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October 4

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

Free Agent Bids and Waiver Claims

The Polls Are Now Open

Ok, enough preliminaries – the voting booth is now open, and will remain open until Noon on Wednesday October 20. To submit your ballot go to:

Banquet Plans

Barring any unforeseen obstacles, the 2004 CFCL Awards Banquet will be on the evening of Saturday October 30. Before we select a spot, I’ll need to go back to the survey results and take a look at preferences for location, etc., so information about the time and place will be forthcoming. It sounds like we’ll have a pretty good turnout on the 30^th, though.

Winter Waivers

The lists of 23 keepers for Winter Roster must be submitted via e-mail or telephone (or both) by 4:00 PM on Friday, October 22.

2004 Season Wrap-Up

"And now we know why the team is called the Stones. Wow. You have definitely set the tone for this coming season." - Nick Hansen - General Manager, Nick's Picts, April 9, 2004

When the 2004 CFCL Champions Steve's Stones acquired Milton Bradley on April 10, they served notice to the CFCL that they meant to contend in 2004 and never looked back.

The second place David's Copperfields started slowly and found themselves in 6th place, 28 points out of 1st at the beginning of June. Over the next couple months, they climbed steadily and by the beginning of August were only 3 points out of the lead. Their trading deadline acquisition of Carlos Beltran was a bold move (by virtue of Beltran's .52 contract, guaranteed for 2005), but Beltran's combination of plate patience, power, and speed helped give the Copperfields the CFCL's top offense. Their pitching stumbled though, and they fell short of the Stones and finished just barely ahead of the third place Ruffins.

Like the Stones, David's Ruffins were hit hard by injuries in 2004. Their offense was especially affected, with Carl Everett, Preston Wilson, Jose Reyes, and Sammy Sosa all missing significant time. The Ruffins used free agents and Reserve List reinforcements to bridge the gap until the wounded returned, fortified the forces with some key acquisitions via trades, and stayed in contention until the season's final days. The Ruffin pitching, a strength all season long, faltered ever so slightly in the last weeks of the season and they finished in third place only by virtue of an extra earned run or two.

Da Paul Meisters spent much of the season a top the standings. But while most of the other contenders scrambled to pull off multiple trades, the Meisters stood pat until they acquired Chipper Jones at the trade deadline. By that time, though, the Stones had passed the Meisters, and by the end of August the Copperfields and Ruffins had followed suit. The Meisters finished the season in fourth place; their first money finish since 1999.

After back-to-back Championships in 2002 and 2003, Eric's Lambchops fell short in their bid to become only the second CFCL franchise to three-peat. The Chops struggled to rise among the top three teams in the standings, but they made a valiant attempt at contending, but struggled to rise to among the top 3 teams. Even when they were in 5th place, 25 points out first on June 26, the Chops sent a jolt through the CFCL with their .52 winning bid on free agent Carlos Beltran. While that move wasn't enough to bring the Lambchops to a money spot, it did secure their standing in 5th place - so much so that they were later able to deal Beltran with an eye towards 2005 without dropping in the standings.

From a team trying to three-peat as CFCL Champions, we move to a team trying to AVOID three-peating as league doormatts. After finishing in last place in 2002 and 2003, Nick's Picts returned to where they finished in 2001 - 6th place. The Picts had a strong season, and made a legitimate run at their first money finish before fading a bit in the second half.

The next three teams finished within 3.5 points of each other. At one time or the other each one of the trio lead the pack. Dem Rebels and the Reservoir Dogs entered the final week of the season tied, and during the season's last two days, Dem Rebels pulled ahead and finished in 7th place, after making a concerted effort to maximize their Topper Budget for 2005. Edged by the Rebels, the Reservoir Dogs ended up in 8th place, while the DoorMatts dropped to 9th.

Teddy's Splendid Splinters were one of the CFCL's two new franchises in 2004, brought in to replace two departing teams. They hovered near the middle of the standings for much of the season and owned one of the CFCL's most productive offenses. A mid-season rebuilding effort, during which they stocked up on low-priced keepers and minor leaguers, hurt their production and dropped them to 10th place.

Hot Sludge Sundae, the re-christened Matt's Hard Hats, struggled right out of the gate. Injuries to their star pitching duo of Mark Prior and Josh Beckett didn't help matters, and last place belonged to the Sludge right from the beginning of the season. At times, they were more than 30 points behind the 11th place team. During the last week of the season, though, powered by a healthy Prior, the Sludge was able to sneak past By Kennen and move into 11th, where they finished the season.

That late-season surge by the Sludge came as a shock to the second replacement franchise By Kennen, who justifiably thought they were safe from falling into last place. Kennen lingered in the bottom third of the standings for most of the season and by early July had settled comfortably into 11th place. The decision to trade off their high-salary and final contract year players , combined with the Prior's return to dominance for the Sludge, dropped By Kennen into the cellar during the season's final week. Kennen was able to secure a number of promising young pitchers, which bodes well for their future.

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.