How do you break a tie?

Today there will not be an updated standings report, since it is just one day into the week, and Mondays typically do not have a full slate of games.  Also, there will not be a wild card or clinching scenario report for Week 22 since it is the last week of the season.  So today, we'll take a look at something that could pop up Sunday evening.....

How a tie will be broken.

By clicking the link above, you'll be taken to Yahoo!'s fantasy help section on breaking ties, but we'll take a look at what will be relevant for the league.

The first tiebreaker is overall winning percentage.  In the league after Week 21, there are two occurrences of teams that are tied with the same winning percentage.  In one case, Triple Crown and Anabolic A Rods are tied at a .442 winning percentage, but both teams are eliminated from the postseason.  The other case, Ferris Indians and 2010 not a Holliday are tied at 5th with a .542 winning percentage.  Yet, Yahoo! shows Ferris Indians at 5th and 2010 not a Holliday 6th.  Why is that?

The next (that applies) tiebreaker, which is winning percentage in the previous week.  In Week 21, Ferris Indians had an 8-3-1 record, while 2010 not a Holliday did badly with a 1-9-2 record.  Therefore, Ferris Indians gets the higher spot for this week.  It even applies for Triple Crown and Anabolic A Rods.  Triple Crown had a 6-6-0 record in Week 21, while Anabolic A Rods went 3-6-3.

Let's apply this to a scenario for this week, and take the match-up between All Balls No Strikes and Funky Cold Molina as our example.  Funky Cold Molina is 6 games back of All Balls No Strikes going into this week's match up.  Assuming Most Daring does not pick up enough games to take the 8th spot, Funky Cold Molina would need to have a combination of wins and ties that equal nine to overcome the 6 game difference (a tie counts for a half-win).  If Funky Cold Molina gets exactly 9 wins this week, then All Balls No Strikes and Funky Cold Molina would end the year with an equal winning percentage.  The tiebreaker would go to Funky Cold Molina, because they would have the better Week 22 record.

If the Week 22 record does not break the tie, then it goes to the Week 21 record, and so on and so forth.  And if all the previous weeks records do not break the tie, then a 'coin flip' breaks the tie.  In this commissioner's opinion, it won't get that far.

Since there are division races still up for grabs, the tiebreakers would work the same way for those as well.  The only difference is that before it goes to the previous week's records to break the tie, division records are factored in as a tiebreaker.

There you have it.  In summary, if you are tied with someone at the end of the season, you should hope that you finished your season strong.

IFB Week 21 Summary

One week to go in the fantasy baseball regular season, and the action is only getting hotter.  Week 21 saw three more teams clinch spots in the postseason, while three teams were officially eliminated from playoff contention.  That leaves 6 teams fighting for 4 playoff spots this week in Week 22, the last week of the regular season.

First, here's a look at the season standings up to Week 21:

1. Sparland Hilltoppers - 156-76-20
2. JSloan - 136-96-20
3. BooBooCubs - 137-98-17
4. BJ Penn - 136-101-15
5. Ferris Indians - 126-105-21
6. 2010 not a Holliday - 128-107-17
7. Muse Academy Muses - 124-111-17
8. All Balls No Strikes - 118-111-23
9. Most Daring - 120-118-14
10. Funky Cold Molina - 116-121-15
11. Bo Hart All Stars - 101-130-21
12. Triple Crown - 104-137-11
13. Anabolic A Rods - 96-129-27
14. Bambinos - 92-140-20
15. Quincy Dirtbags - 95-145-12
16. Bushwackers - 87-147-18

With a 20 game lead, Sparland Hilltoppers has a big enough gap to clinch the top seed in the IFB Playoffs, which start next week.  Three teams have also clinched playoff spots after Week 21; JSloan, BooBooCubs, and BJ Penn.  All three teams are ahead by enough games over the 9th placed team (and as a matter of fact, 8th place) to qualify for a playoff spot.  JSloan also qualified by winning the Obama Division, thus assuring them a top-four place in next week's playoffs.

The wild card race is going down to the wire in Week 22, with 6 teams fighting for 4 open slots.  Here's a look at the standings for the 6 teams:

1. Ferris Indians; 126-105-21, 7 games ahead
2. 2010 not a Holliday; 128-107-17, 7 games ahead
3. Muse Academy Muses; 124-111-17, 3 games ahead
4. All Balls No Strikes; 118-111-23
5. Most Daring; 120-118-14, 2.5 games back
6. Funky Cold Molina; 116-121-15, 6 games back

 Three teams are separated by 5.5 games in the 7th-9th positions.  A bad week by one of those teams could end their postseason dreams.

