I was feeling reflective yesterday, so I turned to the mirror and said, I bought a toothbrush, some toothpaste–Mirror, “Please don’t sing that song.”–Pajamas, a hairbrush–“Please stop, please.”–New shoes, and a case! I said to my reflection, where in my rankings did Jose Ramirez place?!–“NO MORE!” I’d figured you’d like that song. “No.” You’ve heard it before? “Shut up.” Whoa, grumpy mirror. Yet another great day from Jose Ramirez (1-for-2, 3 runs, 3 RBIs and a slam (22) and legs (10), hitting .291) is what brought about my reflection. Through a 75-second detour through that website that puts everyone’s rankings together, I found out the person who ranked Jose Ramirez the highest last year ranked him 13th overall. Then I looked at where I ranked him — jackpot in my ass! — I ranked him 13th overall. I was the highest on Jo-Ram. By the by, someone ranked Jo-Ram around 130th overall. That person should quit this fake business. Bonus if it’s Clara Bell. In my rankings, I even said I wanted to rank Ramirez 12th, but wanted to separate Lindor and him. Sadly, I didn’t draft Jo-Ram anywhere, because I drafted Lindor everywhere, and, by the time the draft came back to me, Jo-Ram was gone. This was a fun trip down memory lane. Unlike when Memory Lane intersects with Cody Bellinger. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Corey Kluber – 7 IP, 0 ER, 1 hit, 1 walk, 7 Ks, ERA at 2.10. The funniest thing about yesterday’s game (extremely unfunny), Kluber didn’t even look like he was bringing his A game. He was throwing 86 MPH slide-pieces with shrug emojis and the White Sox were removing their batting gloves on two-strike counts like, “Okay, this is unfair, game under protest, no one can hit that shizz.”
Jason Kipnis – 1-for-5, 3 RBIs and his 6th homer, and his 2nd homer in the last three games. When I dropped that Odortross from my teams, I nearly grabbed Kipnis, and might still. He has been schmotato’ing (.333 in last week).
Brandon Morrow – Hit the DL with a sore lower back, which I presumed here after reading shizz elsewhere. I grabbed Steve Cishek. I tried to go Pedro Strop too, because I’m a save vulture and it’s a disease that causes me to spit up my food with stomach acid and re-digest my regurgitation while taking in saves. Justin Wilson could even get 9th inning looks, but I didn’t go that far. That is a SAGNOF too far for even me. Alec Guinness in The Bridge Over The River ‘My Closer’s Down, Why?’ would say, “Show some dignity and grab a reliever!”
Jon Lester – 7 IP, 0 ER, 8 baserunners, 1 K, ERA at 2.10. Great, fabulous, adjective, but Lester has one job as far as I’m concerned, since I don’t own him, and that’s to allow steals! Nary a steal yesterday by the Dodgers. P to the fft.
Kyle Schwarber – 1-for-3 and his 14th homer, and 2nd homer in as many games. Also, it was the 2nd day in a row Joe Buck asked his mom to stop at a highway rest stop for “seven minutes in heaven.”
Franchy Cordero – Bone spur in his elbow and might need surgery. Franch toast.
Wil Myers – Could return this weekend. He called a fantasy owner to let him know how he was doing and the owner replied, “New phone, who dis?”
Joey Lucchesi – 1 2/3 IP, 4 ER, ERA up to 3.86, as he was activated from the DL. Guess picking him up for this start was not the move. *paints self to look like traffic cone, volunteers to work the parallel parking portion of the driving test* I didn’t even know that many runs allowed were allowed in Petco. Have rules changed? I’m assuming he’s not healthy and will be back on the DL any moment now.
Christian Villanueva – 2-for-4 and his 16th homer, hitting .228. “Are those smelling salts you’re curing that salmon with?” “Yes, for Villanueva.” “Well, it worked! You un-lox’d him!”
Franklin Barreto – 2-for-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his 1st homer. He was rarely starting, but with Chapman out, Jed Lowrie (2-for-5, 2 RBIs, 11th homer) has moved to 3rd and Barreto has started playing at 2nd. Either way, that’s Situation: Fra-Bar.
