OFF THE WALL
THE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD - 1951
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AT THE FINISH LINE
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After 26 grueling weeks, it came down to the final 7 games of Week 27 to decide several races. Even then, tiebreakers needed to be employed in 2 leagues.
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Defending champs were bounced out in the Alston, Chance, Spalding and Bostock.
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In the Alston / Waner title was decided in the final week as GOOCH TROOP broke the tie winning just 1 more game than JOE SIX-PACK, but their consolation was the Wild Card.
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In the Chance / Wynn division, 3 teams within 3 games of each other all went 5-2 in the final week. BIG CATS held on to win the division, while BLEACHER BUMS took the wild card, and defending champion VALLEY COWS went home.
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All Harris League berths were decided in the final week. In the Grove, THE HABS closed the 3-game gap with NOSE DIVE to end in a tie, but THE HABS snared the title by winning the tiebreaker 14-13 in their final game! In the Hubbell, CYCLONES boke teh tie in the final week and finished 1 game better than LIMP UNITS.
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In the Mack / Terry division BLACK SOX stunned KING OF LIMBS by erasing their 2 game lead to win by 3 games.
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In the Rickey, the other tiebreaker was used to decide the Wild Card when SW HUDS and NORTHERN FRONT finished in a dead heat, but the tiebreakeR went to SW HUDS 15-12.
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And, in the Bostock with 5 teams in the hunt for the Wild Card, LONGOYS ran the table in the final week to pass TEAM HEADCASE to get to the playoffs.
ARSON SQUAD?
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Over the years, MLB has had many names and monikers for the awards it handed out to the best relief pitchers each season.
Initially referred to as "Firemen" for "putting out fires"​​ and saving the game, to the Rolaids Relief Man for settling down the situation.​
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But it's difficult remembering a season where so many of the "Firemen" actually fueled the fire rather than putting it out.
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As Week 5 of the season draws to a close, here are some of the instigators, in no particular order. The first ERA shows their recent dominant seasons, and the second shows their 2025 ERA:
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Edwin Diaz - 2.64 to 4.91
David Bednar - 2.25 to 5.40
Raisel Iglesias - 2.65 to 6.00
Ryan Walker - 2.48 to 6.52
Emmanuel Clase - 1.67 to 7.84
Devin Williams - 1.70 to 11.25
Jordan Romano - 2.063 to 13.50
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This list represents nearly 1/4 of all the current closers.
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While it doesn't mean that managers should jettison these guys for the next-in-line set-up guys, it does indicate that you should probably NOT be putting them at the top of your Relief Rotation until they show signs of turning things around.
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But at the same time, you may want to be looking at the "closers in waiting" and elevating them in your bullpen.​