roto pennant run stories

[TranaGreg]

sitting here on a Sept Friday afternoon trying to hang on to first in my long-time AL only league got me thinking about my first pennant drive.

Our league was formed in 1986 & I was not too happy that I hadn't had a real run at first. So in 1990 I was excited to be in first for most of Sept. It came down to the last day of the season, and turned out that whoever got more SBs on that last day - me or the team I was tied with - would take first.

This was of course pre-internet, so the only way to check was to wait for the morning paper the following Monday. I can vividly remember reading the boxscores on the kitchen counter, adding up any SBs for either of us ... it was a pretty lean year for SBs so I was thrilled as I got through the eastern games & found I had 2, he had 0 ... one boxscore left from the west coast, & I knew the only guy he had out there was Luis Polonia ... as I looked at that boxscore, I saw ...

SB: L Polonia 3 (21, 3rd base off M Moore/T Steinbach, 2nd base off M Moore/T Steinbach 2);

(I just looked that up from Baseball Reference; http://www.baseball-reference.com/bo...99010030.shtml)

I'm hoping I don't have to deal with something like that this year. It's tough to take, even 22 years later.

[AbPow]

I had quite a similar experience in 1997 where I would have won my AL-only league as long as one of the teams further back in the standings didn't get a SB to tie me and cost me a decisive half-point. It looked pretty good for me that last Sunday afternoon with only the Oakland-Seattle game still going on and the only player on the team right behind in SBs still playing was Scott Spiezio, never a speed demon and with only 8 on the year (which turned out to be his career high). You can guess the rest - come the 7th inning, Speizio somehow managed to steal a base and I finished 2nd:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA199709280.shtml

The roto gods evened things up for me two years later in the same league. On the final day of the season in a rain-shortened 1-1 tie, Sean Lowe allowed 2 baserunners in 1 inning right before the rains came, which was enough to push me ahead of the second place team in WHIP, with the two-point swing giving me the title. If Lowe had allowed one fewer baserunner or the rains had held off to allow him to record one more out, the WHIP swing would not have taken place.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA199910030.shtml

[DJBeasties]

In 2006, I was a half-point out of 1st place and tied in HRs on the last day of the season. Of all people, Ichiro hit one out to lead off the game and it held up on the day to keep me in first place.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA200610010.shtml

I received a nice, expletive-laden tirade from my good friend whom I beat. It was awesome. I heart Ichiro forever.

[DMT]

In 2007, I was tied for the lead in RJEL going into the 1-game playoff between the Padres & Rockies. I was in the Philippines at the time and so saw just the highlights initially...I had Hoffman who gave up the GW HR so I assumed I lost, but IIRC my opponent (Grinch) had Peavy who gave up 6 ERs and cost him a pt in ERA...ended up winning by .5 pt. Hoping to avoid any dramatic finishes this year (currently a 12-point lead on Hammer).

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/COL/COL200710010.shtml

[rhd]

Dont remember the exact year, but in 1 of my leagues about 8 yrs ago I was in 1st going into the last day. The 3rd place team had an incredible final day where he had 3 mediocre starters pitch great, 21 or so IP w about 1 ER, and 3 wins and he won it. Dont remember the 3 starters except for Tom Glavine in maybe his last productive year. I finished tied for 2nd. Same league this yr, it's a tight 3-team race where I was tied for 1st yesterday. Currently all 3 teams separated by 1.5 pts.

[Judge Jude]

1993, old-school rules, you only can dump three bad active players all year - and only by claiming players waived by rival teams.
I badly needed a W, and the only place I could get an extra start was Chris Nabholz of the Expos off waivers.
He gave me 5 scoreless IP and the W, which gave me the title by a half-pt!

our best race was 1999, when 4 teams still had a shot to win heading into the Mets-Reds play-in extra game.....

[Grinch]

In 2007, I was tied for the lead in RJEL going into the 1-game playoff between the Padres & Rockies. I was in the Philippines at the time and so saw just the highlights initially...I had Hoffman who gave up the GW HR so I assumed I lost, but IIRC my opponent (Grinch) had Peavy who gave up 6 ERs and cost him a pt in ERA...ended up winning by .5 pt. Hoping to avoid any dramatic finishes this year (currently a 12-point lead on Hammer).

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bo...00710010.shtml

Yeah.....thanks for the reminder.......

[Erik]

I lost the 12TO title on the last day in 2002 or so, when Curt Schilling was inserted in relief and got shelled.