Matt Olson – 2-for-3, 3 runs, 2 RBIs and his 15th homer, hitting .237. Can’t believe Allahson has out-performed Rhysus so far. Though, Carpenter has picked up some slack on the vague religious allusion front. Guess we also still have the Greek God of Hard Contact who wears Nike.
Mark Canha – 1-for-5 and his 9th homer, and his 2nd homer in his last three games. Canha isn’t just a verb for laughter, but could be a hot schmotato.
Frankie Montas – 6 2/3 Ip, 1 ER, 8 baserunners, 6 Ks, ERA at 2.41. Nope, don’t fully buy it, however (we’re turning this ship!), the Stream-o-Nator loves his next start, and Montas has shown enough to trust him in a favorable matchup.
Ryan Braun – Out a few days after undergoing cryotherapy on his thumb. You know those awful desserts at Italian restaurants that are sorbet inside of a fruit? Well, Braun has that but as a thumb.
Jonathan Loaisiga – 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, ERA at 3.12. Johnny Lasagna forced the Yanks to go to the penne early when his cheese turned out to be flat meatballs on the plate. In most leagues, you can move on, though the Stream-o-Nator likes his next start, so I’m gonna stick around in a deeper league. Like Baby Jessica, wish me well.
Gary Sanchez – 2-for-3, 2 RBIs and his 14th homer, hitting .197. I hate, hate, hurve catchers, but, c’mon, Sanchez is obviously not this bad. He’s likely about to go off.
Giancarlo Stanton – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 18th homer, hitting .255. Sometimes I sing Lady Marmalade to a poster of Giancarlo, “Caramel mocha Giancarlo ya ya (oh yea)!”
Nolan Arenado – 2-for-4, 2 runs and his 15th homer, and 2nd homer in as many games. Grandpa, I found a letter you wrote to grandma during WWII, before I read it to you on your death bed for your last special moment, let me carelessly air dry it by a window–NOOOO!!! Torenado!!!
Noah Syndergaard – Nearing mound work. Hope he has his Local 606 member card. The grounds crew union is very exclusive.
Dominic Smith – 3-for-5, 2 runs. He took over left field because Bruce is hurt and the Mets thought a guy who never played left before would be fun out there. Smith is around that of a 12-homer, .235 hitter, so an upgrade on Bruce.
Sam Dyson – 2/3 IP, 2 ER and Reyes Moronta got the 1/3 IP save, when we learned a few things about Dyson: he’s a Cuddle Boy, he’s a gingerbeard, he’s likely no longer the closer, and I hope he dresses up next Halloween as a door at a party with Hunter Strickland. I always get major FOMO when new closers are appointed, and most of the time it ends up burning me when I grab the first guy who the managers say is closing. I’d guess now it’s Tony Watson, Mark Melancon, Will Smith or, maybe even Reyes Moronta for the next save. I’d grab them in that order. And, yes, Bruce “El Grande Cabeza” Bochy may even try Dyson again.
Jose Altuve – 3-for-4 and his 6th and 7th homer, hitting .347. Pretty much what I said for Gary Sanchez, but Altuve’s not hitting for a bad average, his power’s just been down. Not ironic, even though he is 4’11”. He’ll get hot for power; guys and five girl readers, players are who they are, until they prove they’re not.
Alex Bregman – 1-for-4 and his 11th homer, hitting .268. In the same vein of thought as Altuve, Bregman has yet prove he’s a 20+ homer hitter.
Max Kepler – 1-for-3, 2 RBIs and his 8th homer, hitting .226. Member when I called Kepler a sleeper two years ago? I meant it as in he’ll put you to sleep. You need to read for my intention, not the words.
Michael Wacha – Left yesterday’s extremely mediocre start with an oblique strain. Might be good for him to have a few weeks off to come back correct, unless he returns to face the Cubs, then don’t come back until the start after that. Also, don’t want him to miss months with this injury like Robbie Ray. Okay, so some caveats.
Yadier Molina – 2-for-3, 3 RBIs and his 8th and 9th homer, and 2nd and 3rd homer in the last three games. Yadda, yadda, Yadier.
Cesar Hernandez – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 8th homer. Cesar hit that ball TOGA! No? Okay.
Odubel Herrera – 3-for-4 and his 12th homer, and his 4th straight game with a homer, and fifth homer in six games. I’ll get to the ODB lyric drop, but I watched Odubel’s at-bats and he is so locked in that Tony Curtis playing Houdini couldn’t get him out. Ooh, baby, he likes it raw! Now give him a pitch so he can hit it away, off a fastball or change, Bon Voyage!
