2002 CFCL News Flash Archive
The Hard Hats and Six Packs teamed up today on the first trade of the 2001-2002 off-season, and it was something of a blockbuster.
In the deal, the Hard Hats acquired 2001 CFCL Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson, IF-OF Geoff Blum, and the Six Packs 16th round 2002 Rotation Draft Pick. In return, the Hats sent speedy shortstop Jimmy Rollins, young ace starter Bud Smith, prospect Luis Montanez, and their 2nd and and 11th round 2002 Rotation Draft picks to the Six Packs.
The Six Packs had acquired both Johnson and Blum in a mid-season deal with Tim's Maulers, and Johnson nearly carried the Six Packs to the 2001 Championship. Rollins and Smith had formed a solid rookie core for the Hard Hats in 2001, as they both finished high in the Rookie of the Year voting (though far behind landslide winner Albert Pujols).
Our Total Quality Stats web pages are now up and running for the 2002 season. All rosters are current and up-to-date, and more importantly, the Free Agents listing includes everyone who will be available in the Draft (so far), including players who were released following the 2001 season because they played out their options and players who have come over from the American League. Other useful information includes stats for last year and the number of games played by position.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a new, shorter address for accessing the main page. I believe this new address simply references the old address, so the old one should still work, but you may want to update your bookmark to the following:
Passwords for accessing your private team pages have been reset, and will be sent to owners via e-mail. Once you access your page, you can change the password using the link on the left.
The CFCL Executive Committee today announced a new, more explicit procedure for enacting changes to the CFCL Constitution. It has always been the case that any rule change suggested by the Executive Committee could be rejected by the majority of the league as a whole. In the past, it was always assumed that the rule was approved unless an owner called for a formal league-wide vote.
In order to avoid the impression that the Executive Committee has the power to unilaterally impose rule changes on the league, the Executive Committee has called for mandatory votes on all revisions or additions to the CFCL Constitution.
After the Executive Committee has discussed and decided on a change to the rules, and e-mail will be sent to all owners describing the proposed change and the reasoning behind it. That e-mail will also signify the beginning of a voting period during which all CFCL teams may vote to approve or reject the proposed change. The voting period will last until Noon on the third day after the e-mail is sent (unless the Executive Committee feels the matter is time-sensitive).
The proposed change will be considered approved unless 7 teams (half the teams +1) vote to reject it. Teams with multiple owners will receive only ONE vote to represent the team.
The new voting procedure applies only to changes or additions to the Constitution. Cases where the Executive Committee is merely interpreting or clarifying existing rules do not require a league-wide vote.
This new procedure will be put into action for the first time within the next week, as the CFCL owners will be asked to vote on a proposed increase in the Entrance Fee and a revision of the prize pool distribution.
The CFCL Front Office has tentatively announced Sunday March 31 for the 2002 CFCL Auction and Rotation Draft. March 31 is the day before Opening Day of the 2002 MLB season. It is hoped that scheduling the Draft for Sunday will enable us to secure the same Draft facilities we used last year (Rich Bentel's office in Oakbrook).
It is likely that the Draft will be scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM. A confirmation of the date, time, and place will be forthcoming.
If you know of a conflict with this date, now is the time to speak. Let David or Rich know as soon as possible if you won't be able to make this date.
CFCL Approved Proposed Fee/Prize Changes 1/23/02
The CFCL as a whole voted to raise the total per-tem Entrance Fee to $100 today. In an overwhelming 8-1 vote (with three abstentions), the CFCL owners approved the new fee amount that had been proposed by the Executive Committee. A 75% approval was required to make any changes to the fee amount.
In addition, the league voted by the same 8-1 margin to revisit the Entrance Fee amount every other season. Starting prior to the 2004 season, a $5 increase in the Entrance Fee will be automatically proposed, with 75% approval required for adoption. Going forward, an additional $5 increase will be proposed every other season, subject to 75% approval each time.
Finally, the owners also voted to eliminate the current 5% prize for the team that finishes in 5th place. Starting with 2002, the prize pool will be split by the top 4 teams (50%, 25%, 15%, 10%). The 5th place team will receive the #1 Rotation Draft pick in the following season. The revision to the prize distribution was approved by a 6-3 vote.
In their second trade of the month, the Six Packs packaged one of the league's top closers with three other players to acquire Dem Rebels' ace starting pitcher.
