Scrolling Through the Leader Boards Makes Me Happy

I was scrolling through the leader boards last night and it struck me how great an idea leader boards are in the first place.  (Well, first it struck me that baseball itself is so great that someone actually thought it was a good idea sink a lot of money into a computer game that would allow 24 nutty fans watch a fictitious universe play out on one man's laptop over the course of 16 weeks.  And then want to do it again eight months later.  We are the epitome of the "mother's basement" stereotype.)

Anyway, the ATB leader boards are particularly exciting to peruse this year as so many categories are littered with names that normally wouldn't grace any top 10 lists.

For instance, Joe Mauer (TWP) is batting .333 in 213 at bats.  His career ATB average is .279.  Reggie Jackson is a good player, no doubt.  He even hit 34 home runs with a .562 slugging in ATB 8 for the Franklin Lakes Pillpoppers, driving in 168 (!).  This year he already has 23 home runs and is slugging .650 and is arguably the MVP of the league for the Banana Bears.

Elsewhere, the career .674 OPS Jimmy Williams (EYO) has a .744 OPS and is tied for the league lead in triples at 9, Willie McGee (HT) is second in the league in stolen bases, and Lou Boudreau (URB) is hitting .456 versus lefties.

And the batters have nothing on their counterparts.  One glance at the Top-10 ERA charts is enough to make your eyes bulge.  Not one pitcher with a Top-10 career average is mentioned in this year's Top 10, not one.  New names like Verlander (BS) and Ruess (BIC) are listed next to cult favorites such as Hughson (GCG) and Blanton (HT).  Others like Hubbell (GCG) and Schilling (BIC) were targeted specifically by their owners due to hunches about defense and parks.

Sandy Koufax (SS) is finally where he belongs - in the Top-10 in strikeouts, and so is Hal Newhouser (URB).  My favorite though is Nels Potter (PRL) and his minuscule 2.05 ERA.

Take a stroll when you get a chance, these names might not be around for long.  Remember that Dwight Gooden (TWP) start? He's now 3-5 with a 4.61 ERA.