Adam Morgan – 2/3 IP, 0 ER, ERA at 4.50, and his 1st save. It means nothing because Seranthony had worked too many previous games, or it means everything and Kapler has settled on a lefty with a career 5.07 ERA as his closer. Not even sure this would be the fifth wackiest thing Kapler did this year.
J.A. Happ – 8 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 3.56 (with a battered Tepera giving up two inherited runs to lessen Happ’s glory). We’re not here to talk about the time Prospector Ralph said Ohtani would be more valuable than Happ. I’m not going to mention that all year, every time I mention Happ. I just want to say Happ is pitching like a top 20 starter. ERA be damned.
Kendrys Morales – 2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs and his 6th homer. I’d love to sit here and tell you I made a Kendrys batty call because I can choose hitters off waivers without a sentient, horny, grabby-handed robot like the Hitter-Tron, but it’s not true. Thank you, you horny robot!
Kurt Suzuki – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 8th homer, hitting .281. Yesterday, frequent commenter, Fred Garvin MP said, “I’ve been meaning to ask you: do you sing Kurt Suzuki’s name to the tune of 2 Live Crew’s “Pop that C**chie?”
Peter Bourjos – 1-for-3 and his 1st homer. You wanted the Braves to test my theory from yesterday that they could get production from anyone they put in the outfield? Well, eat a carrot, you horses who were saying nay.
Austin Bibens-Dirkx – 6 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners, 0 Ks, ERA at 4.58. Also, in this game, Isiah Kiner-Falefa (1-for-4) caught him, which was the first time two hyphenated names were a pitching-catching battery since Courtney Thorne-Smith caught Daniel Day-Lewis in a celebrity softball game at a Wal-Mart parking lot, which aired on VH-1.
Rougned Odor – 2-for-3 and his 2nd homer. HAHAHAHAHAHA–Breathe, Grey, breathe! We’re losing him! *eyes roll back in head* I think I’ll feel better if I just sit down. OH MY GOD, I AM SITTING!!!
Mike Moustakas – 1-for-4 and his 14th homer. Moistasskiss!
Jakob Junis – 6 IP, 3 ER, 9 baserunners (4 BBs), 4 Ks, ERA at 4.43. Been super yawnstipating in the last three starts, two starts that should’ve produced better results. His next start isn’t terrible, assuming he avoids the guy named after a fish, so I might hold him in the deeper league, where I own him, but I could see moving on in shallower leagues.
Jeimer Candelario – 2-for-3 and his 11th homer, hitting .252. As great as my Kendrys batty call was — thanks again, HT! — I did drop Jeimer earlier this week, which left the spot in my lineup. I had dropped Jeimer because, woof, he’s been terrible recently. That’s not a good woof either like every woof that’s ever come from a dog. I love dogs, y’all. I’d be a crazy dog person with 17 of them if circumstances allowed. I see a dog picture on social media and I’m slamming that Like no matter who’s posting it.
Niko Goodrum – 1-for-4 and his 7th homer, hitting .248. I wouldn’t say Goodrum is top shelf.
Tyler Mahle – 6 IP, 2 ER, 9 baserunners (4 BBs), 8 Ks, ERA at 3.89. Stream-o-Nator loved this start yesterday, and hates his next one, so if you grabbed him, stream on, streamer.
Scooter Gennett – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 13th homer, hitting .336. He’s definitely cooled off in June. Ya know, he’s only hitting .320 on the month.
Eugenio Suarez – 1-for-4 and his 15th homer, hitting .295. Oh, and in case you forgot, he’s putting up these stats in a season when he fractured his thumb. Whoever peed on Eugenio’s thumb to make it so strong — Moises Alou? A unicorn? A lifeguard thinking it was a jellyfish sting? — get them to pee on anyone else who has hand problems ever. Rich Hill, stick your hand through that glory hole!
Rougie the Lougie finally hocked up a HR ball! He needs to go out on the town more often with Mendez.
