Mike wins first title, vows to repeat next year

It was a very, very good championship matchup, and much like in the semis, Mike had to overcome a bad offense and early deficit to win.

And that he did. Mike is our 2011 champion, capturing his first title in franchise history with a 13-7 win over Shea.

"I couldn't be happier for the boys," Mike said. "The champagne was delicious. The taste of victory is what we play for."


Once again, a division winner won the title, something that has clearly become a necessary part of building a championship team. Mike, despite being a combined 0-4 vs. Chris and Shea, beat both in the playoffs.

"We were excited to see them both in the playoffs," Mike said. "They each took us to the edge, before our boys fought back and earned the victory. No better way to win the championship then that."

Mike had been an afterthought in this league the past three years, and this preseason, the same was true. We even wrote, when ranking Mike 10th, that the hitting was bad and the pitching needed to stay healthy. (http://mtlkeeperleague.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-preseason-power-rankings.html)

Clearly, it did. Simply put, Mike won the championship because of his pitching. His offense basically disappeared for most of the postseason, but his pitching was damn good.

"Jered Weaver was our Cy Young," Mike said. "He struggled down the stretch, but he was the reason our pitching was as good as it was. Behind him, we focused on getting live arms that could dominate the game at any time. Jon Lester had a strong year, and Matt Garza and Max Scherzer stepped up when needed. But one of our biggest strengths was our bullpen. Axford and Storen each had a solid 40 saves, and Venters bridged the gap with 35 holds and five saves. We couldn't nail down the wins without those three.

So what's next for Mike? Like any good champ, he's already looking ahead to 2012.

"Braun, Weaver, Lester next year? Yeah, obviously going to repeat."
Read more!

And down the stretch they come!

To my knowledge, this has been the most competitive championship game in league history.

Shea has a 10-9 lead with two days to go, and several categories still up for grabs. Despite a scorching start from Shea, Mike has clawed back into this sucker and feels like it's his to lose despite the deficit.

Take a look at what he posted on the matchup smack talk:


"The home stretch. Your [SIC] out of moves. I got 6 sp, you got 2. IP, Ks, Wins are mine. We will tie in losses, and you will steal 1 of BB, ERA, WHIP. This matchup is MINE!!!!!"

To which, Shea unconfidently responded:

"We'll see...pretty sure walks sbs aren't decided yet either! Good luck with the talented waiver wire"

And then Mike said:

"True, more stats for me to take. Looks like this is gonna shape up to a 11-8 win for me. I am a waiver wire master, just watch."

Mike did predict himself to win 11-8 before the matchup started, and he was spot on with his semifinal prediction, too.

This tightly contested, closely managed title match has been fun to watch. I would love for nothing more than to see it come down to the last inning of the last game of the season. As long as it doesn't end on a tiebreaker, because no one wants to hear Joe cry anymore.

Good luck to both Mike and Shea in the final 48 hours.
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Managing the 10-day championship

How many games will Chase Utley play?

Shea got out to such a blistering start on Monday that some predicted he'll win the championship based solely on that!

After one day!

In a regular matchup, that wouldn't be such an outrageous prediction. Right, Chris? But, in the championship? Hogwash. Because it's not your normal seven-day title match. The season gets extended into an extra week.


In the past, it's been a full two weeks. This year, however, it's just 10 days. So while extended, only halfway.

Will Shea or Mike be more affected by the 10-day championship? Hard to gauge. A quick scan of rosters and I see five everyday starters from Shea's team who could get days off down the stretch due to clinching. When I look at Mike's, I also see five.

"We don't look at the two-week final as any kind of positive or negative," Mike said. "We are a confident group and will take this one game at a time. The only problem we have is that it will take us an extra week to celebrate."

Shea, however, had different feelings.

"I think I'll benefit from the two-week matchup," Shea said. "Mike had to pull out all the stops to survive the semifinals. As long as my boys decide to stay healthy, we'll be in the driver's seat."

That, and as long as they keep hitting like they did Monday.
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Championship predictions, part 2

As we've done in the past, here's where you get your say. I've gathered the thoughts of the other league members (who chose to respond), and have compiled predictions for the championship game between Shea and Mike.

I've asked who they think will win and who they want to win. Part 2 here is who do you want to win. Answers -- 100 percent real and not fabricated -- after the jump


WHO DO YOU WANT TO WIN AND WHY?

Andy: I am rooting for Mike because Shea has not won a fantasy sport with this core of guys in about eight years. I hope that streak continues.

Bob: At first I wanted Shea to win until he texted me gloating (Sunday) night, so I have reversed course and am now rooting for Mike as much as it pains me. He's been pretty good all year and probably deserves a championship. Plus, he's got my boy Braun and I'd like to see someone from my squad last year go for the three-peat

Dave: Who wants to see the favorite win? I want Chris to pull of the slight upset and take the championship for the Facebook division.

Hal: I want Schea to win for the simple, yet spiteful fact that I cannot justify rooting for Mike based on our past. Mike also knocked out Chris, who I was rooting for to win it all.