The Rebels received closer Robb Nen, shortstop Julio Lugo, outfielder Brian Hunter, and catcher Eli Marerro. In return, they sent pitcher Darryl Kile, prospect Sean McGowan, their 2nd round Rotation Draft pick, and the Go-Go 7th round Rotation Draft pick to the Six Packs.
The Six Packs had acquired Nen along with Jeff Bagwell in a mid-season trade with the Rebels last July. Today's deal continued the Six Packs' trend of freeing up money for the Draft Auction, a trend that began with them sending Randy Johnson to the Hard Hats. Their trade today netted them a .46 gain in salary cap room.
Draft Day Rescheduled for March 23 1/30/02
After unwittingly scheduling Draft Day 2002 for Easter Sunday, the CFCL had to do some fancy stepping to come up with an alternate date for their most important event of the year. After weighing countless options, Saturday March 23 turned out to be the only date on which the full compliment of CFCL owners were available.
This date marks the earliest the CFCL has drafted in their 18 year history, and it is bound to present it's own unique set of challenges as the 23rd is a full nine days before NL 25-man rosters are set on Opening Day. At the same time, the date will present some interesting possibilities -- more players than ever will be available in the Draft Pool, including many players who are slated to start the season in the minors but who will be available at potentially bargain prices.
The Executive Committee will be reviewing the rules surrounding pre-Opening Day drafts to ensure that any potential loopholes are closed.
Co-Commish Bentel Secures Draft Day Utopia 2/10/02
There was much rejoicing in the CFCL Front Office recently when Co-Commissioner Rich Bentel announced that he had been able to book the large conference room in his firm's Oakbrook office for the 2002 CFCL Draft. This is the same cavernous venue we used for the 2001 Draft (well, at least cavernous compared to some of the other conference rooms and dining rooms we've used in the past).
It was originally thought that since Draft Day had been scheduled for a Saturday, the room would be unavailable. Rich was able to work his magic, however, and the league owes him a big thanks that we won't be crammed elbow-to-elbow for 10 hours on Draft Day.
As we near the date when pitchers and catchers will report to their spring training homes, the CFCL pre-season hot stove continues to warm up. Today, the Lambchops and Hard Hats sealed a deal that has Travis Lee and Todd Hollandsworth joining the Hats and Jose Vidro and Carlos Hernandez (P) going to the Chops.
Already owners of Derek Lee, the Hard Hats have cornered the market on first basemen named Lee. Look for them to turn their attention to acquiring Lee Stevens of the Meisters to complete their triumvirate.
In addition to the players involved, the Lambchops picked up the Hats' 10th and 16th round Rotation Draft picks, while the Hats get the Chops' 8th and 14th round picks.
Aside from stud pitching prospect Hernandez, the other three players in the deal are all coming off disappointing seasons in 2001. While he showed flashes of power potential last year, first baseman Lee has never been able to turn the corner and fulfill the potential that led Welsch's FlatFeet to draft him into their farm system in 1997. Outfielder Hollandsworth and second baseman Vidro both had very promising seasons cut short by injury in 2001, but are poised for strong come-backs in 2002.
It's been reported that new Lambchop Assistant General Manager John Lemon was highly instrumental in getting this deal done, and may prove to be the most productive acquisition made by a CFCL team this off-season.
Rebels Trade For Meister Duo 2/13/02
The trade action continued hot and heavy today as Da Paul Meisters and Dem Rebels combined on a three-player deal. The Meisters acquired long-time Rebel favorite, second baseman Mark Grudzielank and the Six Packs' 7th round Rotation Draft pick (acquired by the Rebels a couple weeks ago). In exchange, the Meisters sent first baseman Lee Stevens and catcher Todd Hundley to the Rebels.
The deal marked the second trade of the off-season for the Rebels and the first for the Meisters.
Meisters Announce New Address 2/27/02
Da Paul Meister front office today announced that effective immediately they can be reached at the following e-mail address:
CFCL owners should update their address books to replace the Meisters former gateway.net address with this new AOL address.
