Year Odds and Ends

As 2016 comes to a close, it has certainly been an interesting year. One year ends and another begins. I hope 2017 will be a better year and I hope I have the time to make more entries here. My current job takes up the vast majority of my time, but sooner or later, that will change.

A year ago, I figured Second Chance would have been published by now. Little did I know that my sixth book, Justice, will end up being my fifth published book. Justice is still in the editing process, but it's looking much better. After this post, I'm making the time to get some significant work done on it.

Since I haven't made a post since July, let's get down to business.

Congrats to the 59-103 Minnesota Twins. You are the 2016 MLB Kings of the Cellar. Even though you ended the year on a two game winning streak, you dominated the runner-up 68-94 Cincinnati Reds by nine games!

This week's NFL Kings of the Cellar, the 1-14 Cleveland Browns, are one loss away from the winning the beer in the NFL cellar. They face a playoff bound Pittsburgh Steelers team on the road, so their title is all but earned. Their only competition, the 2-13 San Francisco 49ers, will host the Seattle Seahawks. The title will go to who wants the beer more.

Now for some trivia. On December 22, 1979, the LSU Tigers faced off against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the Tangerine Bowl (now the Citrus Bowl). LSU won easily, 34-10. Here's some trivia about the players in that game.

• Wake Forest's head coach was John Mackovic. He had a 34-14 record there and went on to coach at Illinois (1988-91), Texas (1992-97), and Arizona (2001-03). His record was 95-82-3. 
• Mackovic was also a QB for the team from 1962-64. As QB, he threw 6 TD's and 26 INTs. This was his only bowl appearance with the Demon Deacons.
• Wake Forest WR Kenny Duckett was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1982 Draft.  He played for the Saints from 1982-85 and the Dallas Cowboys in 1985. Over his career, he caught 36 passes for 503 yards and 4 TD's.
• The was LSU head coach Charlie McClendon's last season with the Tigers. He coached the team for 18 seasons with a 137-59-7 record. His bowl record was 7-6.
• LSU QB David Woodley went on to get drafted in the 8th round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played for Miami from 1980-83, including an appearance in Super Bowl XVII, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1983-85. Over his career, he passed for 8,558 yards 48 TD's and 63 INT's.
• LSU RB Hokie Gajan went on to get drafted in the 10th round of the 1981 Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He played for the team until 1985, when a knee injury ended his playing career. Over his career, he rushed 252 - 1358 yds and 11 TD's, for a Saints record of 5.4 yards per carry. He also caught 63 passes for 515 yards and 2 TD's. He went on to be a scout for the team and later, the color analyst for WWL radio. He passed away in 2016.
• LSU RB Carlos Carson was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 5th round the the 1980 Draft. He played from 1980-89 with the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles (1989). He played WR and caught 353 passes for 6,372 yards and 33 TD's.
• LSU WR Tracy Porter was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 4th round of the 1981 Draft. He played for the Lions (1981-82) and the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (1983-84). He caught 79 passes for 1,161 yards and 3 TD's.
• LSU WR Orlando McDaniel was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1982 Draft by the Denver Broncos. This was his only season in the NFL. He played in 3 games, with no statistics.
• LSU TE Greg LaFleur went on to get drafted in the 3rd round of the 1981 Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he never played for the team. Instead, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1981-86) and the Indianapolis Colts (1986). He caught 64 passes for 729 yards and 3 TD's.
• LSU TE Malcolm Scott was drafted by the New York Giants in the 5th round of the 1983 Draft. This was his only year with the team. He played again during the 1987 players' strike with the Saints. Over his brief career, he caught 23 passes for 241 yards and no TD's.
• LSU DB Willie Teal went on the play for the Minnesota Vikings from 1980-86 and the Los Angeles Raiders in 1987.
• LSU DB Chris Williams went on to play for the Buffalo Bills from 1981-83.
  
  Here is a link to the video of the 1979 Tangerine Bowl on YouTube. Enjoy.
  
  Have a great day and Happy New Year!!!