Even though they man not be as tight as the wild card races, there are still two divisions up for grabs in Week 22.  They are:

Lincoln

1. BooBooCubs; 137-98-17
2. Ferris Indians; 126-105-21, 9 GB

Grant

1. BJ Penn; 136-101-15
2. 2010 not a Holliday; 128-107-17, 7 GB

And now, here's a look at the top match-ups for Week 22:

• All Balls No Strikes (118-111-23) vs. Funky Cold Molina (116-121-15): This match-up features the team in the last playoff spot against one of the team's chasing them.  Funky Cold Molina sits 6 games back of the final playoff spot.  In order for Funky Cold Molina to have a chance, they need to post at least 9 wins this week against All Balls No Strikes.  Any number less will eliminate them from the postseason.  But both teams also have to contend with Most Daring in the 9th slot, who could still eliminate both teams with a strong showing this week against BJ Penn.
• 2010 not a Holliday (128-107-17) vs. Muse Academy Muses (124-111-17): This match-up features the 6th and 7th placed teams overall right now.  2010 not a Holliday is currently 7 games up on a wild card spot, and is most likely going to make the postseason, barring a collapse.  The match-up is more important to the Muse Academy Muses, who are only 3 games up on the 8th position.  An even record this week by both teams could lock-up the postseason.  But a lopsided defeat would harm the Muse Academy Muses a little bit more.
• Most Daring (120-118-14) vs. BJ Penn (136-101-15): BJ Penn is already assured of a playoff birth, but has a lot to play for this week.  Only 5.5 wins are needed to win the Grant Division and take a to-four seed in next week's playoffs, with the chance to climb higher in the standings and get a better seed.  Most Daring is playing for their playoff lives this week, and is looking to leap frog All Balls No Strikes into the final playoff spot.

Week 22 will be an exciting one as the league goes down to the wire.  Check out the blog each day for updates on the final week, previews of the upcoming Illinois Football League, and more.  One feature to hopefully be attained is where the standings are after each day this week.  Good luck to all!

Illinois Football League Team List

With just over a week left until the draft for the inaugural season of the Illinois Football League (fantasy football on Yahoo!), 13 of the 16 available slots have been filled up.  The draft takes place Sunday, Sept. 5th, at 7:00 CDT.

Here's a list of teams that have signed up for the league so far, in order of when they joined:

1. Muse Academy Muses
2. Da Win
3. Romosexual Xperience
4. DaBearColts
5. Most Daring
6. Sparland Hilltoppers
7. Bad News Bears
8. Rex Cooley All-Stars
9. The Grove Johnsons
10. B1R
11. first 'n ten
12. Tim TebOwned
13. Niemi No No

The list contains a mix of managers familiar to people playing in the Illinois Fantasy Baseball League, and some new players.

If you were unsure who is who, here's a list of IFL teams with their IFB counterpart:

• Muse Academy Muses - Muse Academy Muses
• Da Win - 2010 not a Holliday
• Romosexual Xperience - Ferris Indians
• DaBearColts - BooBooCubs
• Most Daring - Most Daring
• Sparland Hilltoppers - Sparland Hilltoppers
• Bad News Bears - JSloan
• Rex Cooley All-Stars - Quincy Dirtbags
• first 'n ten - Triple Crown
• Tim TebOwned - Funky Cold Molina

And the list of newcomers includes:

• The Grove Johnsons
• B1R
• Niemi No No

Looking forward to a great season with all the teams, and if you know anyone that wants to join, have them send an e-mail to toonboy92484@yahoo.com

IFB Week 21 Clinching Scenarios

In the second to last week of the season, the top seed, divisions, and playoff berths are up for grabs.  Here is a list of what each team can clinch, and how they can do it:

Sparland Hilltoppers:
Top seed in playoffs, if:

• Do not lose more than 6.5 games to JSloan
• Do not lose more than 10 games to BJ Penn
• Do not lose more than 11 games to BooBooCubs
• Do not lose more than 12 games to 2010 not a Holliday

JSloan:
Win Obama Division, if:

• Do not lose more than 4 games to All Balls No Strikes

Clinch playoff spot, if: 

• Do not lose more than 4 games to All Balls No Strikes
• Do not lose more than 7.5 games to Most Daring
• Do not lose more than 11.5 games to Funky Cold Molina

BJ Penn:
Win Grant Division, if:

• Win more than 10.5 games than 2010 not a Holliday
• Do not lose more than 8 games to Funky Cold Molina

Clinch playoff spot, if:

• Even record with All Balls No Strikes
• Do not lose more than 4 games to Most Daring
• Do not lose more than 8 games to Funky Cold Molina