Jack: I am really not rooting for either team - Mike took me out of first place in the last regular season match, so I guess I would like to see him win for that reason, but I can't root against Shea as his team has really played well and with a lot of spunk and heart. I am rooting for a close match coming down to the last day. Good luck to both of them.

Joe: I should win because I was screwed and didn't go stat-by-stat but it would have been a close matchup last week against Sheep. I think I would have won, I'll have to check.

Ken: I will be rooting for Mike, obviously. Go Jets.
Read more!

Championship predictions, part 1

As we've done in the past, here's where you get your say. I've gathered the thoughts of the other league members (who chose to respond), and have compiled predictions for the championship game between Shea and Mike.

I've asked who they think will win and who they want to win. Part 1 of who do you think will win is first. Answers -- 100 percent real and not fabricated -- after the jump


WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN AND WHY?

Andy: I think Shea will win because the name of the league is MTL, and Mike is not from MTL. Shea is.

Bob: I think Mike will win, he's got a good balanced squad with very good pitching and solid hitting. Plus he's playing with a chip on his shoulder that he's had all year and I think he'll do what it takes to win.

Dave: It is my belief that Shea has the better team. After reviewing the match-up, it is my opinion that Shea's hitting is slightly more explosive, while his pitching anchored by Verlander and Hernandez lacks depth compared to Chris'. However I think that hitting will decide this contest. Shea, who is already out to a lead, should have the luxury of sitting pitchers with unfavorable match-ups in the second week while leading most of the hitting categories.

Hal: I believe Mike will win for the simple reason that I will be rooting for Schea.

Jack: I think Mike will win because his team gets streaky hot and hits in bunches. If he gets hot in these 10 days he will be tough.

Joe: Shea will win because of Verlander and Felix.

Ken: I think Shea will win because, well, look at the start he got (Monday).
Read more!

Championship preview: (1) Mike vs. (2) Shea

Records: Mike 15-7-1, Shea 13-10
Line: Mike -1.5
Season series: Shea 2-0 (Week 9: 12-7; Week 18 16-2)
Career playoff records: Mike 3-1, Shea 2-1
All-time head-to-head: Mike 5-4-1
Playoffs head-to-head: Never met


About the matchup
For just the second time in five seasons, we have the No. 1 seed vs. the No. 2 seed in the finals. In fact, that was the only time in league history the lower-seeded team in the championship has won.

Both Mike and Shea had to sweat out Sunday to get past Chris and Bob, respectively, in the semifinals; however, each was able to and now they are into the championship matchup.

"What a ride that semifinals was," Mike said. "I couldn't be any happier for the boys. We started off slow and we heard the negativity about our team. But (Ryan) Braun, being the captain that he is, kept them focused and preached to play our game and the win would come."

For Mike, it's his second appearance, losing to Rick in the league's inaugural season. And, for Shea, it's his first taste as possible title glory.

"We're happy, my Jewish commissioner," Shea said. "It was nice jumping out to a big lead and holding on for dear life. We're excited about moving on to the finals to take on Mike. We (had a) fun celebration ... but (now we) prepare for the battle to continue."

Shea has dominated Mike this season, beating him twice in convincing fashion. If Mike admits it or not, it's sure to play a role throughout the week -- whether it be from media questions, Mike's players saying "Here we go, again," or the confidence it could bring to Shea's players.

As far as the championship? Well, it's time. Now, let's get it on, boys...

In their own words
Mike, on facing Shea: "We are happy to be playing anyone in the finals, but a matchup with Shea is a great way to go out on top. His team beat us twice this year, and we have been waiting to get our redemption. He disrespects the league, disrespects our team, and now we will humiliate him in the big game."

Shea, on facing Mike: "Mike will be quite the opponent. He talks a big game, has the top team, and caught fire (over the) weekend. That being said, I took down Mike twice in the regular season, so I don't expect the finals to be any different."

Mike, on why he will win: "Why will we win? Why wouldn't we win? We are the class of the league, and we just showed we could win in any fashion. It's also an extended week, so multiple starts by Lester and Weaver equals obvious victory. And once again, Braun will show why he is the MVP. Madoff 11-8."

Shea, on why he will win: "TEAM OF DESTINY!!! We continue to make it interesting but do enough to move on. That's the way of the dizzy drunks!"

The Prediction
In my opinion, the best possible final we could have gotten. Really, did anyone want to see Bob or Chris back in the finals? Nope. Fresh blood. And, honestly, the two most consistent teams in their respective divisions. Mike has the better all-around team, but Shea has the scrappy, underdog attitude who has adapted the "Nobody believed is us" mentality. A very tough matchup to predict, but I'm going with Shea to get enough production from his pitching and ride his offense to a 10-8 championship win.
Read more!

Gauging interest of those not in the playoffs

Last week, we had two of the most exciting playoff matches in league history. Both came down to late afternoon Sunday, and there seemed to be more lead changes than turns on a roller coaster.

But from the perspective of teams on the outside, do they care? One would think so given the fact that the league benefits from sponsors, ratings and revenue sharing when the playoff matchups are exciting. However...