Last Place Update - July 26

Hey everybody! Hope your summer has gone well. Mine has been great, except for one thing that must be noted here shortly. Since my last post, I had the privilege of performing with the Phantom Regiment Alumni Corps a couple of weeks ago. I got to perform with people ranging from the founding members from 1956, to people I looked up to when I first got involved in the drum and bugle corps activity, to people I marched with long ago, to members of the 1996 and 2008 DCI champion corps, to recent ageouts. It was a great experience. SUTA!!!!

Now to the exception.

My 33-66 Atlanta Braves are Kings of the Cellar right now. They are 2-8 since the All-Star break, losers of the their last five. At least the 1899 Cleveland Spiders' record is safe for another year. The 1962 New York Mets were 25-74 after 99 games, so the Braves are 8 games ahead of their pace.

The 37-61 Minnesota Twins are 4.5 games back. The Twins have done a little winning, going 5-5 in their last ten games. Also standing outside the cellar door are the 38-60 Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who are 5.5 games back. They are 4-6 in their last ten games, losers of their last three.

Today's honorable mention goes to the 58-41 San Francisco Giants. The NL West leaders are 2-8 in their last ten games, losing their last two. That's what bad relief pitching gets you. Before the All-Star break, they enjoyed  a 7-2 record dating back to June 30. Will Frisco improve or implode?

Today my Braves play the Twins for a battle of mediocrity. Atlanta leads the series 10-9, which includes the 1991 World Series. The Braves have a five game winning streak against Minnesota dating back to June 12, 2010. They first met in the World Series, when the Twins won 4 games to 3. They went to extra innings five times, three of those in the World Series, including Game 7. Their last extra innings game was in 2013, when Atlanta won 5-4.

Will Atlanta take the beer in the Cellar? Will the Twins take this series and break my Braves' win streak against them? Will the Devil Rays surprise everybody and kick down the Cellar door?

Bring on the games!

Have a great day!!!

Catching Up

Hope your summer is going well. You'd figure with school being out, there would be more time to write a blog entry or two, but that's not the case. Here are some comments.

• Congrats to the 10-72 Philadelphia 76ers. They are the 2016 NBA Kings of the Cellar and missed tying their NBA record of futility from 1973 by one game.
• Speaking of the 76ers, they're set to draft LSU's Ben Simmons with the first pick in the NBA Draft. Will picking Simmons add to the streak of good first picks?
• Congrats to the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers. It's a major accomplishment to win a championship and an even bigger one to win one over a Golden State Warrior team that won 73 games.
• The 23-48 Minnesota Twins are today's MLB Kings of the Cellar. My 24-47 Atlanta Braves are a game back, because the Twins are on a 3 game winning streak.
• Today's honorable mention goes to the 31-39 Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who are on a 7 game losing streak. They edged the 43-30 Washington Nationals for the mention, who are on a 5 game losing streak.
• Now on to some writing news: I added a prologue to The Curse. It fits with how the story works and improves the way it starts.
• My final beta reader is almost done with Second Chance. I hope to have it published this summer.
• Once Second Chance is done, the next book to be published has the working title Justice. According to my ideal reader, this is the best story I've written so far. This is the first book in a series. I already started a sequel and even set up a story that could take place just before the sequel. This pre-sequel story takes place in a fictional town in Louisiana.
• Speaking of stories started but not finished, there are at least two. My November 2014 NaNoWriMo effort, Return To Origin, is still unfinished. That's what I've been working on this month. This is the first story I've written that has a cover completed before the first draft. The other first draft started but not finished is the sequel to The Curse.
• Finally and most importantly, thank you all for your support and thanks to those who bought my books!! You are greatly appreciated!!!
  
  Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - September 24

Is it too early to start a countdown? Nah. The 57-95 Philadelphia Phillies are making their move to become the 2015 MLB Kings of the Cellar and are 4.5 games ahead of my 62-91 Atlanta Braves. Philly is six losses away from clinching the championship. That means the defending Kings of the Cellar champion 73-79 Arizona Diamondbacks are officially eliminated from contention. The 63-89 Colorado Rockies and former cellar tease, 63-88 Cincinnati Reds, are in a battle for third place. The Reds are no longer a tease, because they are out of contention for the beer in the cellar.