BooBooCubs:
Win Lincoln Division, if:

• Win more than 5 games than Ferris Indians
• Do not lose more than 3 games to Most Daring

Clinch playoff spot, if:

• Win more than 1 game than All Balls No Strikes
• Do not lose more than 3 games to Most Daring
• Do not lose more than 7 games to Funky Cold Molina

2010 not a Holliday:
Clinch playoff spot, if:

• Win more than 2 games than All Balls No Strikes
• Do not lose more than 2 games to Most Daring
• Do not lose more than 6 games to Funky Cold Molina

Ferris Indians:
Clinch playoff spot, if:

• Win more than 11 games than Muse Academy Muses
• Win more than 8.5 games than All Balls No Strikes
• Win more than 5 games than Most Daring
• Win more than 1 game than Funky Cold Molina
• Do not lose more than 8 games to Bo Hart All Stars
• Do not lose more than 11 games to Anabolic A Rods

Muse Academy Muses:
Clinch playoff spot, if:

• Win more than 10 games than All Balls No Strikes
• Win more than 6.5 games than Most Daring
• Win more than 2.5 games than Funky Cold Molina
• Do not lose more than 6.5 games to Bo Hart All Stars
• Do not lose more than 9.5 games to Anabolic A Rods
• Do not lose more than 11 games to Triple Crown

All Balls No Strikes:
Clinch playoff spot, if:

• Win more than 9 games than Most Daring
• Win more than 5 games than Funky Cold Molina
• Do not lose more than 4 games to Bo Hart All Stars
• Do not lose more than 7 games to Anabolic A Rods
• Do not lose more than 8.5 games to Triple Crown

IFB Week 21 Wild Card Outlook

As of the end of Week 20, 13 teams in the Illinois Fantasy Baseball League are still in contention for one of the eight spots in the postseason.  The actual number of spots up for grabs is 7, because Sparland Hilltoppers claimed a playoff spot in Week 19, and won the Reagan Division in Week 20.

In this week's wild card outlook, we'll take a look at how the teams in contention for a playoff spot are doing in the past month, and who has the easiest road to the postseason, based off of opponents' record for the rest of the way.  The current division leaders; JSloan, BJ Penn, and BooBooCubs, are not for consideration in these stats because they are not in wild card spots right now.

There are 9 teams left that will be looked at.  They are:

• 2010 not a Holliday
• All Balls No Strikes
• Anabolic A Rods
• Bo Hart All Stars
• Ferris Indians
• Funky Cold Molina
• Most Daring
• Muse Academy Muses
• Triple Crown

Here is a look at how those 9 teams have performed in the past 4 weeks, ranked by best record:

1. Funky Cold Molina - 24-18-6 (.563)
2. 2010 not a Holliday - 25-21-2 (.542)
3. All Balls No Strikes - 22-22-4 (.500)
4. Most Daring - 21-23-4 (.479)
5. Muse Academy Muses - 20-21-5 (.469)
6. Ferris Indians - 20-25-3 (.448)
7. Bo Hart All Stars - 18-25-5 (.427)
8. Anabolic A Rods - 14-28-6 (.357)
9. Triple Crown - 12-35-1 (.260)

Based on the numbers, only 2 teams have posted winning records, 1 team even, and the other 6 posting sub-.500 records.  One of the above .500 teams, 2010 not a Holliday, is currently 5th overall and could potentially clinch a playoff spot this week, and still has a very good chance to win its division.  The other, Funky Cold Molina, currently sits in 10th overall, with a very good chance to sneak into the playoffs with who they play in the last two weeks.

And now the other component of the breakdown, a look at who has the easiest schedule in the last two weeks:

1. Ferris Indians vs. Bo Hart All Stars & Anabolic A Rods - 191-245-44 (.444)
2. Funky Cold Molina vs. Bambinos & All Balls No Strikes - 200-238-42 (.460)
3. Bo Hart All Stars vs. Ferris Indians & Triple Crown - 216-233-31 (.482)
4. Triple Crown vs. Muse Academy Muses & Bo Hart All Stars - 216-227-37 (.489)
5. All Balls No Strikes vs. Most Daring & Funky Cold Molina - 223-229-28 (.494)
6. Muse Academy Muses vs. Triple Crown & 2010 not a Holliday - 225-229-26 (.496)
7. Most Daring vs. All Balls No Strikes & BJ Penn - 242-201-37 (.543)
8. 2010 not a Holliday vs. BooBooCubs & Muse Academy Muses - 246-202-32 (.579)
9. Anabolic A Rods vs. Sparland Hilltoppers & Ferris Indians - 268-175-37 (.597)

Not only has Funky Cold Molina posted the best record amongst the wild card contenders, but they also have the 2nd easiest schedule for the final two weeks.  It would not be surprising to see Funky Cold Molina sneak into the 8th and final spot, or go even higher, but their last match-up of the year is against the current 8th placed team, All Balls No Strikes.  If there was a bet for an outsider to sneak in, it would be Funky Cold Molina.