PRESS RELEASE: From The Team Former Known as Bruce's Witzke a Go-Go 3/5/02
Official Press Release
Unincorporated Grundee County, IL—Item: From the new winter headquarters of the team formerly known as Bruce’s Witzke A Go-Go comes the following announcement from team spokesperson and Head of Marketing, Lee Elia: "The team formerly known as Bruce’s Witzke A Go-Go is changing its name to reflect the new, streamlined direction of ownership. Frankly, we need to shed some of the weighted expectations of the past while continuing to honor the grand 2-year history of the franchise. Plus, we reached an out-of-court settlement with the former co-owner regarding licensing and copyright fees: we cannot disclose the terms except that we will no longer be allowed to sport mustaches. We considered, and rejected, many names—honorable, fine names—to ensure that the one we chose would best represent the quality of the team and the overall reputation of the CFCL. Among the names we seriously considered but ultimately rejected were:
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But, in the end, there can be only one! And unto this day, henceforth, let the team be known as Tenacious B! So it is written; so shall it be done. What did you say? You’re not sure the team will win this year? Well, everybody associated with this organization has been winners their whole f*ckin' life. Everybody. And the credit is not given in that respect. So, f*ck those f*ckin' fans who come out here and say they're Tenacious B fans that are supposed to be behind you, rippin' every f*ckin' thing you do. I'll tell you one f*ckin' thing, I hope we get f*ckin' hotter than sh*t, just to stuff it up them 3,000 f*ckin' people that show up every f*ckin' day, because if they're the real Tenacious B f*ckin' fans, they can kiss my f*ckin' ass right downtown and PRINT IT."
--End of Transmission--
NOW AVAILABLE: Masters Guide to Fantasy Baseball - 2002 3/09/02
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The Reservoir Dogs' owner,
CFCL rookie Jason Grey, has released the 2002 edition of the Masters
of Fantasy Baseball annual. The book is described as
"a combination of a strategy guide with an in-depth player profile
guide for the 2002 season," and is now available in a printed
edition via priority mail shipping or can be downloaded immediately from
the Masters' website.
Here's a rare opportunity to find out exactly what one of your competitors is thinking heading into the Draft. For more information about the book, including ordering instructions, visit Jason's website (http://www.mastersball.com) or click on the book cover to the left. |
Busy Picts Wheel and Deal as Dealine Approaches 3/14/02
Just days before final pre-Draft rosters are due, Nick's Picts are still tinkering with their roster and have made a couple significant trades.
In the first deal, the Picts sent catcher Wiki Gonzalez, designated hitter prospect Jack Cust, and their 1st and 8th round Rotation Draft picks to the Ruffins for hard-hitting shortstop Jose Ortiz. The Picts' first round pick is the first overall in the Rotation Draft, so Ruffin owner Dave Holian will have the honor of announcing the first player in both phases of the Draft.
The Picts' second deal today was with the newly-christened Tenacious B. The Picts sent low-priced closer Jose Jimenez (.05) to the B for studly, but oft-injured outfielder Cliff Floyd.
Between the two trades, the Picts took on a net increase of .49 in salary. Even so, their total pre-Draft salaries are still below $2.00.
Picts and Rebels in First Deal of Season 04/17/02
The Picts and Rebels kicked off the in-season trading period today with the first deal of the 2002 season.
In the earliest dump trade in CFCL history, the Picts traded third baseman Chipper Jones, starter Brian Tollberg, and their 8th round Rotation Draft pick in 2003 to the Rebels for outfield prospect Chin-Feng Chen, infielder Pedro Feliz, relief prospect Carlos Zambrano, and the Rebels 2nd round 2003 Rotation Draft pick.
The Picts' chances of contending were hurt by early injuries to outfielder Ken Griffey and starting pitcher Woody Williams. Apparently feeling there was no hope for the current season, the Picts were ready to deal, and the Rebels were happy to oblige. The trade does, however, put the Rebels in immediate salary cap trouble as they move to within .04 of the $3.00 cap.
"Shadow Page" Gives Glimpse of Things to Come 05/08/02
The wonderful folks at Total Quality Stats have provided us with a sneak-peek at what the CFCL will look like in 2003.
They've set up a page for us that shows what the current standings would be if we were already using the 5x5 scoring system that will go into place next year. The 5x5 standings will be updated daily.
The "Alternative Reality" standings are based on the CFCL's current rosters, and any roster moves we make in the CFCL will be reflected there, so we can't really experiment with roster management, but we can observe the effects player performance and roster moves will have on the standings. Plus it gives us a chance to get used to the look and feel of the new format.
The CFCL 2003 standings can be found at: http://baseball.tqstats.com/scripts/wwwstand.pl?cfcl2
Hats and Pics Complete Griffey-Ishii Swap 05/23/02
Nick's Picts have announced their second deal of the 2002 season as they continue to retool for the future. In this trade, they sent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr and their 7th round pick in the 2003 Rotation Draft to Matt's Hard Hats in exchange for starting pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii, prospect Kurt Ainsworth, and the Hats' 1st round Rotation Draft pick.
