By The Numbers: Year of the Dong
By The Numbers: Year of the Dong
By: Max Powers, Baseball Tri-Weekly
2016 was a record setting year. As the first season to see a shortened regular season by one week and the first season to see an expanded line up, it was bound to set itself apart and knock out some records. Three separate offensive statistics got new records set last year (R, HR, and RBI). 2017 is shaping up to break the mold again. While weekly records in all three of those categories got make-overs, the annual records all look to be within reach as well. Here's a complete breakdown of the annual statistical monuments which will (or won't) be broken by the end of Week 21.
RUNS
Current record set by Dublin Snake Chasers in 2016 - 870
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Las Vegas Doggs (756)
2.) Weymouth Shaddupu (752)
3.) Quebec City Piglets (722)
4.) Tijuana Hispanics (720)
The Doggs have a slight edge over Eastern Division rival Shaddupu at the moment, but really either team has a good shot at breaking the 870 mark set just the previous season. Each team is averaging about 40 runs per week and each would only need to keep with their current pace to set their names in the record books.
Likelihood of record being broken: 60% chance
HOMERUNS
Current record set by Rio de Janeiro Cristos in 2016 - 268
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Weymouth Shaddupu (261)
2.) Tokyo Omyoujis (211)
3.) Las Vegas Doggs (208)
4.) Rakeville Rockets (207)
Weymouth is looking to shatter the yearly dong marker. With 3 weeks still to go, the Poo have separated themselves from the rest of the field and even without Bryce Harper's help, will have no issues setting a new record, probably during their Week 19 match up. The only question is how far out of reach can they set the record for future generations to strive for?
Likelihood of record being broken: 100% chance
RBI
Current record set by Rio de Janeiro Cristos in 2016 - 845
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Weymouth Shaddupu (760)
2.) Las Vegas Doggs (707)
3.) Santo Domingo All-Star Factory (706)
4.) Tokyo Omyoujis (662)
With great dongs comes great RBI opportunities, and Shaddypoo has not disappointed. Sitting 53 RBI's above the next closest team, Weymouth has set their sites on another mark in the books. Averaging just over 42 RBI each week, Weymouth is set to break the record in Week 20. Pending a complete meltdown, record keepers might as well remove Rio de Janeiro completely from the offensive record books.
Likelihood of record being broken: 97% chance
STOLEN BASES
Current record set by Winston-Salem Green Monsters in 2007 - 173
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Las Vegas Doggs (114)
2.) Quebec City Piglets (106)
3.) Santo Domingo All-Star Factory (101)
4.) Tijuana Hispanics (93)
Speed has been lacking int he EHCC for the past decade. As much as these four teams have separated themselves from the rest of the field in 2017, none of them have a shot at the long standing record set by the legendary Green Monsters. Even with speedsters Billy hamilton (QC) or Dee Gordon (LV) going nuts on the base paths in the final weeks, no team will probably even break the 140 mark this season.
Likelihood of record being broken: 0% chance
BATTING AVERAGE
Current record set by Weymouth Shaddupu in 2006 - .302
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Weymouth Shaddupu (.284)
2.) Tokyo Omyoujis (.280)
3.) San Fernando Valley Jets (.270)
4.) Tijuana Hispanics (.270)
The idea a team could go a whole season hitting over .300 is so outlandish at this point it's comical. It almost seems more likely an individual player will hit a legitimate .400 in a season before an EHCC team will hit above .300. Weymouth's record is safe once again, even from themselves.
Likelihood of record being broken: 0% chance
WINS
Current record set by Rio de Janeiro Cristos in 2012 - 142
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Quebec City Piglets (101)
2.) Tijuana Hispanics (89)
3.) Tokyo Omyoujis (81)
4.) Rio de Janeiro Cristos (81)
If only Quebec City had made all those trades for those starting pitchers earlier in the season, we'd like their odds or setting a new Wins mark that much more. As it stands, they need to put up 14 wins in each of the next 3 weeks just to break the record. Unless they start streaming an extra 4 starters each week, it's not looking likely. Rio may lose two other of their annual records, but this one looks to be safe for now.
Likelihood of record being broken: 3% chance
SAVES
Current record set by Quebec City Piglets in 2011 - 143
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) San Juan Guerites (108)
2.) Tijuana Hispanics (102)
3.) Las Vegas Doggs (89)
4.) Santo Domingo All-Star Factory (86)
Tijuana looked to have a hold on the saves category (see what i did there?) for most of the season, until the bottom finally fell out and all their terrible closers started losing their jobs. In the meantime Las Vegas has played catch up and San Juan has held steady, currently leading the league. The Guerites still need 36 more to break Quebec City's 6 year record, which would mean their 4 all-star closers would need to put up 3 saves a week - each. It's not out of this world crazy, but I wouldn't but any actual money on it.
