May 22, 2003
How Offensive!
Can the Kansas City Royals be stopped?  It's looking less and less possible.  The Royals have won 8 of their last 10 with an offense that leads the league in almost every catagory.  They average at least a run per game more than every other team except Arizona.  With the exception of catcher, they could field a team whose worst hitter was batting .293.  The fourth worst ERA in the league seems to be their only weakness right now.  May 22 Box Scores

May 21, 2003
Shortstop Swapmeet
The first trade of the season was between Anaheim and the Yankees, two teams who have struggled so far.  Anaheim, with A-Rod at short, had no need for Derek Jeter and sent him packing to New York for shortstop Jimmy Rollins, CF Chris Singleton and  2B Luis Rivas.  League stats and player status have been updated through yesterday's games. Also check out the boxes from the last 2 days.  May 20 Box Scores, May 21 Box Scores

May 19, 2003
Winds of Change
Over the last week, several teams have been moving in opposite directions.  The once mighty St. Louis Cardinals are in a major tailspin, losing 5 of 6 this past week and falling out of first.  In the AL West, Oakland is finally making a move and Kansas City, currently the most potent offense in the FJBL strung together 8 consecutive victories before finally losing today.  Philadelphia is also trying to make a move, winning 5 of 6 this week, but those pesky Reds refuse to give up first place.  May 13 Box Scores, May 14 Box Scores, May 15 Box Scores, May 16 Box Scores, May 17 Box Scores, May 18 Box Scores, May 19 Box Scores

May 12, 2003
Player Stats Posted
For those of you in this league who don't have a copy of Diamond Mind Baseball, or the current season disk, or if you "accidentally" erased your copy from your computer (Dave!), the 2003 Real-Life stats of all FJBL players is now available on the website.  Just scroll down this page and click on "2003 FJBL Player Real Life Stats" to view them. Also check out the boxes from the last 2 days.  May 11 Box Scores, May 12 Box Scores

May 10, 2003
NL Domination?
There has been much talk early in the season about the superiority of teams playing in the National League.  AL teams took exception to those statements today, nearly sweeping every game.  Only a 4-hitter by Mark Prior kept the Phillies from being a victim of the AL's wrath.   May 10 Box Scores

May 9, 2003
Oh! My aching back!
The Cleveland clubhouse looks like an episode from the TV series "ER".  In the last week, the Indians have had 6 players land in the infirmary, including Eli Marrero, who tried to duke it out with some tough Texans in Houston today.  In all, 4 players donated to the Red Cross today for the Indians .   May 8 Box Scores, May 9 Box Scores

May 7, 2003
What's that Smell?
It could be Colon.  As in Bartolo Colon, who threw a 3-hit shutout for Houston today.  Or it could be the smell of smoke.  Smoke from the Cincinnati Reds, who are burning up the standings, having won 8 games in a row.  May 7 Box Scores

May 6, 2003
Cleveland Cruises
What is in the water in Cleveland?  While getting another stellar performance from ERA leader Sidney Ponson, the Indians erupted for 8 runs, including 3 homers in the last two innings to beat the Yankees, 11-2, to stay a step ahead of the surging Blue Jays.  May 6 Box Scores

May 5, 2003
Atlanta Rising
Tim Hudson fired on all cylinders with a complete game shutout and Raphael Palmiero provided all the offense Atlanta needed as they beat up on the "Hitless Wonders" known as the Phillies. Oakland was also shut out today.  May 5 Box Scores

May 4, 2003
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!
While turnout was only a little better than a mayoral primary, more owners and assistants did vote in the May Power Rankings than in the pre-season.  Now that teams are actually in action, major shuffling occurred in the voting results.   May 2 Box Scores, May 3 Box Scores, May 4 Box Scores, May Power Rankings.

May 1, 2003
All Quiet On April's Front
The FJBL concluded its April schedule with an eerie quiet on the league's trade front.  "Frankly," Commissioner Dave Myers said, "I'm stunned by the total lack of activity on the trade front.  It's a rare month that sees not a single trade in the FJBL.  We haven't had one since March 2nd.  Don't know if it is good or bad, but it certainly is an oddity."   April 28 Box Scores, April 29 Box Scores, April 30 Box Scores, May 1 Box Scores.

April 27, 2003
Birds Brained
Troy Glaus went 2-for-3 with 2 home runs, a walk, and 5 RBI's as the White Sox pummeled the Orioles and C.C. Sabathia for 7 runs in an inning and 2/3.  It got so bad, the Sox pulled such stars as Glaus, Ichiro and Vlad Guerrero to ease up on the hapless birds.  April 27 Box Scores.

April 26, 2003
Brave New World
Brad Radke threw a 5-hit shutout for Atlanta today, facing only 31 Astros.  The much needed win is only the fifth of the year for the struggling Braves, who almost won the NL East last year.  April 26 Box Scores.

April 25, 2003
(In)Complete Domination
Russ Ortiz pitched a 4-hit shutout for Cleveland today, one of 4 complete games for the day.  Roy Oswalt also threw 9 innings for Toronto's win in KC.  Rodrigo Lopez lost that game, despite going the distance.  But, the toughest break went to Milwaukee's Randy Johnson, who threw a complete game 2-hitter and lost 2-0 to Philadelphia.  April 25 Box Scores.