Despite hitting a tiny cold streak that saw them drop from the Lincoln Division lead, Ferris Indians is still in good position to advance to the playoffs with the easiest schedule, and being in the 6th position.

2010 not a Holliday has posted the 2nd best month amongst the 9, but has the 2nd toughest schedule as well.  They are in a good position for a playoff spot with more than one possible route, as 2010 not a Holliday is only 2 games back in the Grant Division.

Statistically, All Balls No Strikes is the 3rd hottest team amongst the 9, with the 5th easiest (or toughest, either works) schedule.  But considering they are playing the current 9th and 10th placed teams respectively to close out the season, they have a tougher than appears task to hold on to 8th.

And don't forgot, it is possible that things may work out the way they shouldn't.

IFB Update 8/23/2010

Two weeks left to go in the season, and anyone hoping for tighter races got what they wished for.  The wild card race is getting closer, with now 5 teams within 12 games of each other, fighting for potentially 3 wild card spots.  This week also saw the first division champion crowned for 2010, along with a team name change.  Let's begin with a couple bullet points to explain in further detail:

• During the week, 7 heaven renamed itself to 2010 not a Holliday.  First, I was unaware that a team could change its name in the middle of the season.  Second, it's not a big deal since I know who is who and can figure out changes pretty quickly.
• Sparland Hilltoppers became the first team to win their division this season.  A 9-3-0 victory over Bo Hart All Stars, couple with Muse Academy Muses losing to BooBooCubs 4-8-0 placed enough distance between the two team for Sparland Hilltoppers to claim the Reagan Division.  Because of this, Sparland Hilltoppers is guaranteed a top 4 seed when the playoffs start in a couple weeks.
• Three teams were officially eliminated for playoff contention this past week; Bambinos, Quincy Dirtbags, and Buchwackers.

Now let's get down to a breakdown of the standings.  First off, the overall standings:

1. Sparland Hilltoppers; 150-73-17
2. JSloan; 131-91-18
3. BJ Penn; 129-96-15
4. BooBooCubs; 128-97-15
5. 2010 not a Holliday; 127-98-15
6. Ferris Indians; 118-102-20
7. Muse Academy Muses; 118-105-17
8. All Balls No Strikes; 113-105-22
9. Most Daring; 114-113-13
10. Funky Cold Molina; 109-116-15
11. Bo Hart All Stars; 98-122-20
12. Anabolic A Rods; 93-123-24
13. Triple Crown; 98-131-11
14. Bambinos; 87-133-20
15. Quincy Dirtbags; 90-138-12
16. Bushwackers; 82-142-16

The next standings here will detail teams still in the hunt for the wild card, ordered by ranking and, if need be, games back:

1. 2010 not a Holliday
2. Ferris Indians
3. Muse Academy Muses
4. All Balls No Strikes
5. Most Daring; 3.5 GB
6. Funky Cold Molina; 7.5 GB
7. Bo Hart All Stars; 16 GB
8. Anabolic A Rods; 19 GB
9. Triple Crown; 20.5 GB

Now a look at the standings for the top seed in the playoffs:

1. Sparland Hilltoppers
2. JSloan; 18.5
3. BJ Penn; 22 GB
4. BooBooCubs; 23 GB
5. 2010 not a Holliday; 24 GB

Sparland Hilltoppers became the first team to claim a division this past week, but there are still many good division races going on.  Here's a look at the other three divisions:

Lincoln:

1. BooBooCubs
2. Ferris Indians; 7.5 GB
3. Most Daring; 15 GB

Obama:

1. JSloan
2. All Balls No Strikes; 16 GB

Grant:

1. BJ Penn
2. 2010 not a Holliday; 2 GB
3. Funky Cold Molina; 20 GB

Clinching scenarios will be updated in a future post (hopefully later today), but here's a look at the big match-ups for Week 21:

• All Balls No Strikes (113-105-22) vs. Most Daring (114-133-13): This is the featured match-up for Week 21.  There are a couple better match-ups out there in terms of records, but this match-up is the featured one because it will shape the wild card race.  All Balls No Strikes is 8th overall, holding on to the last wild card spot by 3.5 games over 9th-placed Most Daring.  A big win by All Balls No Strikes this week can be devastating to the playoff hopes for Most Daring.  A big win by Most Daring this week could leap-frog them into a wild card spot, and send the race to the final week of the season.
• 2010 not a Holliday (127-98-15) vs. BooBooCubs (128-97-15): Overall, only one game is the difference between these two teams, 5th and 4th in the standings, respectively.  These two teams are most likely going to make the playoffs, but both have more to play for.  BooBooCubs could win their division this week, currently holding a 7.5 game lead over Ferris Indians in the Lincoln Division.  2010 not a Holliday is only 2 games out in the Grant Division, trailing a BJ Penn team that has a favorable match-up this week.  Winning your division is huge, as it gets you a top 4 seed in the playoffs.