Since the last update, the Phillies went 1-4 and just broke a six game losing streak. My Braves went a respectable 5-2, sweeping Philly and are on a two game winning streak. Sporting a pair of four game losing streaks, the Reds and Rockies are in a slugfest...or is it a whiff-fest? Both teams went 2-4 since the last update. This is by far the most interesting race for futility.

The 64-88 Oakland A's continue to be the AL's worst team. As with Colorado and Cincy, the A's are 2-4 since the last update, and yes, losers of their last four games. Today's honorable mention goes to the former three-peat Kings of the Cellar champion, the 80-73 Houston Astros, because I didn't want to give it to the 88-63 Kansas City Royals for the third consecutive week. Besides, the Royals have done just enough winning to get eliminated for the mention this week. Houston is 3-7 in their last ten games, losers of their last two.

The former Washington Senators host the former Cleveland Blues. The also former Cleveland Naps lead the series 1,115-977, but the now Minnesota Twins are 8-5 so far this season. They first met on May 22, 1901, when the former Blues won 6-5. The most runs Minnesota scored against the now Indians was a 23-2 spanking on June 4, 2002. The most runs Cleveland scored against the Twins was on August 7, 1923, when the Indians rolled over the then Washington Senators 22-2. Their longest game in the series happened on August 31, 1993, when in the bottom of the 22nd inning, Pedro Munoz hit a leadoff homerun and led Minnesota to a 5-4 victory.

Will Philly clinch the Kings of the Cellar Championship this week? Will my Braves collapse and pull off a stunning upset? Will Oakland clinch their place as the AL's worst team of the 2015 season?

Stay tuned.

Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - September 3

And the saga continues. The once dominating collapse of the season has turned into a real race.

The 53-81 Philadelphia Phillies continue their reign as this season's Kings of the Cellar, but now we have a new team at the door, my 54-79 Atlanta Braves. Philly is 3-5 since the last update, 1-3 in their last four games. The Braves are a game and a half back. They are 1-9 in their last ten games, losers of their last 8. Atlanta is also 1-15 since August 16, including a three game sweep by Cellar tease Miami Marlins. The 55-79 Marlins are two games behind the Phillies and are in a virtual tie with the 54-78 Colorado Rockies, also two games back. Miami is 4-4 since the last update, including said sweep. The Rockies are also 4-4 since the last update.

Today's honorable mention goes to the 69-64 San Francisco Giants. They are 3-7 in their last ten games, losers of their last five. The defending Kings of the Cellar Champion, 65-69 Arizona Diamondbacks, are 3-6 since the last update and 3-8 since August 24. Arizona is 12 games behind the Phillies. You never know.

The former Washington Senators host the Chicago White Sox in an early game. They White Sox lead the series 1,118-1037, but are 4-11 against the now Minnesota Twins this season. They first met on June 2, 1901, when the Senators won 7-5. The went to 18 innings twice in their history. On May 15, 1918, Hall of Famer Walter Johnson pitched a complete game as the Senators won 1-0. LP Lefty Williams also pitched a complete game. Times were different back then. The second time was on June 8, 1947, another 1-0 win by the former Washington Senators. Both teams were battling for the AL cellar during that game. Each team has scored 20 runs on the other twice. Chicago did it to the former Washington Senators in a 20-6 win on May 11, 1911. The second time was a 20-2 spanking on June 17, 1956. The Twins did it in recent years. On July 6, 2007, Minnesota won a 20-14 game that looked more like a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. The second time was on May 21, 2009, when the Twins nailed Chicago 20-1.

On a personal note, I'd like to wish my daughter, Lauren, a very happy birthday.

Can Philly hang on? Will my Braves take over the Cellar? Will the Marlins continue to be a tease?

Stay tuned.

Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update - May 27

Welcome to the first Last Place Update of the 2013 MLB season. Before we get started, today is the day we remember the men and women who served and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and liberty. My message to them and their families is, THANK YOU!!! You are all remembered and appreciated.