April 24, 2003
Ohka OK
Tomo Okha moved to 3-0 on the year with a 6-hit complete game victory over Houston.  Okha retired the first 13 batters he faced and held a shutout until Steve Finley singled with 2 out in the 9th.  The win pulled the Reds even with the Phillies in the NL East.  April 24 Box Scores.

April 23, 2003
Slugfest
It was Home Run Derby time north of the border.  Mike Lowell hit 2 out for the Cubs in Toronto.  Not to be outdone, Chris Woodward and Torii Hunter matched Lowell, while Jose Vidro added his own blast.  When the dust settled, Toronto was on top 13-6.   April 23 Box Scores.

April 22, 2003
Bagwell, Abreu Lift Surging Yanks
The revamped New York Yankees struggled in spring training, but have found themselves over the past week and a half.  New York defeated Atlanta behind homers from Jeff Bagwell and Bobby Abreu, lifting their record to 9-8 and second place in the AL East.   April 22 Box Scores.

April 21, 2003
Growth Spurts
It's early, but some FJBL teams appear to be making strides after struggling in 2002.  On the upswing thus far?  The Astros, White Sox, and Yankees.  Struggling?  The Braves, Athletics, and Blue Jays.  April 21 Box Scores.

April 20, 2003
All Positives
The NL West continues to dominate play.  All four teams remain above the .500 mark with no worse than even runs for/against differentials.  April 19 Box Scores.  April 20 Box Scores.

April 17, 2003
Birds of a Different Feather
It took another bird to finally stop the Redbirds.  The Orioles, treading water in the AL East, got the first victory over St. Louis this season.  Despite what "experts" call a mediocre roster, St. Louis is now 11-1 on the year.  April 15 Box Scores, April 16 Box Scores and April 17 Box Scores. Also check out the Pre-Season Power Rankings.

April 13, 2003
Unflappable
The St. Louis Cardinals are on a roll.  Despite Mark Prior striking out 12 Redbirds, the Cardinals continued to mirror last year's team.  The rest of the league was given a break on Monday - the Redbirds had an off day.  April 13 Box Scores and April 14 Box Scores.

April 12, 2003
Running Wild 
If you liked seeing runs scored, then you loved today. There were an even dozen half innings with 4 or more runs scored.  4 runs is more than half the teams in the FJBL even scored today.  While Toronto beat Oakland in a 10 inning pitcher's duel, Atlanta scored as many runs as those two combined in the 8th inning.  Unfortunately, Atlanta was up against Arizona, who put up 3 such innings   April 12 Box Scores.

April 11, 2003
Williams 2-Hitter Gives Cubs a Lift Victories have been rare for the Cubs in the early season, but Woody Williams gave them a lift.  Williams tossed a 2-hitter and struck out seven leading the Cubs to an 8-0 win in Houston.  In other action, the St Louis Cardinals remained the league's only unbeaten squad.  April 10 Box Scores and April 11 Box Scores.

April 10, 2003
Unblemished
The most surprising result five games into the 2003 FJBL season is the league's last two undefeated teams.  Perennial powers Cleveland and St Louis, both expected to suffer down years, have scratched their way to 5-0 starts.  St Louis has needed every win to remain a game up on second place Arizona.  Cleveland's effort has yielded them a 3 game margin over 2nd place New York and Baltimore.  2002 Champ Toronto, at 1-4, has stumbled out of the blocks, while the Reds continue to seek their first victory. April 8 Box Scores and April 9 Box Scores.

April 8, 2003
Run Reduction
 The question being asked in the National League East today is "How can I get my team to score?".  The Cubs, Braves, and Reds all finished their first series of the new year having scored just 4 runs a piece in three games.  You can't win that way.  Only the Cubs won a game in that stretch, signifying the dominance the NL West displayed last year is still firmly entrenched.  The Phillies, who managed a modest 13 runs, lead the division.   April 6 Box Scores and April 7 Box Scores.

April 7, 2003
Welcome to Opening Day
The sixteen FJBL teams put their big guns on the mound today to start the 2003 season.  For the NL West, it was a booming beginning, as every team was victorious.  Their counterparts in the East, lost them all of course.  Time to pull out your pens and start projecting season stats - after all, we're 1/162nd of the way through the season.  Best offensive effort goes to Bonds and Kent for the DBacks.  Best Pitching effort goes to Bartolo Colon, playing with his new Astros teammates.  April 5 Box Scores.

April 1, 2003
Astros Add Ace Colon to Staff
The Houston Astros boldly moved into contention in the National League West with two trades over the past week, the biggest bringing pitcher Bartolo Colon to Houston.  Houston GM Tom Wachter sent young outfielder Adam Dunn and two top prospects, Chad Tracy and Casey Kotchman to Cleveland for Colon, Steve Finley, and Jose Macias.  The Indians also acquired a prospect pick from the 'Stros in the 2003 All-Star Prospect Draft.