2 weeks left in the season, and much is still to be decided with the wild card, divisions, and more.  Good luck to all in Week 21!

IFB Wild Card Outlook

With just a few weeks left in the season, the race to grab 4 wild card spots is growing with tension and excitement.  So here's a breakdown of 5 teams that are fighting to stay above 8th place overall in the league, and gain a birth in the playoffs.  Of note though, this post was written on Friday, August 20th, and looking at the results of Week 20 so far and seeing some match-ups turn out the way they are, the race could tighten up even more.

The five teams in consideration for this post are the teams currently between 6th and 10th place; Muse Academy Muses, Ferris Indians, All Balls No Strikes, Most Daring, and Funky Cold Molina.

First, a look at how the teams have performed in the past month, ranked by best winning percentage:

1. Funky Cold Molina - 23-23-2, .500
2. Muse Academy Muses - 19-20-9, .490
3. All Balls No Strikes - 19-24-5, .448
4. Most Daring - 20-25-3, .448
5. Ferris Indians - 19-26-3, .427

And now a look at the combined winning percentage of the remaining opponents for the five teams, ranked by lowest percentage, as of Monday, with noting that results for Week 20 are currently breaking expectations in some cases:

1. Funky Cold Molina vs. Anabolic A Rods, Bambinos, and All Balls No Strikes - 279-344-61, .452
2. Most Daring vs. Bushwackers, All Balls No Strikes, and BJ Penn - 306-327-51, .485
3. Ferris Indians vs. JSloan, Bo Hart All Stars, and Anabolic A Rods - 312-315-57, .498
4. All Balls No Strikes vs. 7 heaven, Most Daring, and Funky Cold Molina - 332-315-37, .512
5. Muse Academy Muses vs. BooBooCubs, Triple Crown, and 7 heaven - 337-307-40, .522

So to review, not only does Funky Cold Molina have the best record over the past month than the other 4 wild card contenders, but they also have the easiest schedule for the rest of the season.  It would not be surprising at this point to see Funky Cold Molina sneak into the playoffs.  Also, the team with the best record amongst the 5, Muse Academy Muses, has the toughest road to the playoffs, which features two current division leaders.  Factoring in this week's results, it is possible for Muse Academy Muses to collapse and miss out on the postseason.

All Balls No Strikes will have a very interesting fight in the last two weeks of the season, as they play the 9th and 10th place teams, respectively.  It is very possible that the wild card slots could be decided with those matchups.

Wanna Win? Gotta make a move.

As of 10:30 A.M. on August 17th, there have been 347 roster moves in the Illinois Fantasy Baseball League.  Yahoo! defines the roster moves as adding a player from free agency or waivers, and does not count dropped players or players that were traded (just to get that cleared up).  Taking a look at the various roster moves of the teams in the league, a trend started to develop.

The teams that are in contention for playoff spots and division leads are making the most moves.

It's almost logical in a way.  If you do nothing with your team and let them become stale, then they won't do much.  Keep it updated, and you can do well.

Here's a list of every team in the league in order by how many moves they made, along with moves made, and their overall position in the standings:

1. Sparland Hilltoppers - 58 moves, 1st
2. 7 heaven - 49 moves, 3rd
3. JSloan - 45 moves, 2nd
4. Muse Academy Muses - 39 moves, 6th
5. BJ Penn - 37 moves, 4th
6. Ferris Indians - 22 moves, 7th
7. All Balls No Strikes - 21 moves, 8th
8. BooBooCubs - 19 moves, 5th
9. Most Daring - 15 moves, 9th
10. Quincy Dirtbags - 15 moves, 15th
11. Triple Crown - 11 moves, 13th
12. Bo Hart All Stars - 10 moves, 11th
13. Funky Cold Molina - 5 moves, 10th
14. Bushwackers - 1 move, 16th
15. (tie) Anabolic A Rods and Bambinos - 0 moves, 12th and 14th

To further elevate the point, here's a couple numbers to back up the claim:

• Of the teams currently in 1st to 8th place (playoff spots), they have combined to make 290 moves, or 83.6% of the moves in the league
• Of the four division leaders (Sparland Hilltoppers, JSloan, 7 heaven, BooBooCubs), they have combined to make 171 moves, or 49.3% of the moves in the league

The numbers back up the point, apart from possibly one or two execptions: if you want to win the league, keep your roster fresh.

