Click here for a copy of this report in Word for Windows format

September 30

HOT SLUDGE SUNDAE reserve R Martinez, activate N Green.

RUFFINS reserve C Carpenter, activate S Kline.

October 1

STONES reserve R Freel, activate A Everett.

October 2

COPPERFIELDS reserve A Eaton, activate L Vizcaino.

COPPERFIELDS reserve C Pavano, activate T Martin.

COPPERFIELDS sign C Tsao (.07), reserve C Floyd, waive S Stewart.

COPPERFIELDS sign V Diaz (.05), reserve E Chavez, waive D Wheeler.

STONES reserve K Wood, activate Z Day.

STONES reserve J Mesa, activate B Penny.

STONES reserve A Everett.

STONES sign D Burba (.05), reserve A Osuna, waive W Franklin.

HOT SLUDGE SUNDAE reserve J Beckett, activate W Alvarez.

HOT SLUDGE SUNDAE reserve J Kennedy, activate F Beltran.

HOT SLUDGE SUNDAE reserve G White, activate R Sexson.

BY KENNEN reserve AJ Burnett, activate K Farnsworth.

Click here for updated rosters in Excel format.
Click here for the 2005 Rotation Draft Pick Tracker

Free Agent Bids and Waiver Claims

2004 Opinion Survey

By now you should have received an e-mail providing a link to the CFCL End-of-Season Opinion Survey.  If not, you can access it here:

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB223TQBAY5NY

Please take a few minutes to fill it out and provide feedback on the season and input for the future.  The survey expires in about a week, so be sure to fill it out by Friday October 8.

If you'd like to ponder things over a bit before filling it out, here's a quick rundown of what it covers:

Whether you're returning for 2005

Availability and location preference for the Awards Banquet

Thoughts about the weekly transaction deadline and possible changes

Feedback, thoughts, and reactions concerning existing and proposed rules

Race Review

It’s become customary the past few years for the CFCL pennant race to come right down to the season’s final days, and 2004 is no exception.  After spending much of the season in first place, Da Paul Meisters have settled comfortably into 4^th place – unlikely to climb back to 3^rd, but not at risk to drop out of the money. 

The Stones have been the dominant team lately, but the Copperfields and Ruffins have each spent a little time in first place over the past month or so.  With just a couple days left, there are still enough points in play for either the Coppers or Ruffins to sneak past the Stones for the 2004 title.

A glance at the standings shows the Stones can gain up to 2 points and lose as many as 8.5.  If everything goes the Copperfields way, they could pick up 4 points, but could lose 3 if things break the other way.  And the Ruffins could climb 4.5 points or drop up to 3.

As is customary, here’s a run down of where the contenders can gain and lose points over the last couple days of the season.

RBIs:  The RBI category is one spot the Stones can solidify their lead over the Copperfields.  With three days to go, the Stones trailed the Coppers by just 6 RBI for the lead in the category – a difference easily made up over the season’s final days.

On Base Percentage:  It’s less likely that a team will see significant changes in on-base percentage at this late point in the season, but the right combination of a hot three days by Copperfield hitters and a collapse of the Reservoir Dog batsmen could mean a point for the Coppers, as they trail the Dogs by only .0013.  Meanwhile, the Stones have a point at stake, with just a lead of .0011 over the DoorMatts in the category.

ERA:  Things really get interesting in the pitching categories, starting with ERA.  After Friday’s action just 0.02 separated the Stones, Picts, and Ruffins at the top of the category, and the Lambchops are right behind them – just 0.06 from leading the category.  By the end of the season, the Stones might have lost as many as 3 points in the category, while the Ruffins could gain 1.  If the teams end up ranked Ruffins – Picts – Lambchops - Stones, the Ruffins would narrow the gap between them and the Stones in the overall standings to just a couple points.  A little farther down the category, the Copperfields are looking to gain a point  - they trail the Reservoir Dogs by just 0.006.

WHIP:  This is another key category, with the Ruffins only 0.008 behind the Stones.  A swap in places brings the Ruffins 2 points closer to the Stones.

K/BB:  Two races to watch here – at the top of the category the Stones are only 0.07 ahead of the Ruffins, while the Copperfields lead the Lambchops by 0.003.

Quality Starts:  Very, very close here.  The Stones are just 1 QS ahead of the Copperfields and the Ruffins trail the Coppers by just 2 QS.  Much will depend on how the starting rotations sort out and which pitchers get starts in the final couple of days.  A quick check shows the Stones with possibly 3 starts (Wood, Peavy, Johnson), the Copperfields with one (Maddux), and the Ruffins with as many as 3 (Sheets, Thomson, and maybe Odalis Perez). 

Holds + Saves:  The Ruffins are 6 HoSv ahead of the Copperfields, but the Coppers loaded up on relievers for the last two days of the season.  They’re hoping that will also help them stay ahead of the Stones, who are just 4 HoSv behind.

Topper Watch

In 2005, the teams that finished in 5^th-12^th place in 2004 will receive a budget of up to .06 to use toward reacquiring players who had played out their option with the team (B-contract players). The exact amount each team receives will be based on how far behind the 5^th place team they are at the end of the year, in terms of a percentage of the 5^th place team's point total.

Based on the standings through last Thursday, here are the teams that would receive Topper Budgets for use in the 2005 Draft and the amount each team would receive:

Week Ending 10/01:  No new records were set this week.