"Honestly, I don't care about the playoffs anymore," Adam said. "It's not that it's painful (to follow the matchups), I'm just disappointed that we couldn't go further. I am very proud of what my team did this year, and hopefully it's a great step in the right direction."

Considering that Adam made the playoffs last season, I'm not quite sure what there is to be proud of this season. Or why a .500 record is a step in the right direction after he went 15-6-1 in 2010.

Hal, on the other hand, continues to pay attention despite finishing just a half-game out of the playoffs.

"I have enjoyed the playoffs," Hal said, "especially the first round with those close matchups. I'm not sure I've ever seen an opening playoff round that was as close as what we saw last week."

But whether or not our league members are enjoying the excitement - now down to a final four of Shea, Bob, Mike and Chris - our fans certainly are. In fact, a follower of this blog reached out to me via e-mail to let me know.

"The effort and underlying passion devoted to the upkeep of MTLFBKL, I believe, highlights a tremendous amount of team spirit and collegiality; which is the main reason I am attracted to this blog (and league)," said the person who wished to remain anonymous.

"As MTLFBKL rounds first base and (ends) its fifth season, I expect exciting things for all those involved, both on and off the field, and will be very curious as to what this so-called 'Commish' has hidden under his cap."

MTL Keeper League: Pleasing fans all over the internet.

Keep it up, fellas.
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Yahoo! Customer Care rep Eric is a schmuck

I know you might be tired of hearing about the Yahoo! tiebreaker controversy, but I think you all will be left speechless after the latest update.

As you've read already, both myself and Joe have separately e-mailed Yahoo! for clarification on the tiebreaker. We told you their response to my first e-mail.

Check out their second response as well as a response to Joe.


COMMISH RESPONDS TO YAHOO'S ORIGINAL ANSWER:

I'm sorry but I can't accept this as an answer. First of all, this is NOT what your help screen says on playoff tiebreakers. In fact, it's very, very different. Second of all, I asked for a comment as to why you worded it so confusingly and poorly. You never gave me a comment, which I'd like to use for a league post I am doing on this crucial mistake.

This is what your Help page says: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/sports/fantasysports/baseball/scoring/baseball-83.html;_ylt=AlcH.cqOMn.MjNGTHHBoBexF1HhG

It is completely different from the answer your just gave me.

Please respond

YAHOO REP ERIC AGAIN RESPONDS TO COMMISH:

Hello Andrew,

Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

I understand that you'd like to see a different playoff tiebreaker format for your Head-to-Head One Win league. The link you are specifying is for Head-to-Head leagues and not Head-to-Head One Win leagues.

We're glad that you took the time to send us your feedback. I will make sure that your feedback is heard.

For future reference, as a way to provide feedback directly to the
Product Team, please feel free to submit your feedback at the URL below: http://feedback.help.yahoo.com/feedback.php?.src=YFSPORTS&.done=

I appreciate your interest in Yahoo! Fantasy Sports. If you have further suggestions, comments, or questions, please feel free to reply to this email, and we will gladly assist you.

Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

Regards,
Eric
Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Customer Care

OK, so let's review. They think I'm sending them feedback about requesting new tiebreaker. Eric doesn't answer my question or provide comment for me. Eric says the link I gave him was for regular head-to-head leagues, when in fact the link I gave him is to the exact thing that showed up on our League Overview, with absolutely zero clarification as to what type of league it is.

Now, the fun part.

Joe also e-mailed Yahoo asking what the actual tiebreaker is.

YAHOO REP ERIC RESPONDS TO JOE:

Hello Joe,

Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

I apologize for my prior response, which was for a Head-to-Head league.

In your Head-to-Head One Win league the playoff tiebreakers are:

I appreciate your inquiry in regard to playoff tiebreakers.

In the event that a playoff game ends in a tie, the deadlock is broken
using the following system:

1. Winning percentage against this opponent during the regular season. Note: In Head-to-Head Standard scoring leagues, the winning percentage is based on individual stat category wins and losses, and not matchup wins and losses.
2. Win in Week 3.
3. Win in Week 2.
4. Win in Week 1.
5. Random "coin flip."

We value your interest in Yahoo! Fantasy Sports. If you have further comments or questions, please feel free to reply to this email, and we will gladly assist you.

Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

Regards,
Eric
Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Customer Care

UM, WHAT???

OK, let's review this now. First of all, Eric changed the wording.

Originally: "Winning percentage against this opponent during the regular season. The winning percentage is based on individual stat category wins and losses, not match up wins and losses."

Now: "Winning percentage against this opponent during the regular season. Note: In Head-to-Head Standard scoring leagues, the winning percentage is based on individual stat category wins and losses, and not matchup wins and losses."

Second of all, Eric clearly copy and pasted his response from something else, hence the flub with a double introduction.

Third, he gave Joe a completely different tiebreaker than he did to me. This is the third different set of tiebreaker rules I have seen now for our league.

I'm literally speechless from this whole thing. It is quite bizarre, and to be quite honest, I still do not know what the tiebreaker is.