IFB Update 8/16/2010

Week 19 of the Illinois Fantasy Baseball League was a very interesting one.  The league saw its first team clinch a playoff spot, with Sparland Hilltoppers taking it and showing why they're the top team in the league with an 11-1-0 victory over Ferris Indians.

Speaking of similar topics, an 11-1-0 victory by BooBooCubs over Triple Crown, coupled with Ferris Indians' performance, produced a 10-game swing in the Lincoln Division and a new leader.  Last week, Ferris Indians held a 4 game over BooBooCubs.  Now, BooBooCubs holds a 6 game lead over Ferris Indians.  But a lot can still happen in the final three weeks of the season.  The lost also hurt Ferris Indians in the sense that they dropped from 4th overall to 7th overall, putting them in the thick of the wild card race.

The matchup between 7 heaven and BJ Penn in Week 19 tighten the race in the Grant Division.  Thanks to an 8-4-0 win by BJ Penn, a 5.5 game lead by 7 heaven is now down to a 1.5 game lead.  It appears the Lincoln and Grant Divisions will have the tightest races as the regular season closes.

The race for the wild card is just as intense.  As of Week 19, every team is still mathematically in the race for a playoff spot.  Some teams have better chances than others.  BJ Penn leads the wild card race (and actually has the 4th best record in the league), followed by Muse Academy Muses, Ferris Indians, and All Balls No Strikes.  Most Daring is on the outside looking in right now, but only 4.5 games out of the last wild card spot, with Funky Cold Molina only 8 games out of the wild card.

Now that you have the week's primer, here's a look at some of the numbers.  First, the overall standings:

1. Sparland Hilltoppers; 141-70-17
2. JSloan; 126-85-17
3. 7 heaven; 123-91-14
4. BJ Penn; 121- 92-15
5. BooBooCubs; 120-93-15
6. Muse Academy Muses; 114-97-17
7. Ferris Indians; 112-97-19
8. All Balls No Strikes; 106-101-21
9. Most Daring; 106-110-12
10. Funky Cold Molina; 103-114-11
11. Bo Hart All Stars; 95-113-20
12. Anabolic A Rods; 91-117-20
13. Triple Crown; 94-123-11
14. Bambinos; 82-126-20
15. Quincy Dirtbags; 83-133-12
16. Bushwackers; 79-134-15

And now a look at how far back a team is from first place (only teams in the running for it listed):

1. Sparland Hilltoppers
2. JSloan; 15 GB
3. 7 heaven; 19.5 GB
4. BJ Penn; 21GB
5. BooBooCubs; 22 GB
6. Muse Academy Muses; 27 GB
7. Ferris Indians; 28 GB
8. All Balls No Strikes; 33 GB

And a look at the wild card standings:

1. BJ Penn
2. Muse Academy Muses
3. Ferris Indians
4. All Balls No Strikes
5. Most Daring; 4.5 GB
6. Funky Cold Molina; 8 GB
7. Bo Hart All Stars; 11.5 GB
8. Anabolic A Rods; 15.5 GB
9. Triple Crown; 17 GB
10. Bambinos; 24.5 GB
11. Quincy Dirtbags; 27.5 GB
12. Bushwackers; 30 GB

Here's a look at the division races:

Reagan:

1. Sparland Hilltoppers; 141-70-17
2. Muse Academy Muses; 114-97-17, 27 GB

Lincoln:

1. BooBooCubs; 120-93-15
2. Ferris Indians; 112-97-19, 6 GB
3. Most Daring; 106-110-12, 15.5 GB

Obama:

1. JSloan; 126-85-17
2. All Balls No Strikes; 106-101-21, 18 GB
3. Triple Crown; 94-123-11, 35 GB

Grant:

1. 7 heaven; 123-91-14
2. BJ Penn; 121-92-15, 1.5 GB
3. Funky Cold Molina; 103-114-11, 21.5 GB
4. Anabolic A Rods; 91-117-20, 29 GB

Now that all the standings have been broken down, here's a look at the teams with potential clinching scenarios for Week 20:

• Sparland Hilltoppers - Clinched playoff spot; can win Reagan Division if Muse Academy Muses do not gain more than 2.5 games
• JSloan - Can clinch playoff spot if they gain at least 2 games on Most Daring, do not lose more than 1.5 games to Funky Cold Molina, do not lose more than 5 games to Bo Hart All Stars, do not lose more than 8 games to Anabolic A Rods, and do not lose more than 9.5 games to Triple Crown; can win Obama Division if they gain 6.5 games on All Balls No Strikes, and do not lose more than 10.5 games to Triple Crown
• 7 heaven - Can clinch playoff spot if they gain at least 6.5 games on Most Daring, gain at least 3 games on Funky Cold Molina, do not lose more than .5 games to Bo Hart All Stars, do not lose more than 4.5 games to Anabolic A Rods, and do not lose more than 6 games to Triple Crown
• BJ Penn - Can clinch playoff spot if they gain more than 8 games on Most Daring, gain 4.5 games on Funky Cold Molina, gain 1 game on Bo Hart All Stars, do not lose more than 3 games to Anabolic A Rods, and do not lose more than 4.5 games to Triple Crown
• BooBooCubs - Can clinch playoff spot if they gain 9 games on Most Daring, gain 5.5 games on Funky Cold Molina, gain 2 games on Bo Hart All Stars, do not lose more than 2 games to Anabolic A Rods, do not lose more than 3.5 games to Triple Crown, and do not lose more than 11 games to Bambinos

 So with all that in mind, here's a look at the big match-ups for Week 20 of the IFB:

• JSloan (126-85-17) vs. Ferris Indians (112-97-17); This battle features the leader of the Obama Division and the former leader of the Lincoln Division.  JSloan is in a comfortable position this week with the second best record in the league, and has an easier shot at winning their division this week than clinching a playoff spot.  For Ferris Indians, after a disaster last week against Sparland Hilltoppers, they now find themselves not only out of their division's lead, but 9.5 games ahead of the 9th place position.  A strong week is needed by Ferris Indians, or the seat gets a bit warmer for them.
• Muse Academy Muses (114-97-17) vs. BooBooCubs (120-93-15); The Muse Academy Muses were comfortably in a wild card spot last week, but a 4-6-2 record, combined with strong performances from teams behind them, have closed their gap a bit, and are now only 10.5 games up on a wild card spot.  BooBooCubs is coming off a very strong week, going 11-1-0 and taking over their division lead.  But BooBooCubs still has numerous teams on their heels, including the Muse Academy Muses.  A big win by either one of these teams this week will help their playoff chances, while a big loss will make things more urgent.
• All Balls No Strikes (106-101-21) vs. 7 heaven (123-91-14); 7 heaven still looks to be a sure bet for the postseason, despite only being 1.5 games up in the Grant Division.  A decent sized win this week by 7 heaven will all but lock up a slot in the postseason.  This match-up is more critical for All Balls No Strikes.  Winning the Obama Division may be a long shot now, being back 18 games.  But they also are clinging to a 4.5 game lead in the wild card, while the team right behind them, Most Daring, takes on the worst team in the league this week in Bushwackers.  A strong performance by All Balls No Strikes is crucial to their playoff hopes this week.

That's a summary of the happenings around the Illinois Fantasy Baseball League for this week.  Good luck to everyone in Week 20!

T.J. Carson, Commissioner

P.S. - Not only do we do baseball, but football as well.  Sign up for the Illinois Football League today by clicking here.  As of 10:14 this morning (8/16), 7 of the 16 slots were filled up.

IFB Update 8/11/2010

Today's blog post will focus on the race to the playoffs as we enter the final month of the regular season.  This post will include the overall league standings with how many games back a team is from first place overall and a playoff spot, potential playoff clinchers, toughest remaining schedules, and division races.

First, a look at the overall standings:

1. Sparland Hilltoppers; 130-69-17
2. 7 heaven; 119-83-14, 12.5 GB 1st
3. JSloan; 117-82-17, 13 GB 1st
4. Ferris Indians; 111-86-19, 18 GB 1st
5. BJ Penn; 113-88-15, 18 GB 1st
6. Muse Academy Muses; 110-91-15, 21 GB 1st
7. BooBooCubs; 109-92-15, 22 GB 1st
8. All Balls No Strikes; 97-98-21, 31 GB 1st
9. Most Daring; 100-106-10, 33.5 GB 1st, 2.5 GB Playoffs
10. Funky Cold Molina; 96-109-11, 37 GB 1st, 6 GB Playoffs
11. Triple Crown; 93-112-11, 40 GB 1st, 9 GB Playoffs
12. Anabolic A Rods; 88-108-20, 40.5 GB 1st, 9.5 GB Playoffs
13. Bo Hart All Stars; 89-109-18, 40.5 GB 1st, 9.5 GB Playoffs
14. Bambinos; 78-120-18, 51.5 GB 1st, 20.5 GB Playoffs
15. Quincy Dirtbags; 80-124-12, 52.5 GB 1st, 21.5 GB Playoffs
16. Bushwackers; 74-127-15, 57 GB 1st, 26 GB Playoffs