Likelihood of record being broken: 5% chance
STRIKEOUTS
Current record set by Quebec City Piglets in 2008 - 1830
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Quebec City Piglets (1530)
2.) Rakeville Rockets (1295)
3.) Weymouth Shaddupu (1284)
4.) Bridgewater Weasels (1238)
This one might be one to watch, and possibly could come down to the wire. I threw up the top 4 just as a curtesy, but really this is a one team race. The Piglets just put up a 100+ K week and if they can replicate that the final 3 weeks of the season, their finally erase the...uhh, Piglets from the record books (d'oh).
Likelihood of record being broken: 35% chance
ERA
Current record set by Dublin Snake Chasers in 2013 - 3.28
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Las Vegas Doggs (3.46)
2.) Weymouth Shaddupu (3.71)
3.) Dublin Snake Chasers (3.83)
4.) Rio de janeiro Cristos (3.93)
The Doggs, by virtue of an all-relief pitching squad, have set themselves apart in the ERA field this season. They may seem far off from the 2013 record, but with the limited innings they've put up this season (671) Las Vegas actually has an outside shot of knocking down their ERA below the 3.28 mark set by Dublin 4 years ago. The next best ERA belongs to Weymouth, and in comparison they've logged over 1200 IP. Ultimately, if the Doggs can limit themselves to 15 IP/week and not allow more than 3 earned runs per week the record can be theirs.
Likelihood of record being broken: 41% chance
WHIP
Current record set by Dublin Snake Chasers in 2013 - 1.15
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Weymouth Shaddupu (1.19)
2.) Las Vegas Doggs (1.20)
3.) Dublin Snake Chasers (1.23)
4.) Santo Domingo All-Star Factory / Tijuana Hispanics (1.27)
Though this stat seems to be the closest of the bunch, the edge still goes to the second best team simply due to innings pitched factor. Las Vegas (671 IP) can more easily adjust their overall WHIP with three good weeks than Weymouth (1214.1 IP), Dublin (1079.2 IP), Santo Domingo (1169.1 IP), or Tijuana (1365 IP) could ever hope to. The other top 5 teams will need to make big strides if they have any chance of making a dent in their team WHIP, but the Doggs need to simply need to keep with the aforementioned 45 IP limit over the course of the last 3 weeks and keep their BB+H under 19 and they could be writing themselves into the record books twice in one season.
Likelihood of record being broken: 51% chance
Highest Team Winning %
Current record set by Quebec City Piglets in 2003 - .734
Top 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) Tijuana Hispanics (.583)
2.) Weymouth Shaddupu (.581)
3.) Quebec City Piglets (.572)
4.) Las Vegas Doggs (.542)
Mathematically this record is out of reach. Thje highest winning % any team could end the season with this year is .643, and that's still if Tijuana finds a way to win 10-0 against Quebec City, Dublin, and Rio de Janeiro to end the season. This is the longest running record for a reason and it will take nothing short of a miracle to take it down, especially with the competitive nature of the EHCC only increasing from year to year.
Likelihood of record being broken: 0% chance
Lowest Team Winning %
Current record set by Arlington Warriors in 2009 - .284
'Top' 4 teams in 2017 (through Week 18)
1.) San Fernando Valley Jets (.308)
2.) Rakeville Rockets (.450)
3.) Dublin Snake Chasers (.472)
4.) Bridgewater Weasels (.472)
As much as the Highest Winning Percentage is out of reach, you'd think the Lowest Winning percentage would be equally unattainable, right. In walk the Jets. If the Jets lose out in the final 3 weeks they would end the season with a .264 winning percentage, but really all they need is to lose 25 of their final 30 possible points (which is totally within their reach as they face off against Las Vegas, Weymouth, and Rakeville to end the season). The Doggs beat the Jets 10-0 earlier in the season, back when they had starting pitching. Weymouth and Rakeville beat the Jets 6-4 and 5-3 respectively, so in essense if all three eastern division rivals built upon their earlier victories, we could see a new record holder and we could finally erase Arlington completely from the record books? Oh wait, what? They won a championship just two years prior to setting this horrendous record? In their first season in the league? Go Jets! (Can't believe I just typed that).
Likelihood of record being broken: 25% chance
Labels: By The Numbers, Dongs, Powers, Records, Tri-Weekly
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