Robins Take Division Lead

The Brooklyn Robins, formerly known as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, have always been a solid HumBabe contender. Unfortunately, they haven’t had much to show for it since their Runner-Up Finish in the 2019 Inaugural Season … until now. With their Week Twelve victory over the Canadian Moose Mounties they move to 7 – 5 on the season and stand atop the Shot Call League Ruth Division, dethroning Wally Mash (also 7 – 5) for the first time this year thanks to their ~200 point advantage in the Season Total Tiebreaker. The Robins’ MVP of the Week, Harold Ramirez, was acquired via Free Agency on June 30th, three days into the Match-Up, and still managed to post a team best 34.5 points by the end of the Period. The Robins’ 2022 Season has been carried by Mookie Betts (5.64 FPts/G), but given he was only available for 3 AB’s during Week Twelve, the supporting cast on this squad is a solid one.

Eleven HumBabe GM’s out of the twelve that submitted picks, collect a point from this Robins’ victory. Of those eleven, the Point Total Leaders are as follows: Pablo, Jackal, Orlando, LeBronto and the hairy Tubmen. Week Thirteen holds a Match-Up that should narrow down Month 4 Payout contenders, as Pablo and the Secret Weapons take on the LeBronto Blue James for the second time this season. With a victory, Pablo could move to the very top of the 2022 League Standings. Whereas LeBronto, looks to build a lead on their current reign atop the Standings.

A GENTLE REALITY CHECK

Spencer Strider. Naturally, the Orlando Splitters have a little bit of say in these Weekly Recaps – given their “influence” in the League Office – and so, we are going to spend a little bit of time talking about their trade that fell through via majority Veto just prior to the start of Week Twelve. The Splitters received tough news about their starting third basemen, Anthony Rendon, in the form of a season-ending injury and therefore went out to find a replacement. While in discussion with a few different General Managers across the League, the Canadian Moose Mounties presented themselves as the best suitor, offering Manny Machado. The Moose Mounties, holding a 2 – 9 record at the time, have strong foundational pieces to build a team around but find themselves needing to enter a makeshift Rebuild at the half-way mark of the 2022 Season. Given the limited Pitching options they had in the 2022 New Manager Draft, the Mounties instead focused their efforts on collecting bats – and they did a heck of a job of that: Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Corey Seager, J.D. Martinez, DJ LeMahieu and Ian Happ. With that said, their Rebuild now focuses on adding Pitching for the future. The Splitters can fill that need. The accepted trade would have sent Manny Machado to the Splitters for Spencer Strider, Josh Winckowski, Adam Duval and Noelvi Marte, but as previously stated, it was Vetoed. This trade was meant to better the Splitters’ chances at a 2022 Championship, while making the Moose Mounties future seasons more promising – but interestingly enough, the Moose Mounties would have benefited in 2022 as well, based on what’s happen since the Veto. Just for fun, here’s that comparison:

Since the Veto on Sunday, June 26th – here are each player’s Point totals:

• Manny Machado, 3B – 4 FPts, averaging 0.67 FPts/G
• Spencer Strider, SP – 54 FPts, averaging 27 FPts/G
• Josh Winckowski, SP – 15.25 FPts, averaging 15.25 FPts/G
• Adam Duval, OF – 32.5 FPts, averaging 4.64 FPts/G
• Noelvi Marte, SS – 0 Fpts (60 grade Shortstop, Fantrax’s #19 Dynasty Prospect)

There is a reason the HumBabe Dynasty has a Veto Rule in place, and the Orlando Splitters whole-heartedly respect that – with or without the substantial benefit they’ve received both since the Veto in 2022 Points and in future years to come (via holding onto 23 yr old Spencer Strider).

The League Commissioner on the other hand, would like to point a couple things out with the intent of improving the integrity of the HumBabe Dynasty for the weeks, and years to come. “That team is too good to get any better” is not a valid reason to Veto a trade. Vetoes should be cast, solely, when a trade fails to make both participating teams better – whether immediately, or in the future, based on their Team’s needs and roster building strategy. And what do you know, we have a perfect case-study from this 2022 Season to use as an example! On April 21st, 2022 a trade was executed between the LeBronto Blue James and the Florida Squeeze – it received one (1) Veto vote prior to execution … from guess who, the Orlando Splitters GM. Kyle Tucker (Fantrax’s #8 Overall Dynasty Player) went to LeBronto, for the price of Jared Walsh, Alex Wood and Josh Rogers. Shall we do a “Since Then” Point Comparison similar to what we did above?

• Kyle Tucker, OF – 329 FPts, avg 5.22 FPts/G
• Jared Walsh, 1B – 217 FPts, avg 3.24 FPts/G
• Alex Wood, SP – 144.5 FPts, avg 10.32 FPts/G
• Josh Rogers, SP – 20.08 FPts, 1.43 FPts/G (dropped by the Squeeze on May 7th)

And if you’re doing the math, and thinking that Tucker hasn’t out scored Walsh + Wood so it’s a fair trade, here’s a gentle reminder that with the roster spots that this opened up for LeBronto, they have since added Free Agents like Martin Perez (16.9 FPts/G), Austin Hays (313.5 FPts, 4.1 FPts/G) and Alejandro Kirk (283.5 FPts, 3.9 FPts/G). Now those additions are a testiment to the ability of the LeBronto GM as a Fantasy Baseball player – nothing more than that – but it does go to show where a true apples-to-apples comparison of this trade essentially stands.

By no means, is the League Commissioner lobbying that something should be done about this LeBronto/Squeeze trade (in fact the Commissioner would forbid that), nor that this gives reason for more trades like it to be executed in the future (the Commissioner is pleading that). Rather, the intent is to simply pose the thought – if that trade wasn’t worthy of your Veto, you may need to adjust your perception of when to use your Veto Vote.

Kindly, Your League Commissioner