@TraderBro: Haha
holy crap, i hadn’t looked at rosterresource on TB’s pitchers in a while now. they’re up to 60% bullpen starts. i’ve been saying for years (at least to myself mostly) that this is how optimal pitching staffs would be run. nobody EVER has to go through a lineup 3 times. you just have a HUGE (11 man) bullpen and in this case 2 starters (right now eovaldi/snell). yarbrough and some others maybe do the more standard 5 or so innings some of the time, but mostly not. this is pretty much exactly how we’d run our staffs in NES baseball games like baseball simultor 1000 way back too.
– on the “kevin from espn” bit i thought there actually WAS a guy doing something that inane, as i never followed espn/yahoo’s “advice”. admittedly i DID for football years and years ago (their weekly rankings and that bald stooge guy’s posts about guys he loved or hated weekly) but never for baseball, i went right from ron shandler’s yearly book to here (got lucky on that one). the shandler book (no matter whether HE himself cares or competes anymore) is still a good resource year in and year out as well. only issue is it comes out too many months early, but it’s about player skills (not roles) so it is still good.
@Super Terrific Carpal Tunnel Virusy Box vs Mail Robot (who wins): I’ve never read his book, his yearly finishes in ‘pert leagues tho…well…
@Grey: yeah i’ve heard you mention that for years now he does extremely badly. one of those “better teacher than player” situations. i’d GUESS (don’t know this) he simply spends very little time on those rosters at this stage, and only stays in them at all to further promote his book and website (baseball HQ). THOSE are useful though. that book was (from what i read) the FIRST useful fantasy yearly strategy book though and has been coming out since we were little kids (you too, yr slightly older than me). the info in it is NOT outdated crap though. it goes into very deep detail about player skills as use for pronosticating performances. i’m sure rudy’s seen his books and is aware of them.
Yeah, Rudy’s read them (I think)
@Grey: i’d venture to guess that back in the late 90’s (or roundabouts when youse guys were in college and getting into this stuff if my timeline is right) rudy was very much into those. and baseball HQ in some ways attempts to do what rudy’s bots do now. back in those days nobody else was close to this.
Yeah, I’m sure too
@Super Terrific Carpal Tunnel Virusy Box vs Mail Robot (who wins): I get Baseball HQ every year. I find it useful as a 2nd opinion to my Steamer-based projections.
Grey!
Great write-up!
Swamped today so…Mark Twain quote of the day for June 21
Young Man: There is one thing which bothers me: I can’t tell where you draw the line between material covetousness and spiritual covetousness.
Old Man: I don’t draw any.
Young Man: How do you mean?
Old Man: There is no such thing as material covetousness. All covetousness is spiritual.
Young Man: All longings, desires, ambitions spiritual, never material?
Old Man: Yes. The Master in you requires that in all cases you shall content his spirit –that alone. He never requires anything else, he never interests himself in any other matter.
Young Man: Ah, come! When he covets somebody’s money–isn’t that rather distinctly material and gross?
Old Man: No. The money is merely a symbol–it represents in visible and concrete form a spiritual desire. Any so-called material thing that you want is merely a symbol: you want it not for itself, but because it will content your spirit for the moment.
Young Man: Please particularize.
Old Man: Very well. Maybe the thing longed for is a new hat. You get it and your vanity is pleased, your spirit contented. Suppose your friends deride the hat, make fun of it: at once it loses its value; you are ashamed of it, you put it out of your sight, you never want to see it
again.
Young Man: I think I see. Go on.
Old Man: It is the same hat, isn’t it? It is in no way altered. But it wasn’t the hat you wanted, but only what it stood for–a something to please and content your spirit. When it failed of that, the whole of its value was gone. There are no material values; there are only
spiritual ones. You will hunt in vain for a material value that is actual, real–there is no such thing. The only value it possesses, for even a moment, is the spiritual value back of it: remove that end and it is at once worthless–like the hat.
Young Man: Can you extend that to money?
Old Man: Yes. It is merely a symbol, it has no material value; you think you desire it for its own sake, but it is not so. You desire it for the spiritual content it will bring; if it fail of that, you discover that its value is gone. There is that pathetic tale of the man who labored like a slave, unresting, unsatisfied, until he had accumulated a fortune, and was happy over it, jubilant about it; then in a single week a pestilence swept away all whom he held dear and left him desolate. His money’s value was gone. He realized that his joy in it came not from the money itself, but from the spiritual contentment he got out of his family’s enjoyment of the pleasures and delights it lavished upon them. Money has no material value; if you remove its spiritual value nothing is left but dross. It is so with all things, little or big, majestic
or trivial–there are no exceptions. Crowns, scepters, pennies, paste jewels, village notoriety, world-wide fame–they are all the same, they have no material value: while they content the spirit they are precious, when this fails they are worthless.