   Now let's get started...

   This week's Kings of the Cellar, the 13-37 Miami Marlins, lead the defending Kings of the Cellar champion and newest American League team, the 14-36 Houston Astros, by a game. The Marlins are 2-8 in their last ten games and losers of five straight. They are also 3-15 since May 6. The Astros a faring a little better. They are 4-6 in their last ten games and losers of their last three, a sweep by the Oakland A's. Houston is 4-12 since May 9. The New York Mets bring up the rear and trail Miami by 5.5 games. The Mets are 4-6 in their last ten games and 5-13 since May 8.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 19-28 Minnesota Twins. Minnesota is 1-9 in their last ten games by getting swept by the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and going 1-3 against the Detroit Tigers. Unlike other 1-9 streaks, this collapse followed a 6-3 run from May 5-13.

   At this point, none of the teams in contention for Kings of the Cellar are a real threat to the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, but 1962 New York Mets are a different story. The 1899 Spiders were 9-41 after 50 games. The 1962 Mets were 13-37 after the same number of games. On this date last year, the defending champion Astros were 22-25 and the Chicago Cuber were in the lead with a record of 15-32.

Other Stuff

  A shout out has to go to the Los Angeles Angels. They are on an 8 game winning streak after going 1-5 from May 12-17.

   The San Antonio Spurs can sweep the Memphis Grizzlies with a win tonight. Memphis may pull an upset here, but if the Spurs win and Indiana hangs on for another game or two, this could mean trouble for the Heat if they face a rested Spurs team.

   My new ebook, The Curse, is now available in paperback from Createspace. Click the link on the title to order your copy. To add a little spice to the blurb, Dr. Walter Young said in the novel, "As you now know, it really was a matter of life and death."


Can Miami stay in the lead or will the American League's newest team come back and repeat as Kings of the Cellar Champions? Will the Mets make a run and make it interesting? Are one of these teams a real threat to the 1962 Mets or even the 1899 Spiders?

Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to the final Last Place Update of the MLB season. The 55-107 Houston Astros have repeated as Kings of the Cellar. They finished with one more loss than last season. The only other 100 plus game loser in MLB, the 61-101 Chicago Cubs, made it interesting by losing 14 of their last 18 games. The 64-98 Colorado Rockies round out the bottom three. It appears that once again, the 66-96 Minnesota Twins can't seem to stay off the radar, losing their last five games to overtake the 68-94 Cleveland Indians as the AL's worst team.

   The last repeat Kings of the Cellar, the Washington Nationals, finished the season with MLB's best record of 98-64. Could the Astros make the same kind of run in the coming years? Only time will tell.

   Once again, the 69-93 Boston Red Sox earn this week's honorable mention by doing a crash and burn worse than Minnesota, by losing their last eight games. They won the last honorable mention of the season last year. At least this time, they weren't in contention for a playoff spot.

  The Last Place Updates are a tongue-in-cheek look at the worst teams in whatever sport is featured. However, only a tiny percent of our population is good enough to play for a professional sports team and it doesn't matter if that team wins it all or dwells in the cellar. It is important to remember and appreciate that it takes a special kind of athlete to earn the privilege to play for a professional sports team, whether it is for only a season or a long Hall of Fame career.

   Hats off the Major League Baseball for yet again, another great season!!

   Note: The Last Place Updates for the NFL start tomorrow.

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. It's down to the wire now. The 58-94 Colorado Rockies have made their move, losing nine of their last ten games, but it's too little, too late. The 50-103 Houston Astros need two more losses or a Rockies win and an Astros loss to clinch a repeat as Kings of the Cellar. The 59-94 Chicago Cubs are a half game behind the Rockies and a win from being out of contention for the title. The AL worst Cleveland Indians are 63-90.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the Toronto Blue Jays. They lost ten of their last twelve games and have six straight losses. The MLB leading and the last repeat Kings of the Cellar champions Washington Nationals have earned an honorable mention. Although they have the best record in the majors, they lost six of their last nine games.