It matters because if it is head-to-head and then Week 25, 24, 23, 22... Bob has the tiebreaker over Shea because he played in Week 23 and Shea did not.

If it is head-to-head and then playoff seed, Shea has the tiebreaker.

Unreal.

Read more!

Yahoo! responds to my e-mail

Well, this is pretty incredible.

Yahoo! responded more than 24 hours after I contacted them. For full context, I'll just let you see what I asked and the response I get. Pretty unreal.


Commish to Yahoo!:

Hello -
Your tiebreaker explanation is incredibly confusing and may have even cost one of our league members his playoff matchup. Your rule states that "Winning percentage against this opponent during the regular season. The winning percentage is based on individual stat category wins and losses, not match up wins and losses."

Well, our league is a 1-win matchup league, leading us to believe that the tiebreaker would be combined stat category wins and losses. In our playoff matchup, which ended in a tie, the manager who thought he had the tiebreaker based on your explanation may have managed differently Sunday night. And then he woke up Monday morning to see the tiebreaker was not his.

The wording is extremely confusing for 1-win matchup leagues. Can you please clarify your rules and comment on why the wording does not better explain the rules?

Thank you.
Andrew

And here is Yahoo!'s reply:

Hello Andrew,

Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

Before I go into addressing your concern, I'd like to apologize for the delay in my responding to your inquiry. We are committed to answering your questions as quickly and accurately as possible. However, we are currently receiving unusually high volumes which caused the delayed response.

I apologize for the confusion with the playoff tiebreakers.

In the event that a playoff game ends in a tie, the deadlock is broken using the following system:

1. Winning percentage against this opponent during the regular season.
2. Highest winning percentage in Week 25
3. Highest winning percentage in Week 24
4. Highest winning percentage in Week 23
5. Highest winning percentage in Week 22
6. Highest winning percentage in Week 21
7. Highest winning percentage in Week 20
8. Highest winning percentage in Week 19
9. Highest winning percentage in Week 18
...(and so on.)
27. Random "coin flip"

We value your interest in Yahoo! Fantasy Sports. If you have further comments or questions, please feel free to reply to this email, and we will gladly assist you.

Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

Regards,
Eric

This is obviously incredibly different than what they have listed now and what we have seen. I have replied asking for more clarification and for comment.

We'll see how they reply this time.
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Joe 'furious and completely livid' at Yahoo!

In case you missed it Sunday night/Monday morning, allow me to set the scene for you: Joe and Bob are tied 9-9 late in the day with runs all squared. Joe has a couple guys left in the final innings, Bob has none.

Bob thinks if it ends tied 9-9 he will win because of his tiebreaker interpretation. Joe thinks if it ends tied 9-9 he will win because of his interpretation. Yahoo's rules state the first tiebreaker as being: "Winning percentage against this opponent during the regular season. The winning percentage is based on individual stat category wins and losses, not match up wins and losses."


Based on this wording, I (and others) believe this to mean that you add up the scores of the matchups in the regular season. In this case, Joe won 14-5 and Bob won 11-9, so clearly Joe has a higher margin.

I did not like this, as we are a one-win league and at no point should margin of victory come into play. This is not college football. Remember, in the regular-season tiebreakers, "Winning percentage of Week 22" counts as 1-0 and not, say, 14-5. However, Yahoo! makes that clear, whereas here it did not. In fact, Yahoo! goes out of its way to say match up wins and losses don't count.

Joe clearly felt as I did, and he went to bed excited over a big first-round upset. He woke up Monday morning to see Bob advanced via the tiebreaker.

"Obviously I am furious and completely livid," Joe said in an exclusive interview with the MTL blog tonight, his first public comments. "At the same time, I am simply in shock. I couldn't believe my eyes. The rules blatantly state I have the tie breaker, beating Bob 14-5 and losing 9-11. Giving us the combined head to head stats of 23-16 me."

Joe says he has filed an official protest with Yahoo! but has yet to hear back. Yahoo! has yet to return an e-mail asking for comment.

"We will probably get a response from someone with an accent in New Dehli that knows more about cricket than baseball," Joe said. "They claim they have an abnormally large amount if messages at this time and it may take longer than 24 hours to get a response."

Bob, on the other hand, was clearly pumped up. After thinking he had won, he was informed that he had lost - via the tiebreaker rules - by the commish. Then he woke up Monday to see a victory.

"I do think that Joe has a right to be angry, but at the same time I think the rules were interpreted correctly," Bob said. "It sounds like stats would play a factor in the tiebreaker, but what I got out of it was Yahoo interpreted one week as 1-0 or 0-1 and not 14-5 or 5-14 for example.

"I see both sides of it and I would not be upset if it were overturned, so to speak, since I really think it could be interpreted either way."

Joe says he is considering petitioning the league to move to ESPN or CBS Sports next season.

"Yahoo has been terrible this year, including whole days of site maintenance and a ton of wrong scores and stat corrections," Joe said. "CBS Sportsline and ESPN have proven to be better. Yahoo! recently fired their CEO. The company's stock remains in the toilet and they are struggling to find someone to buy the company piece by piece."