Griffey has had an injury-marred season so far, but is expected to return to active duty soon.
Meisters Announce Pair of Dates for CFCL Get-Together 06/05/02
Paul Zeledon has announced Friday June 14 as the date for the first in-season gathering of the year. Friday the 14th is the primary date, and the date everyone should try to attend. In addition, though, Paul has also offered to host a secondary gathering on Monday June 17 for people who can't make it on the 14th or who have such a damn good time on the 14th they want to go around again.
The Cubs and Sox meet for the first time on the afternoon of the 14th, so there should be plenty to discuss, and TBS is offering the Red Sox vs Braves that night. On the 17th, the Astros and Brewers meet on ESPN (Cubs and Sox are both off).
Details about time, place, and other arrangements will be forthcoming in an e-mail from Paul. Please do your best to let him know if you'll be able to attend.
Lambchops and Six Packs Team on Mega-Deal 06/21/02
The Lambchops emphatically stamped their claim on first place today, sealing a deal with the Six Packs that should go a long ways toward solidifying their hold on First Place. For the Six Packs, the trade represents the first and definitive sign that they are pulling the plug on what has been a very disappointing season.
The Lambchops acquired starting pitcher Darryl Kile, outfielder Bobby Abreu, shortstop Edgar Renteria, and their 12th round Rotation Draft pick in 2003. In return, the Six Packs get a talented but risky package of starting pitchers Terry Adams and Carlos Hernandez, pitching prospect Aaron Heilman, and outfielder Roosevelt Brown.
Abreu and Kile were expendable for the rebuilding Six Packs because both players are in the final year of their current contracts, while Renteria has been a disappointment after the Packs spent .24 for him in this year's Draft. In Adams, Hernandez, and Heilman (80 K in 77 IP), the Packs acquired a world of pitching potential, though young pitching being what it is, that package comes with a risk. Brown appears to be strictly a throw-in.
While Abreu (4 HR) and Renteria (8 SB) were large parts of the Six Pack collapse, they're bound to improve what has been an average Lambchop offense, while Kile (3.73 ERA) will solidify what is already the league's best pitching staff.
PRESS RELEASE: From Six Pack Front Office 6/21/02
Official Press Release
Frustrating as it is to concede a season that had been
targeted since winter trades, and even through a very deliberate approach to the
reserve rounds of the draft, as a year to go for it all, Geoff Jenkins' injury
made the likelihood of a comeback too taxing on our resources. Already in need
of adding a productive hitter, acquiring two was too much to ask of a team with
little room for error or sacrifice, and not much of a farm system to broker. A
recent surge and the coming together of our pitching staff had inspired hope,
but there is simply too much ground to make up and too many holes to fill. And
with the current trade environment, a deal outside of rebuilding was becoming
increasingly difficult to execute.
It is not easy to part ways with a player like Bobby Abreu, who was central to
the Six Pack resurgence which began in '99 with a championship and ran off two
more money finishes in the following years. But the addition of Terry Adams and
Carlos Hernandez to AJ Burnett, Hideo Nomo, the recent revelations of Toma Ohka
and Jason Simontacchi, and the promise of growth from from Jason Marquis, Bud
Smith, and Aaron Heilman make for a pitching staff that has intriguing
possibilities as the season goes on and in 2003. We look forward to these
talents competing for spots as we figure out how the hell to produce some
offense around here.
Rebels and Picts Combine on Second Trade of Season 07/06/02
The Rebels and Picts today teamed up on their second deal of the year. In today's trade, the Picts sent picther Woody Williams and their 13th and 15th round 2003 Rotation Draft picks to the Rebels for pitchers Luis Pineda and Nick Neugebauer.
Pack-Chop Connection Strikes Again 07/06/02
Just two weeks after combining on a seven-player deal, the front-running Lambchops and fast-fading Six Packs were at it again. In a deal announced today, the Lambchops acquired starting pitcher Hideo Nomo, third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo, and outfielder Adrian Brown. In return, they sent third baseman Tyler Houston and their 4th, 8th, and 10th round Rotation Draft picks in 2003 to the Six Packs.