In another move, the Astros added Jimmy Haynes to their squad when they sent Tsuyoshi Shinjo to Atlanta.  

March 23, 2003
Rusch Job
The longest spring training in FJBL history ended today with a sterling 1-hitter from Arizona's Glendon Rusch.  Rusch needed just 95 pitches to shut down the St Louis Cardinals, striking out five and walking two in a game the DBacks won 11-0.   March 23 results.  March 24 results.

March 22, 2003
As Spring Wraps, Brown Gets First Deal
With spring training scheduled to end tomorrow, new Royals manager John Brown made his first trade earlier today, when he agreed on sending prospect Victor Martinez to Cleveland for outfielder Orlando Merced.  Merced has hit over .300 for surprising Cleveland in the spring; Martinez is one of the top minor league hitting prospects in baseball.   March 22 results. 

March 21, 2003
White Sox 2, Commish 0
Asleep at the wheel, perhaps?  The Commish, who developed the spring training schedule without the aid of maps, compasses, or his brain, gave Anaheim an unscheduled day off and forced the White Sox to play twice today.  The Indians, however, alleviated some of his shame, when they trounced in-state rival Cincinnati and their ace Mark Mulder.  March 21 results. 

March 20, 2003
Thominated!
Jim Thome put on a show at the expense of the New York Yankees.  The Oakland first baseman went 3-4, drove in 7, scored 5 times, and homered twice in a 23-2 spanking of the Pinstripers.  The entire Yankee staff was feasted on as Miguel Tejada drove in 6 runs as well.  Getting the worst of it was Kyle Farnsworth who allowed 6 earned runs without recording an out upping his pre-season ERA to 40.50.  The home runs were Thome's 8th and 9th of the spring.   All March 20th results. 

March 19, 2003
Chuck One Up
Holy One-Hit Finleys, Batman, Chuck just tossed a gem.  St Louis lefty, Chuck Finley tossed a 1-hit wonder at Philadelphia today, striking out 10 in the process.  Finley went 8-innings allowing only 2 unearned runs.  Wayne Franklin, the starter for Philly, allowed just two hits over seven innings, as well, but the Cards won the game in extras.   March 19th results. 

March 18, 2003
It's In The (E)Mail
As spring training nears its conclusion, the commissioner has sent out information regarding the beginning of the season and what you MUST do to get your team ready.  This largely consists of resubmitting an accurate profile.  This information and more was sent to each owner via email this morning.  If you haven't received it, please contact Dave at once.  In the meantime, here are the March 18th results. 

March 17, 2003
Computer Says...?
Here's what I do when I am bored - I play the entire FJBL season in advance to see how things will turn out.  Okay, not really, but I did it for fun today.  Check out my report and be grateful you get to manage your own team. 

March 17, 2003
Home Sweet Home
The Chicago White Sox have not lost a game at home yet this year, going 8-0. They're also 5-0 against lefthanders. But they are 0-3 in their division. What does this all mean? Nothing! It's only the preseason and lots of stats are upside down as noted on the message board. Also check out the March 17 Results. 

March 16, 2003
Brown Gets a Little Less Blue
The Kansas City Royals have apparently been adrift since the draft ended. Milwaukee assistant John Brown (most likely an alias) has traded in his blue Brewers gear for the more regal shade of blue the Royals use for their gear. The front office is still in disarray, but should be organized in the next day or two. Also check out the March 16 Results. 

March 14, 2003
Spring at the Meatloaf, Links
Want some Meatloaf talk?  Don't we all?  Check out the message board as our own Tom Wachter describes his brush with musical (and fantasy) greatness.

Also, the Spring Training Link in the right column is now up and running.  Or you can click here: Spring Training Stats. 

March 15, 2003
8-2 Comes Up A Winner
The good money for this preseason day was on 8-2.  As in the answer to the Jeopardy question:  What is the final score of the most FJBL games today? Victories by this score was posted three times today leading to victories for the Reds, Cubs, and Brewers. March 15 Results. 

March 14, 2003
Unleashing the Redbirds
Last year's runner-up St Louis Cardinals squad got off to a slow spring training start.  An indication the only FJBL team to qualify for the post-season each of the last three years, might be watching an erosion of its talent.  Not so quickly.  The Cards have rebounded, showcased by a 21-3 thumping of AL power Oakland.  March 14 Results. 

March 13, 2003
A Pettitte Gem
Andy Pettitte was razor sharp in spring action today.  The Baltimore lefty tossed seven innings allowing just one hit while striking out seven and walking just one.  His effort was completed when Spooneybarger and Bradford through perfect 8th and 9th innings as Baltimore won a 2-0 decision at Milwaukee.  March 13 Results. 

March 12, 2003
Three Days A Charm
Patience is a virtue, kids.  Lots of preseason action is now available for your viewing pleasure as we post results from March 10, March 11, and March 12.  You can't beat that! 

March 9, 2003
Lackey-ing Nothing
Performance of the ninth day of spring training belonged to Oakland's John Lackey.  The starter tossed a complete game 3-hitter against the Reds.    View the March 9 preseason results.