I happen to agree that Yahoo! has had a rough year. I even got screwed by a stat correction. But this idea is preposterous. I am nixing it in the butt before it even gains legs. ESPN and CBS have not proven to be better.

Joe even went as far to say he is considering appealing the result to the league itself if his protest is denied.

"I may call in legal counsel, AKA my roommate Chris, in order to legally define these rules and my rights as a manager in this league," Joe said. "I may seek an arbitration hearing. However, I do think our commissioner cares more about blog hits and drama than actually doing what is right and determining how the rules should have been interpreted."

Right, Joe, because we all know the commissioner is the one who determines that. Seems like Joe has some major sour grapes.

We'll update this if and when we hear back from Yahoo! Until then, feel free to leave your condolences for Joe or thoughts in the comments section.
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Playoff preview: (2) Shea vs. (3) Bob

Records: Bob 15-8, Shea 12-10
Line: Bob -1.5
Season series: Tied 1-1 (Week 3: 13-6 Bob, Week 13: 9-8 Shea)
Career playoff records: Bob 5-2, Shea 1-1
All-time head-to-head: Bob 7-2-1
Playoffs head-to-head: Shea 1-0 (2008 quarterfinals)
Last playoff appearance: Bob 2010, Shea 2008


About the matchup
These playoffs have been full of spice, and this matchup certainly has some. Paprika, garlic, cinnamon, you name it and this has it.

On one hand, we have Bob, who thought he lost Sunday night but woke up to a win on Monday morning. On the other we have Shea, who has taken on the "nobody believes in us" mindset. In fact, it's probably true. The oddsmakers have instilled Bob as a 1.5-point favorite.

"I was pumped that I was given a 2nd life and I'm gonna make the most of it if it stands," Bob said following his 9-9 tiebreaker win over Joe. "It always feels good to beat (Joe), and I'm sure he feels the same way. We always seem to have tight matchups that go into the last day so it's always an adventure."

Bob has now won five straight playoff matchups and still is not dethroned as the two-time belt-holding champion. But Shea does own a postseason victory over the Cole Miners. Of course, that was way back in 2008 - the last time Shea has been here.

But this year's squad has a destiny feel to it, doesn't it? No one - and I mean, no one - expected Shea to win the division after the awful auto-draft he had. And he has battled adversity all season, especially late, to get to this point. Now he gets a chance to face Bob, whom Shea even publically rooted for because he wants to beat the champ.

"This team is something special," Shea said. "All year we battled and it paid off with a division crown and bye week. We played Cole well this season and having "The King" and "Cy Young to Be" go twice this week puts us in good position to succeed. Bob lost $40 because of my fantasy team this year (during a sidebet). We'll tack on another $50 after Sunday is over."

Spice, baby, spice!

In their own words
Shea, on facing Bob: "I'm very suprised to be up against Bob. His team showed great perseverance and came out with a tie, which somehow equated into a win. With that being said, I'm happy to take him on and win in Joe's honor."

Bob, on facing Shea: "I would expect Shea to want to face me, in order to be the best you gotta beat the best and I won two straight titles so I still believe I am the best manager. I'm sure anyone in the league would like the opportunity to take me down, and I don't think it's because of the construction of my team; I think it's purely because of my past and I have embraced becoming pubic enemy number 1, so bring it on! I like my chances against Shea. I think I got him in pitching and I think I can take enough hitting categories to pull it out. According to the blog, I'm 7-2-1 against him so I definitely have the track record."

Shea, on why he will win: "We're moving on because there's something special about this team. The Commish Jew snubbed us at the draft, our division was snubbed all year, and we've been taking cheapshots from the donks in the playoffs. Bring it on baby!!!"

Bob, on why he will win: "The Miners will move on because they were given a second chance at life and they will not take it for granted.  They will prevail and they will take down the Bernies, mark it down. (if the results stand ha)."

The prediction
Shea has been overlooked for a lot of this year, and even in this matchup as he is a 1.5-point underdog. But, not this time. We're going with Shea to keep up with Bob's pitching and squeak out just enough on offense for a 11-9 victory.
Read more!

Playoff preview: (1) Mike vs. (5) Chris

Records: Mike 14-7-1, Chris 13-10
Line: Mike -2
Season series: Mike 2-0 (Week 4: 13-6; Week 14 10-8)
Career playoff records: Mike 2-1, Chris 4-2
All-time head-to-head: Tied 5-5
Playoffs head-to-head: Never met
Last playoff appearance: Mike 2007, Chris 2010


About the matchup
Yes, believe it or not, this is Mike's first playoff appearance since 2007. Back then, in the league's inaugural year, Mike made it all the way to the finals as a No. 5 seed.

Chris is halfway there as a No. 5 seed after an, in his words, "extremely gut-wrenching" win last week vs. Jack.

Now the two friends - known to some as Hammer and Screw(ball) - meet in the semifinals.

