TWIDCBA: Nine

If you're playing with your head up your ass, this is a good play. Otherwise, not so much.

Does it appear to you that some teams get the short shrift in these weekly recaps? Does it appear that these columns are mailed in? If you think so, and would like to give those unheralded teams their proper due, you may be interested in mailing in your ideas to win the new contest - "Guest TWIDCBA Writer of the Day." Do you have what it takes? (If you do, let me know, I could use "it.") The prize package includes, among other things, the opportunity to see your work published here as well as receiving a TWIDCBA salary. To enter, please send your recaps to: dcbabids@gmail.com prior to the Tuesday of the following week. Best of luck!

Not So Fragile Flowers 388.5 @ The Consummate Bastards 354

Weeks 1-8: 51 HR. (~6/week). Jack Cust, week prior to being acquired: 5 HR (~5/week). Since acquisition: 3 HR (~1/week). Jason Giambi: injured after hitting a HR (~no more/week). The longball has not been kind to NSFF until now, but in week 9, the Fraggles managed to more than double their average output in knocking out 13 HR. Despite minimizing the damage on the offensive side with 13 HR of their own, the CoBa Kais were unable to finish them on the pitching side, where it was the Fraggles and their Cy Young class of pitchers (Schilling, Webb, Zito - but not C.Young) who showed no mercy, with a 1.83 ERA and 50k in 49 IP leading them to victory, making it the best start after 9 games in team history (2-7 in 2006, 3-6 in 2005).

Jackanapes 230.5 @ Slipstream Starlings 380.5

The Napes had more steals and more walks than the SliStars, while Ramon Hernandez and Ian "Mach" Snell combined for nearly 1/3 of the Napes' points. Bartolo Colon, given yet another chance, ruins the SliStars' chance to claim their 3rd high-point-total-of-the-week award. Since winning the Cy Young Award in 2005 (21-8, 222 IP, 3.48 ERA), Colon has put up the following numbers in the 2 years since: 6-7, 106 IP, 5.26 ERA.

Savage Sickos 354 @ The Darned Sox 378

While Michael Barrett likes to fight with musclemen, and Alex Rodriguez likes tight-muscled she-men, none of that had any bearing on the outcome of the contest this week. The difference in the scoring can be accounted for by the fact that TDS had more runs, homers, and rbi than the SaSis. Higher slugging percentages than Adam Dunn since May 15: Cristian Guzman, Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Gonzalez, and 75 out of 90 other players with more than 75 plate appearances.

Naps 301.5 @ Festivus Miracles 341

Naps - C + 2b = 3 points.

FM - C + 2b = 69 points.

It's that simple.

All the wrong Cubs 334 @ Da Infidels 267

Da Infidels, DCBA Recordbreaker. How did they achieve this mark?

• Player/2007 Rank/2006 Rank
  Ivan Rodriguez (5th) (6th)
  Ryan Howard (16th) (1st)
  Robinson Cano (11th) (7th)
  Troy Glaus (12th) (6th)
  Rafael Furcal (12th) (6th)
  Jason Bay (2nd) (3rd)
  Alfonso Soriano (13th) (1st)
  Ichiro (6th) (7th)

So we can see that it wasn't a failure to acquire talent, it was a failure of talent to acquire points. That and the "home-field advantage" rule. Lookout, second half!