  Since the last update, the Astros are 2-4, the Rockies went 0-7, and the Cubs went 1-6. The Minnesota Twins did some winning and went 4-2, so they are off the radar for now.

   Last year's Astros were 53-100 after 153 games.

   Will the Astros clinch a repeat this week? Will the Rockies continue their collapse? Will the Cubs surprise everybody for no particular reason?

  Stay tuned. Have a great day!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The new magic number is 6. The 48-99 Houston Astros did a little winning, but still lead the 58-88 Chicago Cubs by 10.5 games.  The Astros need six losses to clinch an outright repeat as Kings of the Cellar. The Cubs lead the 58-87 Colorado Rockies by half a game. The AL worst Minnesota Twins are  60-87.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 78-68 Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They are 3-7 in their last ten games, losing five of their last six games.

   Since the last update, the Astros went 4-3, the Cubs went 4-2, both respectable numbers. However, the Rockies went 2-4 and the Twins went 2-5.

   Last year's Astros were 50-97 after 147 games.

  Will Houston clinch a repeat this week? Will the Cubs continue their winning ways and let Colorado be Houston's runners-up? Will Minnesota make a move on both teams?

  Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update.

   And so it's done. The last of the modern records of futility, the 2003 Detroit Tigers, is safe for another season. The last goal for the 44-96 Houston Astros to achieve is a repeat as the 2012 Kings of the Cellar. With 22 games to go, they have a ten game lead over the 54-86 Chicago Cubs, so unless the Cubs collapse further, a repeat is a forgone conclusion. The Cubs lead the 56-83 Colorado Rockies by 2.5 games. The AL worst Minnesota Twins are 58-82.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the Sox...yes, both of them. The Boston Red Sox are 1-9 in their last ten games and 6-19 since August 14. The AL Central leading Chicago White Sox are 3-7 in their last ten games and 4-9 since August 27.

   Since the last update, the Astros went 2-3, the Cubs 3-3, and Colorado's five game losing streak put them back on the radar. The Twins went 3-2.

   Last year's Astros were 47-93 after 140 games.

   Can the Astros maintain or increase their lead over the Cubs? Will Houston lose more games this year than  last year? Will Minnesota pull a September surprise? Can the Sox (either of them) win this week?

   Stay tuned. Have a great day!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Now that Hurricane Isaac has passed and power has been restored, let's get started.

   The 1962 New York Mets' record of futility is safe for another year. The 42-93 Houston Astros have one game left to tie the 2003 Detroit Tigers modern record of cellar dominance. The 51-83 Chicago Cubs shrunk Houston's lead to 8.5 games. The 55-80 Minnesota Twins trail the Cubs by 3.5 games.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 70-64 Pittsburgh Pirates. They're 3-7 in their last ten games, losers of their last four. The Pirates are 4-11 since August 18.

  Since the last update, the Astros went 2-5, the Cubs went 2-6, and the Twins went 3-5. The 55-78 Colorado Rockies did a little winning and went 6-3, getting themselves taken off the radar for now.

  Although it appears the 2003 Detroit Tigers' record will be safe for another year, they were 34-101 after 135 games.

  Will the Astros maintain their lead and repeat as Kings of the Cellar? Will the Cubs have a greater collapse and take Houston's title? Will the 62-74 Boston Red Sox, losers of their last seven games, give the Twins a run for the AL's worst team?

   Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The magic number is one. The 39-83 Houston Astros are one game away from the 1962 New York Mets 40-160 record of futility. The Astros have increased their lead to repeat as Kings of the Cellar champions over the 47-74 Chicago Cubs by 8.5 games. The 47-73 Colorado Rockies trail the Cubs by half a game. The AL worst Minnesota Twins are 51-70.

   This week's honorable mention goes once again to the 62-60 Los Angeles Angels. They're 3-7 in their last ten games, losing their last four and 5-13 in their last eighteen games.

   The Astros went 1-4 since the last update, the Cubs are 2-5, and the Rockies are 5-2. Last week's AL worst 54-67 Kansas City Royals did some winning and are now off the radar.