"Chris and I have become tight this year, but once the matchup starts, he is my enemy," Mike said. "As I said earlier in year, Chris is a great manager and we look forward to squaring up with him in these semifinals."

Chris is now 4-0 in quarterfinal or semifinal matchups, but to improve to 5-0, he'll have to beat a team coming off a bye. And Mike's bye week and the chance to set up his lineup for this matchup could play a crucial part.

"Not only do I only have five moves left," Chris said, "but I am stuck with two pitchers this week (Miguel Batista and Jake Westbrook) that I normally would not have on my team and can't just cut right away either."

In their own words
Mike, on facing Chris: "We are excited to face Chris. We have been waiting for this matchup for a week now, and the boys are ready to go. Mental edge, physical edge any edge you can think of, we have it over Chris. We didn't go 2-0 vs the Twins by accident; we are the better team and we will prove it once again.

Chris, on facing Mike: "Very tough matchup. I struggled against Mike this season, as my record indicates, and I anticipate this match being an uphill battle as well. Mike has a very good offense and has the upper hand in pitching as well."

Mike, on why he will win: "We are the better team. Top to bottom, there is no team that has the balance that we have. We don't put up the big power numbers, but our boys know how to hit. Our hitters always come out strong and give our pitchers a nice lead to work with. As long as we can win saves, I don't see losing as a possibility. Madoff 12-7."

Chris, on why he will win: "Again, the Twins will move on by winning the majority of the hitting categories. That has been what carried us during the season, in the first round and what must happen in order to make our third championship game.

The Prediction
Mike, with a week to rest, gets off to a good start and barely holds on come Sunday. He escapes with a 10-9 win and advances to the championship.
Read more!

Mike, Shea enjoying the week off

For the top two seeds, it's been a relaxing week as they wait and prepare for their semifinal opponents.

Mike and Shea each earned a bye, giving them a chance to set their pitching rotations in advance and need only one win to make it to the prestigious championship game.


Mike, the top seed, will face either Jack or Chris. He is 5-5 vs. both managers overall, but a combined 4-0 this season, including the Week 22 win over Jack to clinch the division and bye.

"We don't have a rooting interest for our semifinal opponent," Mike said. "We worry about ourselves, and will be ready for whoever advances to our matchup."

So how is Mike keeping the players busy during this time? Seven days off is plenty of time for them to hit up the clubs, booze it up and find some trouble.

"We had a long season, with a tough final stretch, and these guys definitely could use a few days off," Mike said. "This is the time to heal all the minor bumps and bruises. We are a tight knit group, pretty much running with the team we drafted, our chemistry is great. We will keep the boys loose with some workouts, and have them ready to roll come Sept. 12."

Shea, meanwhile, faces either Bob or Joe after getting the No. 2 seed despite losing to Rick of all teams in the final week. Still, Chris' loss to Ken allowed Shea to sneak out the division title - his first in his career.

"It feels great to win the division!" Shea exclaimed. "Things started off rocky with the draft miscue but a trade and key pickups turned this team into a contender. I'm proud of our effort down the stretch and am glad a couple bounces went our way in the final couple weeks."

Bob apparently isn't even worried about Shea, as the Cole Miners publicly called out Mike - a team he wouldn't see until the finals. But Shea hasn't seemed intimidated, and he's been chirping away on the matchup smack talk. He is 2-7-1 all-time vs. Bob (1-1 this year) and 3-7 all-time vs. Joe (1-1 this year). So who would he rather face?

"It makes sense to root for Joe. His team has been awful and he only has 3 moves left," Shea said. "However, I want the champ! Bob was talking smack three weeks ago and it's time someone shut him up! Bring on the Bob!!"
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Playoff preview: (3) Bob vs. (6) Joe

Records: Bob 14-8, Joe 11-10-1
Line: Bob -3
Season series: Tied 1-1 (Week 10: 14-5 Joe, Week 22: 11-9 Bob)
Career playoff records: Bob 4-2, Joe 4-2
All-time head-to-head: Bob 6-4
Playoffs head-to-head: Bob 1-0 (2009 Finals)
Last playoff appearance: Bob 2010, Joe 2010


About the matchup
Bob and Joe are quite familiar with each other's teams, having just squared off in Week 22. It was a matchup won by Bob, handing Joe his fifth straight loss heading into the playoffs.

Clearly, it would be a miracle for Joe to win this championship. Vegas has him listed at 22/1 to win the title - easily the highest odds of all the playoff teams. When asked about this losing streak, Joe ranted about injuries.

"Injuries have hurt," he said. "Boesch doesnt play, A-Rod barely played. Hanson on the DL. It's been a rough stretch. Some bad breaks, too. A-Rod coming back is like making a trade for a big bat. Only difference is we didn't have to give anything up. We got in (the playoffs). Anything can happen at this point."

Frankly, I didn't hear any confidence in the words of Joe. His opponent, Bob, on the other hand, was full of confidence.

And that's despite entering the playoffs as a wild-card team for the first time in three years. Going for his third-straight title, Bob has the same mindset as the past couple seasons.