Following the trade, the Lambchops had to place Alfonzo (.26D) on their Reserve List, as they didn't have enough room under the $3.00 salary cap to leave him active. Alfonzo should make his Lambchop debut next week however, when the salary cap increases to $3.50.
The inclusion of Brown in the deal is very interesting. One of the largest long-term contract (LTC) busts in a long while, Brown has been a huge disappointment for the Six Packs (.209, only 7 SB) after they inked him to a two-year deal at .10 prior to the season. One can only surmise that the Six Packs were only willing to seal the deal if the Lambchops agreed to take Brown and his contract off their hands.
It's the first time in recent memory (perhaps ever) that such a condition has been included in a deal, and it speaks volumes about the Lambchops' desire to win it all this year (as if their massive (though unsuccessful) bid for Bartolo Colon earlier in the week didn't say enough). It also says a lot about the creativity of the Six Pack Front Office (though one has to question the wisdom of signing Brown long-term to begin with...).
Rebels and Tenacious B Swap From Strengths 07/20/02
In a classic Steals for Saves exchange, the Rebels today sent middle infielder Andy Fox (20 SB) to Tenacious B for closer Jose Jimenez (24 Saves) and TB's 13th round Rotation Draft Pick in 2003.
Rebels Dealing Again 07/27/02
Dem Rebels continued to retool for a late-season push today, acquiring some starting rotation help in exchange for a part of their bullpen.
The Rebels sent reliever Tim Worrell to Da Paul Meisters for starter Shawn Estes and the Meisters 13th round Rotation Draft Pick in 2003.
Deadline Dealin' 07/31/02
In the only deal made at the 2002 trading deadline, Tenacious B picked up a package of expensive talent to bolster their chances in the second half. The trade comes hot on the heels of their acquisition yesterday of free agent outfielder Kenny Lofton.
In the trade, TB acquired outfielder Sammy Sosa, second baseman Roberto Alomar, starting pitcher Glendon Rusch, and reliever Scott Sullivan. In exchange, the Dogs received outfielders Rickey Ledee and Danny Bautista, second baseman Alex Cora, and starting pitchers John Patterson and Kip Wells.
The lack of other deadline deals speaks to how difficult it has been for CFCL owners to trade this year, and may also reveal a fear that the season may not last more than another few weeks.
FAAB Balances 07/31/02
In preparation for IFAB Day on August 1, the CFCL Front Office released updated FAAB balances for each team:
| Meisters | .75 | Copperfields | .48 | Lambchops | .52 |
| DoorMatts | .10 | Dem Rebels | .81 | Hard Hats | .29 |
| Picts | 1.03 | Ruffins | .44 | Six Packs | .51 |
| Reservoir Dogs | .84 | Tenacious B | .61 | Stones | .25 |
IFAB Day Results 08/01/02
For the second straight year, the number and quality of players coming into the CFCL free agent pool at the MLB trading deadline left a lot to be desired. Even so, there was a reasonable amount of bidding.
Most of the action centered around outfielder Gabe Kapler, with Dem Rebels winning his services by virtue of their .24 bid.
The Copperfields also bid .24 for Kapler, but lost the tie breaker because they currently rank higher in the standings than the Rebels. Other teams bidding on Kapler were the Reservoir Dogs (.16), Six Packs (.13), Lambchops (.12), Hard Hats (.11), and Ruffins (.07).
In other action, the Copperfields (.07) outbid the Rebels (.05) on outfielder Eduardo Perez. The Rebels were successful with their .05 bid on pitcher Brian Boehringer, and the Six Packs bid of .05 for Jimmy Osting went uncontested.
As a result of today's acquisitions, the following players were waived (waiver period expires 8-6):So TaguchiUpdated Excel rosters are available in the Download Center.
Kevin Jarvis
Mike Matthews
CFCL Expands for September 09/01/02
The 2002 CFCL September Roster Expansions had special added significance compared to other years. The very fact that expansions took place meant that a labor stoppage had been avoided and there would be one more month to the 2002 season. Only two teams took advantage of Roster Expansion Day -- the two teams locked in perhaps the CFCL's tightest race. Both teams tried to bolster their offense with an additional player.
The Copperfields added first baseman Greg Colbrunn, while Dem Rebels activated outfielder Orlando Merced.