Cheers,
Ante
@Ante GALIC: Hope you make it out of the swamp!
@Grey: Grey!!
Made it, man! There will be a new one tomorrow, no doubt!
Question? In a 5X5 RCL where you need wins, ERA, would you start Suter tonight at home versus STL (C-Mart)?
Cheers,
Ante
I’m starting Suter, but not in an RCL
Maybe one day Niko Goodrum will face Captain Adam Morgan — might just be the most yawnstipating boozy hookup of all time.
@Manley Ramirez: Haha
Who should I roster. Hamels, rich hill, Alex wood or mike Montgomery
@Aardvark: Hill
I’m trying my damndest to sell Carlos Martinez in a league where my other SPs are: Bauer, McCullers, Archer (DL), Musgrove, Maeda, Bundy, Domingo German, Johnny Lasagna (streamer), and Mahle (streamer).
I was going to offer up Martinez/Bellinger for Blackmon. My outfield is: Harper/Springer/Mazara/Braun/Conforto.
Too much? Not enough? Should I try and get better pitching? Blackmon’s owner has the worst pitching staff in the league.
@Marty Jannetty_Was Set Up:
I wouldnt trade C-Mart, youre pitching isnt deep enough. Lol dont sell low on that guy as you will regret. Bench him if anything.
Btw, belinger/cmart for Blackmon is fair but too much.
@Rudboy: ‘preciate the input man!
@Marty Jannetty_Was Set Up: Sounds fairish, maybe a bit much if Bellinger ever finds himself
@Grey: I feel you brother. As of now Im locked in a 4 way tie for first…with a 4 way tie for 2nd, and the other 4 teams have strong rosters. Unreal parity in this league this year (I think my league mates found Razzball!). All in a h2h points league fwiw.
I’m in a situation where if I dont win out my h2h matchups at around a .700 clip I could realistically miss the playoffs/payout.
I’ve been experiencing about a 2:1 ratio on streaming W’s, and have been riding the weekly pitching planner hard (Thanks Rudy!) so an “ace” doesnt necessarily mean as much as 1 solid bat that plays every day and can take advantage of this leagues bonuses for doubles, trips, and Homer’s.
Thanks for all you do brotherman!
No problem, good luck!
Not getting many bites at all on Bellinger, despite being $3 in my keep forever 12 teamer. Would you flip for a nonkeeper ($33) Kershaw 1:1? I assume not, but I have no idea what Bellinger’s value is anymore…he’s getting benched for Muncy!
@Duda Want to Build a Snowman?: Nah, he’ll come around at some point, $3 is a great price
@Duda Want to Build a Snowman?: Idk why you wouldn’t just hold him in a keeper. $3!
@Cram It: Thanks guys. Yeah, flags fly forever, but the value / upside is too great.
Short term funny anecdote . . . I benched him for Muncy this week in a weekly league and so far it worked out. Obviously just playing the hot hand, of course (not a permanent thing).
@Duda Want to Build a Snowman?: That’s how you do it! Bellinger’s been garbage, but again, in a keeper, you can’t just give him away over that.
@Cram It: Here here! Muncy and Nimmo have been godsends while I wait for Bellinger / Harper to heat up + Acuna to return.
@Duda Want to Build a Snowman?: Yeah, I hear ya
You get a ton of credit for Jo-Ram and Bauer. You were incredibly higher than anyone else in the industry on both. Great calls! You also championed Logic who I couldn’t get into but Jo-Ram and Bauer more than make up for it!
C-Mart is a definite sit @ MIl, right? Streamonator doesn’t hate it but i cant see myself pulling the trigger until he gets his control back… if ever.
We usually have 10-15 GOT references by this time in the season. F HBO for this hold up. What are you currently watching?
@J-Hov: In my H2H I think I’m hesitantly starting him. But in a points league he would be benched.