"It's not that new territory," Bob said. "Before I won back-to-back titles, I was a wild-card team. I don't think my mindset will be any different, however. The playoffs are the playoffs, and once you get in, you have a shot to win a title. The hot team wins the title, and if my team can ignite, I think I'll have just as good a chance as any team to take home the title."

In their own words
Bob, on facing Joe: "Well, I think I have a pretty good shot against Joe. I'm 6-4 in the regular season against him and 1-0 in the playoffs, so I have history on my side. I think we have a good rivalry going and our matchups are always close. I definitely expect this one to be close, and I expect my bats to wake up this week after a horrendous week last week. With my pitching, I think I'll just need to take a few hitting categories to win, so I predict a 11-9 victory."

Joe, on facing Bob: "It's a matchup that used to decide the division or league final. Now, it's a first-round playoff matchup. Clearly both teams aren't having their best years."

Bob, on why he will win: "I'll advance to the next round because my team knows what it takes to win. We are built a bit differently this year, going more for dominant pitching than dominant hitting, but the manager is still the same and I think my team is good enough to advance this round, and we'll see what happens from there, but I am very confident. PS for Mike - I'm coming for you."

Joe, on why he will win: "As long as we keep getting extra-base hits, running the bases and we don't have a starter blow up in our face, we have a shot. The team has been pretty banged up the past month."

The prediction
I mean, really, go back and read Joe's quotes. Does it sound like he thinks he has ANY chance of winning? He is beaten up, knocked down, and doesn't seem confident one bit. No reason to think Bob gets upset by Joe in this matchup. 12-7 Bob.
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Playoff preview: (4) Jack vs. (5) Chris

Records: Jack 12-8-2, Chris 12-10
Line: Jack -1
Season series: Tied 1-1 (Week 3: 14-4 Jack; Week 13: 13-6 Chris)
Career playoff records: Jack 0-2, Chris 3-2
All-time head-to-head: Chris 5-4-1
Playoffs head-to-head: Never met
Last playoff appearance: Jack 2009, Chris 2010


About the matchup
These teams head into the playoffs on a bit of a downer after disappointing Week 22 results: Jack's offense disappearing Sunday in a loss to Mike with the division on the line; Chris blowing a big lead vs. Ken heading into the weekend with a chance to win his division.

So now instead of a bye and rest, they get each other in the first round, and one of them will be going home earlier than anticipated.

"(Last week is) already in the rear view mirror," Jack said. "We live in the present with an eye towards the future. The past is the past. Our eyes are on the front of our head for a reason."

And with those eyes in the front of their head, team Billy Ball will see a tough first-round and lower-seeded opponent in Chris, who has playoff experience and has had success as an underdog.

Last year, Chris was a No. 6 seed and made it all the way to the finals. He'll have to duplicate that success to make it back this year with Jack and then a potential matchup with top-seeded Mike up next.

"My team has gone through a rough patch late in the season when it needs to be playing its best," Chris said. "I hope to be able to rally them and not let them (keep) continuing this disastrous play lately."

In their own words
Jack, on facing Chris: "Chris is a tough and worthy opponent, great manager with a solid team. We will have our hands full and then some. "

Chris, on facing Jack: "The matchup vs. Jack is a tough one. Jack has a real solid offense that when it's on, is possibly the best in the league. I anticipate this matchup coming down to Sunday."

Jack, on why he will win: "Not gonna comment on that one. Just gonna do our best each day - see how that stacks up by Sunday night."

Chris, on why he will win: "The Twins will move on because my offense will return this week and that will win the matchup for me."

The Prediction
Chris wins 11-9 in a close matchup that does indeed come down to Sunday. Chris finds ways to win in the playoffs, and that will be the case again as he takes just enough pitching and most of the offensive categories.
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Big wins by Jack, Shea keep division races spicy

Both Bob and Chris theoretically could have clinched their respective divisions last week.

Neither did, thanks to big wins by Jack over Bob and by Shea over Chris. Now, we go into the final two weeks with both races alive and well.


Both Bob and Chris still can clinch the division this week, but it may not be that easy. Here's a look at what needs to happen.

For Bob, he needs to:
-either win and have Mike AND Jack lose
-or win and have Mike lose AND Jack tie.

For Chris, he needs to:
-win AND have Shea lose or tie.
-tie AND have Shea lose
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Critics get louder over unbalanced divisions

In the comments section of the power rankings, Mike posted his thoughts on the biggest surprise of the season.

"I voted other," he wrote. "I am most surprised that at this point in (the) season, 5 of the 6 playoff teams are from one division."

If the playoffs started today, the Twitter Division would only get one playoff team in - the division winner. And it would be the first time in league history we've even been remotely close to seeing that.

Well, Mike isn't the only one talking about that.


The criticism for the league setup has been getting louder lately. Much like the NFL was bashed when the Seattle Seahawks got a home game this past season with a 7-9 record, we are hearing people talk about whether it's fair that Ken, Chris, or Shea (the possible division winner) will get a first-round bye. None of the three seems to be able to win lately, and the division winner could have a worse record, potentially as bad as .500, than other playoff teams.