Lambchops, Very Rare 10/01/02
After 14 long years, the wait is over –
Eric’s Lambchops are Champions of the CFCL. In taking the 2002 crown, the Chops performed the very rare feat of going from worst-to-first in a single season. The Six Packs are the only other CFCL franchise to make such a dramatic improvement within one sesaon.Coming into the season, the Lambchops were the oldest CFCL franchise without a Championship. They have now passed that mantle to the DoorMatts and direct their focus to becoming only the second CFCL team in history to repeat.
After an terribly disappointing last place finish in 2001, owner Eric Lamb nearly pulled the plug on the franchise. Lamb feared that restrictions on his time were hurting the team and figured it would be better to withdraw the team from the league. The Lambchops were given a second chance, though, when Lamb decided to bring on Assistant GM John Lemon to share the work load, and the duo immediately became the most successful ownership team in CFCL history.
From Period 4 on, the team was never lower than 2nd place, and when they opened up a 5-point lead at the end of May, they never looked back, cruising to the first Championship in franchise history. They withstood a mid-season charge from the Copperfields, who edged within a couple points in August, but their hold on 1st place was never really in jeopardy. Not even the death of pitcher Daryl Kile, for whom the Chops traded only a day before he died, could derail the Lambchop express.
The second place
Dem Rebels were languishing in 9th place, 35 points out of first place in mid-June, but combined a handful of trades with some key free agent pick-ups and rose steadily in the standings over the next few months. They never quite made a charge at the Lambchops, but soared past Tenacious B and the Copperfields into 2nd place over the last month of the season.The 8.5 points that separated the Rebels from the defending champion
David’s Copperfields belies the closeness of the race for second place. With just five games left in the season, the Copperfields stood a mere half point behind the Rebels, but the southerners finished strong while the Coppers faded in the final days. The third place finish is the Copperfields’ lowest since 1991 when they came in 4th.Right on the Copperfields’ heals were
Tenacious B, who repeated in 4th place after finishing there in 2001 as Bruce’s Witzke a Go-Go. Like the Rebels, Tenacious B mustered a valiant effort to rebound from a slow start and pulled of a blockbuster trade at the trading deadline. The deal brought them Sammy Sosa, Roberto Alomar, and Glendon Rusch, and had Tenacious B pushing the limits of the salary cap for the entire second half. The tenacious ones rose as high as 3rd place in the last month of the season, before slipping back to 4th place.David’s Ruffins
put on an incredible display in the season’s final week, producing an offense of .300-21-47-6 for the week and picked up a point apiece in the HR, RBI, and SB categories. The 3-point gain was just enough to edge Matt’s Hard Hats for 5th place glory. 2002 marks the 3rd straight 5th place finish for the Ruffins, who will be awarded with the #1 pick in each round of the 2003 Rotation Draft.That
Matt’s Hard Hats were beaten out of 5th place in the season’s final day could be seen as something of sweet revenge – last year the Hard Hats lept over two teams in the last few days of the season to finish in 7th place. In truth, this year’s Hats were within striking distance of 4th place when the season ended, and they have improved their place in the standings every year of their existence. Things bode well for the future, as the Hats, together with the Reservoir Dogs, own the vast majority of top pitching prospects in the league.The
DoorMatts were near the top of the standings for much of the season, and were in 3rd place as late as the beginning of August. Although they lost only 5 points in that time frame, they tumbled four places in the standings to finish in 7th place.Da Paul Meisters
hovered around the middle of the pack all season, but were never able to put together a concerted push for one of the top spots. In the end, they finished solidly in 8th place.Steve’s Stones’
season was torpedoed by the season-long loss of ace starter Kevin Brown, their big investment in the 2002 Draft. The Stones were never able to overcome Brown’s injury and the slow start of key offensive part Moises Alou, and finished in 9th place.Tenth place went to the team most experts tabbed to run away with the 2002 CFCL Championship, the
Six Packs. Discouraged by a slow start from their offense, they started unloading talent in an effort to build for 2003. The last time the Six Packs made such a move, they took the Championship the following season.The CFCL rookie
Reservoir Dogs came out of the gate with a bang in 2002, near the top of the standings for the first few weeks. They quickly plummeted, though, and finished a disappointing 11th, saved from a last place finish only by the helplessness of the bottom-dwelling Nick’s Picts. The Picts suffered early-season injuries to key players such as Ken Griffey, Jr., and Woody Williams, and decided to rebuild before the season’s third week was over.2002 Award Winners Announced 10/14/02
The winners of the 2002 CFCL Awards were announced Sunday night at the annual CFCL Awards Banquet.