   If the Astros do a little winning, it won't be over yet. The 1962 Mets were 30-92 after122 games. The 2003 Detroit Tigers were 31-91 after 122 games.

  Will the Astros continue their plummet to a repeat? Will they do some winning and make both records of futility safe for another year? Will the Cubs do a classic collapse and make a run at the Astros?

   Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Man, take a week off for the All-Star break and everything changes. What was a neck and neck race between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres turned into a takeover of last place by the defending Kings of the Cellar champion, the 34-56 Houston Astros. The Cubs (36-52) and Padres (36-55) are now three and 1.5 games behind respectively. The 35-54 Colorado Rockies trail the Astros by a game and a half. The AL worst Minnesota Twins are 37-52.

   This weeks honorable mention goes to the New York Mets. The 46-43 Mets are 3-7 in their last ten games and currently in a four game losing streak.

  What is going on with the Cubs? They're 7-3 in their last ten games and 12-4 since June 25. The  Padres are 5-5 in their last ten games and 10-8 over the same period of time. Now the Astros, on the other hand, are 4-14 since June 25.

  The 1962 Mets and 2003 Detroit Tigers were 24-66 after 90 games. None of the competitors appear to be a threat to either of these records for now.

  Will Houston now dominate the cellar and repeat as Kings of the Cellar? Will the Cubs be the Cubs and stumble into last place? Will the Padres or Twins surprise everybody?

   Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The 29-49 Chicago Cubs lead by a slim margin over the 30-50 San Diego Padres for Kings of the Cellar. The 30-48 Colorado Rockies are nipping at their heels only trailing both teams by a game. The AL worst Seattle Mariners passed the Minnesota Twins and are at 34-47.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are 2-8 in their last ten games and 7-15 since June 8.

   The defending champion Houston Astros are making a move. They're 32-47, only 2.5 games behind the Cubs.

   Since the last update, the Cubs and Padres have been doing some winning. The Cubs are 5-1 and the Padres are 4-3 since the last update. The 1962 New York Mets were 21-57 after 78 games. Chicago is seven games off that pace. A more modern team of futility, the 2003 Detroit Tigers, were 18-60 after 78 games. At this pace, those records of futility may be safe for another year, but that's why they play the games.

   Will one of the leaders make a move and threaten one of these records? Will Houston have a late season collapse and overtake both San Diego and Chicago for last place?

  Stay tuned and have a great day!!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The 26-47 San Diego Padres continue to nip at the heels of the current Kings of the Cellar, the 24-48 Chicago Cubs. The Cubs hold a slim game and a half lead over the Padres. The 27-44 Colorado Rockies are in third, 3.5 games behind the Cubs. The AL worst, 29-42 Minnesota Twins, are two games behind the Rockies and 5.5 games behind the Cubs.

   Once again, this week's honorable mention goes to the 34-38 Miami Marlins. They are 1-5 since the last update and are 3-15 since June 3.

   The defending Kings of the Cellar champion Houston Astros are 30-42, six games behind the Cubs.

   Since the last update, the Cubs went 1-4, the Padres went 2-3, the Rockies went 2-4, and the Twins went 3-3. The 1962 New York Mets were 20-52 after 72 games. The Cubs are four games behind that pace for modern futility. Will the Cubs sink further? Will the Padres pull the Cubs from the bottom of the heap?

   Stay tuned and have a great day!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The teams are now engaged in interleague play, something the Update does all season long. The 20-41 San Diego Padres have a tenuous hold on their Kings of the Cellar status with a half game over the 20-40 Chicago Cubs. The Padres and Cubs need one more win to ensure the 1899 Cleveland Spiders will retain its 113 year old record of futility. The Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies are tied for third with a 24-35 record, five games behind the Padres.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 29-33 Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are 2-8 in their last ten games, including losing the last two. Philadelphia is last in the NL East.

   The defending Kings of the Cellar champion Houston Astros are 26-34. After 60 games last season, the Astros were 23-37, only three games behind where they are now.