As for playoff clinchers, there is only one team that can clinch this week:

• Sparland Hilltoppers can clinch playoff spot if they win 3 more games than Most Daring, lose no more than .5 games to Funky Cold Molina, lose no more than 4 games to Triple Crown, and lose no more than 4.5 games to Anabolic A Rods and Bo Hart All Stars

Here is a look at the division races as of Monday morning.  Only teams still in contention to win their division are being listed.

Reagan:

1. Sparland Hilltoppers; 130-69-17
2. Muse Academy Muses; 110-91-15, 21 GB
3. Bo Hart All Stars; 89-109-18, 40.5 GB

 Lincoln:

1. Ferris Indians; 111-86-19
2. BooBooCubs; 109-92-15, 4 GB
3. Most Daring; 100-106-10, 15.5 GB
4. Quincy Dirtbags; 80-124-12, 34.5

Obama:

1. JSloan; 117-82-17
2. All Balls No Strikes; 97-98-21, 18 GB
3. Triple Crown; 93-112-11, 27 GB
4. Bushwackers; 74-127-15, 44 GB

Grant:

1. 7 heaven; 119-83-14
2. BJ Penn; 113-88-15, 5.5 GB
3. Funky Cold Molina; 96-109-11, 24.5 GB
4. Anabolic A Rods; 88-108-20, 28 GB

And now a look at who has the toughest remaining schedule with a month left in the regular season, shown by opponents' combined record and win percentage:

1. Anabolic A Rods; 454-346-64, .563
2. Bo Hart All Stars; 444-358-62, .550
3. Bushwackers; 443-366-55, .545
4. 7 heaven; 429-369-66, .535
5. Ferris Indians; 424-368-72, .532
6. Triple Crown; 421-380-63, .524
7. Muse Academy Muses; 410-396-58, .508
8. Quincy Dirtbags; 397-398-69, .499
9. BooBooCubs; 402-410-52, .495
10. Bambinos; 393-421-50, .484
11. All Balls No Strikes; 395-422-47, .484
12. BJ Penn; 392-425-47, .481
13. Sparland Hilltoppers; 362-430-72, .461
14. Most Daring; 362-433-69, .459
15. JSloan; 351-441-72, .448
16. Funky Cold Molina; 337-453-74, .433

IFB Update 8/10/2010

Welcome to the first blog update on the Illinois Fantasy Baseball League in a couple months.  First off, many apologies for not updating the blog.  An explanation is in order, so here it goes....

For those that do not know me personally, my full-time job is News Director as a small-town radio station in Streator.  Running the league is a hobby, and quite an prominent one in my book.  But all that changed one Saturday evening.  If you remember (or not), a tornado hit the city of Streator on June 5th, damaging numerous homes and putting quite a few families homeless.  As News Director (and the only news guy at my station), it was my sole responsibility to report on the tornado and its after effects.  That led to many numerous double-digit hour days, and honestly, running the league was an afterthought in the aftermath of the tornado.  That's what led to me pretty much ceasing to follow my other fantasy teams (apart from the one in this league) and neglecting to update the blog with the time and attention that I had before.  That coupled with other events in my life that included moving to a new residence took time away from running the league to its full capacity.  Nevertheless, this blog will continue to work until the end of the season.

I hope that satisfies everyone's questions.  Now, moving on, here's a couple changes to the blog from what it used to be ran. 

• A weekly total of the leaders in each stat category will not be published for the rest of this year, with plans to bring it back next season.  Instead, there will be awards for the best total in each category at the end of the regular season.
• Since there are four regular season weeks left, each weekly update will include an update on the playoff race.  This update will include the standings if there were not any divisions, if any teams have clinched a playoff spot, and if any teams have been eliminated as well.  There will also be tabs on the division races.
• If league members have questions to pose, they may e-mail me at toonboy92484@yahoo.com, with possible publishing and explanation.  The next blog update (which will be by Wednesday at the latest) will feature a controversy recently brought up surrounding the trade deadline.

Here's to hoping the blog gets back on track.  Also, a fantasy football version of the league is currently running, with 3 teams of the 16 in the baseball league signed up.  Not everyone in the league will be able to participate, as some members for various reasons will not be able to or have declined to do so.  But if you like to continue the fun for the football season, please request an invite.

Happy fantasy!

Commissioner,
T.J. Carson