@Marty Jannetty_Was Set Up:
I wouldnt trade C-Mart, youre pitching isnt deep enough. Lol dont sell low on that guy as you will regret. Bench him if anything.
Btw, belinger/cmart for Blackmon is fair but too much.
@J-Hov: Haha, I like Logic, haven’t listened to him in a while, so not the biggest fan… Not sure I even listened to his last album… Did you watch Gomorra on Netflix? It was dope, but subtitled… I like Expanse, but it’s sci-fi which isn’t everyone’s bag… Also watched Goliath… Don’t think you can start C-Mart right now
@Grey:
Goliath looks cool, i’ll Check that. My wife started Downtown Abbey so have been stuck with it for a month. Thanks Grey!
Tell her in the end they can’t figure out which fork to use, and move on
Morning Grey,
So is Lucchesi flat out droppable now or still worth a hold?
Cheers!
@Dancin Homer: Depends on league, prolly drop
@Grey: 12-team, but deep benches.
Thanks again
Can drop him
Tomorrow:
Start
CC @ TB
or
Bieber @ Det
SON has a stellar projection for Bieber but as you know, Bieber has been less than stellar.
11 IP. Been okish I guess
@Joel: CC
Grey
You are always on your funny game, but this week you’ve been in a zone. I cant remember a week where I have spit up my morning coffee so much while reading your whimsy observations. This week you’ve gone from being a perennial all star to a hall of famer. Thanks for both the advice and entertainment.
I have offered my Goldy and Andujar for Treat Urner and Hoskins…The other owner said he would sleep on it. I am guessing you like the Hoskins side but am asking to make sure.
I am also guessing that he will come back to me today and counter by asking for K Bryant instead of Andujar. If Im guessing correctly on his counter, which side would win Goldy/ Bryant or Trea and Rhys….one note. the 6 cats for this roto league are your standard five plus OBP. ( part of the reason I hesitate to part with both Goldy and Bryant, in standard 5 cat leagues I probably would take it without asking for help )
As always, thanks in advance.
@Ace of Spades: Ha, thanks! Trea side in first trade, Bryant side in 2nd
Happ’s 2 run 9thmare really makes the case for why quality starts are poorly designed. A guy can allow 3 over 6 innings, but that 4th run in 8+ innings disqualifies Happ, even though his in-game ERA was below 4.50. I have so much hatred in my heart over that inning that it inspired the term “9thmare” and made me realize that I just might have too much emotional investment in baseball math results.
As for an engaging question, if you could only stash (!) 1 pitcher currently on the DL that probably won’t be back before the all star break, who is that pitcher would going to be named?
@Fanciful Basesball: I don’t like roto leagues that do QS ONLY. And I don’t like Ws ONLY either. But this is my first time in a league that counts both QS and Ws as separate roto cats and I’m pretty sure that it is the best I’ve felt about both categories. I’ll be pushing for that in all roto leagues that I play in next year.
Also, I’d say Yu or Strasburg…? I dunno. Who is available?
@Fanciful Basesball: Agreed on the QS, it’s flawed too… Agree with knucks, who’s available?
Hey Grey,
8 Team H2H point league. Dynasty league where each team keeps 15 players every year. Would you trade Corbin to get Benintendi? Each week, every team only gets 7 starts from their SP’s. If I lose Corbin, I’m left with Severino, Nola, Snell, McCullers, Wacha, Aaron Sanchez and Alex Wood. Thanks.
@Schwab: Yes
what really needs to happen is MLB has to change the rule for awarding wins. i’m thinking it should be something along the lines of if a starting pitcher goes the requisite 5 innings and leaves with the lead, no matter how many times the bullpen blows the lead the win automatically reverts back to the starter that left with the lead. In those circumstances where a starter has pitched the required 5 innings in order to qualify for a W and has left the game with the lead can a reliever be awarded a W. No more of the ridiculous lines of 1/3 IP 3 ER and a W for relievers.
I like that, but vulture wins in fantasy are one of the funniest things to get — love the random win from one of my MRs
I agree, love it when my guys get those vulture wins and hate it when my competitors do. Still think it’s an awful system. In my system you could still pick up a vulture win although they would be a lot rarer. starter goes five innings and leaves in a tie game, win goes to the next pitcher of the winning team that finishes an inning with the lead. or starter doesn’t make the five same rule applies.