   The 1962 Mets were 16-45 after 61 games, four games behind San Diego's pace. Again, both San Diego and Chicago have tied the 1899 Spiders's season win total and only need one more win to surpass it.

Stay tuned and have a great day!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update.  Before we get started, hats off to Johan Santana for doing something very un-1962-like; throwing the first no-hitter in New York Mets history.  Job well done!

   We have yet again, a new leader for Kings of the Cellar.  The 18-37 San Diego Padres leads the 18-35 Chicago Cubs by a game.  The Cubs lead the 20-33 Minnesota Twins by two games. San Diego went 1-3 since the last update to pass the Cubs, who went 3-3 since last week.  The Twins went 4-1, allowing San Diego to put some distance on them.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the Oakland A's, who went 1-9 in the last ten games and 5-15 in the last twenty games.  The A's have the second worst record in the AL.

   The defending champion Houston Astros are 23-31, definitely hanging around in case they crash and burn.

   After 55 games, the 1962 Mets were 16-39.  Although the Padres, Twins, and Cubs aren't a real threat at this time, as you can see, the Padres only have two more wins than the '62 Mets after the same number of games.  The 1899 Cleveland Spiders were 10-45 after 55 games and some team would have to have a complete collapse to come close to this infamous record..

   Who will have the lead next week?  Stay tuned.

  Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update, from back home in New Orleans.  We have a tie for Kings of the Cellar this week.  The 16-32 Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins are duking it out for their share of the title this week.  The 17-33 San Diego Padres are right in there with their losing ways.

  Minnesota dropped off and went 4-6 in their last ten games and Chicago broke their nine game losing streak, but is still 1-9 in their last ten games.  San Diego lost four straight and are 3-7 in their last ten games.  The defending champion Houston Astros have lost five in a row and are 22-27.

   This week's honorable mention, once again, goes to the Atlanta Braves.  The Braves lost eight straight and are 4-11 in their last 15 games.  Atlanta is now tied for last in the NL East.

  After 48 games, the 1962 Mets were 12-36 and the 1899 Cleveland Spiders were 9-39.  Again, no team appears to be a threat to these records at this time, but there is plenty of season left.

   Stay tuned and have a great day!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update, brought to you from deep in the sticks in the great state of Georgia.  The 15-29 Chicago Cubs have dethroned the 15-28 Minnesota Twins as Kings of the Cellar, leading the Twins and the 16-29 San Diego Padres by half a game.

   Minnesota had the lead until they went on a 6-4 run in their last ten games.  Chicago went 1-9 in their last ten, losing nine in a row and overtaking the Twins.  San Diego quietly went 4-6 in the same span, but is only a game ahead of the 16-27 Colorado Rockies.  The defending champion Houston Astros returned to their winning ways and are 21-23, 6-4 in their last ten.  Again, there is plenty of season left.

   This week's honorable mention goes to my 26-19 Atlanta Braves, who have had a bit of a losing skid, going 4-6 in their last ten games and have lost three straight.  This skid now has the Braves a half game behind the former two-time Kings of the Cellar Washington Nationals.

  At this point, none of the teams seem to be a threat to the 1962 Mets or the 1899 Cleveland Spiders at this time, unless the one of the teams makes a serious move in mid to late season.  The '62 Mets were 12-32 after 44 games.  Stay tuned.

   Have a great day!!!

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update.  The 10-25 Minnesota Twins still lead the 12-24 San Diego Padres by a game and a half for Kings of the Cellar.  The 14-20 Kansas City Royals went 6-4 in their last ten games and won three straight, which got them knocked out of third by the 13-21 Colorado Rockies.  The Rockies hit the skids, losing nine of their last ten games and lead KC by a game for third place.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 15-21 Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Diamondbacks are 2-8 in their last ten games and are on a three game losing streak.

   Minnesota went 3-5 and San Diego went 3-4 since the last update.  At this pace, they continue to be no threat to the 1962 Mets or the 1899 Spiders.  The defending champ Houston Astros slipped a bit and are now 15-20, only five games behind the Twins.  Will Houston make a move to repeat?   Stay tuned.


   Have a great day!!!