Dave Roberts and his .01 salary brought home this year's
Steal of the Year Award for the Lambchops. Roberts received 4 of 11
first place votes and totaled 25 points. Odalis Perez (.06) of Dem
Rebels also received 4 first place votes, but only 17 points overall.
Mark Bellhorn (.01, Ruffins) finished third with 14 points (2 first place
votes), and Kip Wells (.01) of Tenacious B was listed first on one ballot.
On the other side of the balance sheet, Kevin Brown of Steve's Stones (.37)
received the Nick Esasky Award. Brown received 8 first place votes and
29 points overall. Ken Griffey Jr (Picts, .35) was named at the top of
the other 3 ballots and scored 22 total points. Brown is the first
non-closer to win the Esasky Award in 5 years, but is the 11th straight
pitcher to win it in the Award's 13-year history.
There was a tie for the Best Reserve List Pick in 2002, with Junior Spivey (Ruffins)
and Tomo Ohka (Six Packs) sharing the top spot. Spivey received 5 first
place votes, while Ohka received 4. Damian Moss (Hard Hats) and Josh
Fogg (Da Paul Meisters) were each named first on one ballot.
Scott Stewart of the Copperfields took home top honors for Best Free Agent Acquisition, receiving 6 first place votes. After Stewart, though, voting was very dispersed, with the following five players each receiving a single first place vote: Bartolo Colon (DoorMatts), Andy Fox (Dem Rebels), Chris Hammond (Dem Rebels), Quinton McCracken (Lambchops), and Joey Eischen (Dem Rebels).
The voting for Best Waiver Claim was the exact opposite, as Mike Williams of the Hard Hats was the only unanimous winner this year. Williams received all 11 first place votes and finished well ahead of Kirk Rueter (Dem Rebels) and Jeff Bagwell (Lambchops). Williams was a repeat winner, having won the Best Waiver Claim award the previous season as a member of Nick's Picts.
Speaking of repeat winners, David's Ruffins and Matt's
Hard Hat's maintained their stranglehold on the Most Productive Farm System
Award, sharing the honors with 21 points apiece. The Hard Hats received
5 first place votes for the award, while the Ruffins received 3. Steve's
Stones also appeared in the top spot on 3 ballots. Either the Ruffins or
Hard Hats have won the Most Productive Farm System Award in 7 of the last 9
years.
Vladimir Guerrero of David's Copperfields was named the CFCL's Most Valuable
Player for 2002, receiving 9 first place votes. 2001's winner (and CFCL
MVP in 1990, 1992, and 1993), Barry Bonds of Da Paul Meisters, was runner up
and received on first place vote, as did Aaron Boone of Steve's Stones.
It was the same old story in the Cy Young Award voting, as Randy Johnson (Hard Hats) won the award for the third year in a row. Johnson received 9 first place votes, and runner-up Eric Gagne (Lambchops) received two. Only Greg Maddux (1992-1995) has won more CFCL Cy Young Awards than Johnson.
The voting for Rookie of the Year was very close, with the Hard Hats' Damian Moss (20 points) just edging Brad Wilkerson of the Ruffins (19 points). Austin Kearns of the Stones (16 points) was right behind them. Moss and Wilkerson each received 4 first place votes, while Kearns got 2, and Jason Jennings of the Picts got one. Aside from the DoorMatts' Albert Pujols in 2001, the Rookie of the Year Award has gone to either a Ruffin or Hard Hat every year since 1996, when the Award was first given.
In 2002, as in every previous year, the General Manager of the Year Award went to the CFCL Champions, Eric Lamb and John Lemon of Eric's Lambchops (28 points, 9 first place votes). Also receiving points were Rich Bentel of Dem Rebels (18 points, 1 first place vote), Bruce Ellman of Tenacious B (12 points, 1 first place vote), Matt Grage of Matt's Hard Hats (6 points), and David Mahlan of the Copperfields (2 points).
Finally, the CFCL Executive Committee selected Rich Bentel of Dem Rebels as the winner of this year's Paul Mahlan Award. The Rebels lost Lee Stevens, Brian Tollberg, Elmer Dessens, Julio Lugo, Kevin Jarvis, Kevin Millar, Marcus Giles, Nick Neugebauer, Woody Williams, and others for some or all of the 2002 season. The Executive Committee felt that the perseverance with which Bentel carried on despite these setbacks best illustrated the spirit demonstrated by original CFCL owner Paul Mahlan in dealing with his adversities.