

Elijah Richardson is on the Badgers roster currently and has played 6 games so far this year for a handful of teams. He first came into the league in 2017 and had hopes of playing in 2018 when he started a career in radio. After switching job times he is ready to go this year and teams start to feel out what he is all about. With a 0.355 average and 5 Homers in 6 games he looks to be a solid contributor from the plate. In 2017 he pitched 5 Innings with a 3.60 ERA and had 8 K’s showing promise of being a solid player from the mound. This year has seen struggles with a 12.00 ERA in 6 IP with just 6 k’s to his name. A little rusty and adjusting to the better hitting could be the culprit.

Tyler Walk is in the turtles basement most days of the week, but occasionally Matt lets him out to play whether it be for him or someone else. One of the best voices in the sport its awesome to see him play week to week with some mild success coming this year. In 8 career games played he is hitting 0.250 and still looking for that first homer of his Leroy career. In 6 IP this season he boasts a 4.00 ERA with 6 K’s in very good numbers. Surprisingly no one has signed him, but then again me and Matt probably would veto it anyway because we want him on the turtles for life!

Zach Turpin is currently on the Sliders roster and seems to have a passion for the sport. Each week he asks Jordan if he is going to use him and if he doesn’t demands to be released. He has a couple homers and a 0.318 average in 22 at bats on the year. He has a 7.20 Era in 5 IP and just 1 k to his name, but with more reps from the plate and mound those numbers will only get better. Since he has 4 games played he not only qualifies for the playoffs but will enter the draft next season in what could be an interesting pick for someone if he stays this committed.

Bo Hofstra is the Badgers manager of something and a D1 baseball player whose going to make millions soon playing pro ball. The goal is for us to cater to him so he remembers us and pays for turf and lights so we can name the complex Hofstra Grounds. He has played a couple games in a few seasons with the league and helps Jared as a sub time to time. Shockingly in 20 at bats this year and 4 games played he had 0 homers…. A different Bo from the one we saw in 2015 when he hit 9 homers in 26 at bats in just 2 games. Obviously he isn’t going full out, but even from the mound he pitched 4 scoreless innings this year giving up just 1 hit.

Another turtle and last but not least is Shane Anderson. Shane has played 40 career games and the full time ORWBL player wanted to be a part time player this year. It was a perfect fit for the turtles as he has hit 39 Homers in 40 games played in his career. His numbers from the plate are a little low this year with just 1 homer and a 0.375 average in 24 at bats, but without consistent reps its hard to get momentum going. Shane is also having the best year to date from the mound. He sports a 4.50 ERA with an opponents batting average of 0.250 this year. With four games in the book and another 2 tomorrow he is playoff eligible and draft eligible for next season as well.

Thanks to all have a great hour and a half left of your fathers day. Tommorow will be the first time in Leroy history we will have 6 fields going with 48 players participating at the same time. This league has been a blessing that has introduced me to many great people and gives many different backgrounds, skillsets, and people the opportunity to come and play this idiotic sport. Thanks to all owners but Greg who voted for the owner rankings and thanks to Kevin Vroegh for organizing that! I’ll bust out another great article come playoff time and unless Greg lets me back on going corn I’ll talk to you then!!!