Jack is 8-5-2 and in fourth place in the Facebook Division. If he were in the Twitter Division, he'd be in first place.

On Pardon The Interruption today, co-host Michael Wilbon said: "It's a major issue that needs to be looked at in the offseason." Tony Kornheiser wasn't in that camp, bashing Wilbon and other critics for getting worked up over something so rare.

"Look, everyone just needs to calm down, OK? This NEVER has happened before and probably won't ever again. And we still have a lot of season left. So everyone just calm down a notch!"

Meanwhile, over on SI.com, there was a feature story by Jon Heyman about the negative heat the league is getting over this. And on Twitter today, "MTL divisions" was a trending topic for much of the day.

Which side are you on? Is it wrong that a division winner could have a worse record than another playoff team and still get a first-round bye?
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Wrapping up Bob's second championship

Bob has established himself as the premier team of the Keeper League. If not already, it's likely all teams will be gunning for him next year.

After a shaky 0-2 start (again), Bob rebounded true to form and simply dominated the league, going 18-4 from that point forward. He had a five-game winning streak and an eight-game winning streak.

He blew out his playoff opponents. He was unquestionably the top team and deserved the title this year.


"It was a season for the ages," said Bob, who set the best regular-season mark in league history. "I started out slow again, but I didn't have any doubts that I would be back in the same place at the end of the year again."

Bob's midseason trade wasn't as big as in past years. He got Jayson Werth, Placido Polanco and John Danks for Jon Lester, Johnny Damon and Delmon Young. Still, Werth was excellent in the playoffs, a big reason why Bob won.

"I would like to thank Mike for giving my team that extra push it needed at midseason," Bob said. "He got a really good pitcher in Lester, but I got a really nice balance to my offense and a consistent pitcher."

Maybe the league should take a cue from this quote and just simply not trade with Bob anymore. If you have any interest in winning, that is.

We raised the question before of whether this is a dynasty. Bob feels it is.

"I've had the best record in the league now for three out of four years," he said. "I'm the only team in the league to win three division titles, along with being the only team to repeat as division champion and to repeat as league champion. ... Even with time constraints, I've been able to put a good club on the field."

He loses Ryan Bruan and Prince Fielder this offseason. It won't matter. He has the players to keep to make up for the losses.

"I'm not thinking ahead to next year just yet, I want to let my guys take in this championship and let them enjoy the parade," Bob said. "It's the first time around for some of these guys, let's not forget. But come November, it will be back to business in trying to figure out how to construct this club going forward in the wake of Braun and Prince's departure."

Bob will go into next season once again as the favorite. Whether the league can catch up to him remains to be seen.

"I'm just entering my prime of fantasy domination and I don't see that changing anytime soon," Bob said. "I'll believe I can be beaten, when someone actually unseats me, but until then I am unstoppable."

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Chris' parting shots

After making, and losing in, the championship for the second time in three seasons, Chris has nothing to be ashamed of. It was a fine run, the first No. 6 seed to ever advance that far.

But, what would a post-game loss be without some ranting from the King of Sogs? In an absolute cocky rant that will undoubtedly be shown on highlight reels for years to come, Chris went off.


Asked a few basic questions about the loss, Chris instead blasted everyone else in the league.

I won't even try to put this into a story. I'm just going to list the manager's name and the parting shot Chris left.

To the league: "I've made the finals two out of the four years this league has existed. Besides (Joe and Bob), no one else has accomplished this.Step up sonnnnnnnnn(s)!"

To Bob: "I hope (winning the title) is the last thing you have to be excited about this 2010 MLB season. Good win though."

To Mike: "For the love of God, new team name next year man, quit lying to yourself."

To Dave: "New year's resolution: Have an above .500 team, yea!!!!"

To Joe: "Wanna trade me an MVP candidate next year?"

To Shea: "If we give you Albert, Hanley, Utley, Wright and CC, do you think you could make the playoffs?"

To Andy: "When you say jump, how high do Mike and Joe jump? Here's a thought: How about you try getting through the season without using your Yiddish mind control and brainwashing your minions into getting your team to the playoffs for you?"

To Hal: "Didn't you get the memo? There were playoffs after the regular season ended."

To Jack: "Too bad Tulowitzki went on that tear after you were eliminated, eh?"

To Rick: "Not so tough without big bad Luke Gregerson on your team, are ya?"

To Ken: "What is worse? Being a fan of the Mets or being a fan of your team?"

To Adam: "Maybe you should just let the computer draft your teams from this point on..."
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Snoozer ends with Bob's second title

As far as championship matches go, this one symbolized the rest of the playoffs: A snoozer.

But, Bob doesn't care about that, as he is our champion for the second year in a row. He defeated Chris rather easily, with a final score of 12-6.


The matchup lacked any real drama and was pretty much over as Week 1 turned into Week 2. Hard to name an MVP of the finals - there weren't any real standouts - but we'll give it to Ryan Braun. He batted .268 with two homers and team-highs of 12 RBIs and 22 total bases.

More to come later on the championship.
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