Season 8 Recap

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[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]

After enduring their worst season ever in Season 7 with a 1-11 record, the George Jetsons righted the ship in Season 8, posting their best record ever and advancing further into the playoffs than ever before. The team failed to register in time for their traditional Wednesday night league, so they ended up playing on Tuesday nights. The competition on Tuesday nights proved to be somewhat weaker, as the usually-mediocre George Jetsons and Rastros dominated the league.

The George Jetsons started off the season with a 15-2 pasting of the Clutch Hitters, their first of three victories against that team. In the second game of the opening night doubleheader, the Jetsons faced the Space Sluggers. The Sluggers were out there having fun, and the Jetsons should have easily dominated them. Instead, the Jetsons’ offense didn’t score enough to put them away and the defense let them back into the game in the late innings, and the Space Sluggers managed to tie the score at 8-8 at the end of regulation. The teams traded 3-spots in the only extra frame and the game was ruled an 11-11 tie, the first tie in GJ history.

The George Jetsons took their 1-0-1 record into a showdown against the rival Rastros. The Jetsons scored early and held off the Rastros for an 8-6 victory. The game would prove to be the Rastros’ only defeat of the season. The next week, the Jetsons played a pair of good, 2-run games. They were handed their first loss by the Swingin Richards, but made up for it with a victory against Delta Force.

One June 3, the George Jetsons faced Tappa Kegga Brew, the worst team in the league (they would finish 0-12). In classic GJ manner, the team played down to the level of their opponents and quickly fell into a 14-1 hole. Faced with the humiliation of being TKB’s only victory, the George Jetsons mounted their best comeback ever, scoring 18 unanswered runs to claim victory, 19-14.

In a rematch against the Rastros, the George Jetsons blew a lead with a typical GJ defensive collapse, allowing the Rastros an 8-run inning as the Rastros stole the game 14-12. Bringing their record to 4-2-1, that would be the team’s final loss of the regular season.

The George Jetsons ended their season with a 5-game winning streak, claiming solid victories against Clutch Hitters (again), Bohica, Swingin Richards, Delta Force, and Space Sluggers. Finishing at 9-2-1, it was the best regular season ever for the George Jetsons and it earned the team a #3 seed in the Men’s DD playoffs!

[b]PLAYOFFS[/b]

In the playoffs, the third-seeded George Jetsons first knocked off a familiar opponent, the Clutch Hitters. The Clutch Hitters quickly mounted a little lead with their 4-run first inning, but it was nothing that the George Jetsons couldn’t handle. The George Jetsons overcame wet conditions and bad umpiring calls to claim a 10-7 victory in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the first-seeded Rastros were upset by the eight-seeded Bohica, leaving the second-seeded Rally Monkeys as the team to beat in this playoff tournament.
[code] 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
CLUTCH HITTERS 4 0 1 1 0 1 7 - -
GEORGE JETSONS 2 1 2 0 2 3 10 18 0
[/code]

The Jetsons squared off against the 10-2 Rally Monkeys in the second round. The Monkeys had soundly beaten the Jetsons in their last two meetings on Wednesday nights. Knowing this, the Rally Monkeys were clearly looking past the Jetsons and anticipating their match against the Texas Techs in the championship game. The George Jetsons scored steadily throughout the game and played solid defense as they mounted an only-slightly-comfortable 13-5 lead. As expected, the Rally Monkeys got right back into the game with a 5-run inning, making it 13-10. In the final inning, the Jetsons increased their lead to 15-10 and only had to hold off the Rally Monkeys in the home half. The Monkeys scored a run and loaded the bases, bringing the tying run up to the plate with two outs. The Monkeys’ final batter smashed a ball to deep center field that came dangerously close to tying the game with a grand slam, but Q snagged the ball at the fence, clinching a 15-11 upset for the George Jetsons.
[code] 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
GEORGE JETSONS 2 5 1 5 0 2 15 19 0
RALLY MONKEYS 3 0 2 0 5 1 11 - -
[/code]

So, the George Jetsons found themselves in the championship game against the Texas Techs from the Wednesday league. The Texas Techs were a hard-hitting team that consistently scored runs throughout the game. They built an 14-9 lead over the Jetsons after 4-1/2 innings. The Jetsons needed a big inning to stay in the game. Kopnicky got things started with his 11th straight hit in the playoffs, and Vicker drove him in with a triple. Sostaric and McCann got hits and were on second and third when Jeremy Hart came up to bat. Jeremy swung mightily and the ball dribbled a few feet down the left side. The ball was overthrown into right field, allowing both base runners to score. But Jeremy wasn’t done...as he sped to third base, the ball was mishandled as it was thrown back to the infield. Jeremy raced home and made it in safe to score the tying run. The 4-foot, 3-run homer made it 14-14 heading into the final inning. The Texas Techs scored 5 runs in the final inning, but the George Jetsons had nothing left in the tank. Final score: Texas Techs 19, George Jetsons 14.
[code] 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
TEXAS TECHS 5 6 0 3 5 19 - -
GEORGE JETSONS 5 2 2 5 0 14 21 0
[/code]
The George Jetsons were within one inning of winning the Men’s DD championship. All the players performed great in the playoffs and should be proud of their performances. The MVJ of the playoffs is Kris Kopnicky. Kopnicky got 11 straight hits before getting his only out of the playoffs in the final inning. His .917 batting average and 9 runs scored as the leadoff hitter set the stage for the rest of the lineup to excel.

[b]ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD[/b]

The George Jetsons were fortunate to have Kris Kopnicky on the team this summer. Settling into the leadoff role after a few games, Kopnicky provided a much-needed spark at the top of the order. He had an amazing .696 average during the regular season and may well have challenged for the MVJ Award if a bout with mono had not limited him to playing only 7 games. Kopnicky earns this season’s Rookie of the Year Award. His award reads:
[quote]For a great performance during his first season as a George Jetson, including these incredible rookie statistics:

.696 Batting Average
1.217 Slugging Percentage
1.913 OPS
13 Runs Scored
3 Home Runs
28 Total Bases

this Rookie of the Year Award is presented to:

Kris Kopnicky
Outfielder, George Jetsons, Season 8
[/quote]
[b]MOST VALUABLE JETSON AWARD[/b]

Randy Lillard had another monster season as he tied or broke 6 GJ records. He earns his third MVJ Award. The award text reads:
[quote]For yet another record-breaking offensive performance as a member of the George Jetsons during their 8th season, including these records broken or tied:

1.394 Slugging Percentage
2.052 OPS
20 Runs Scored
5 Triples
3 Home Runs
46 Total Bases

this Most Valuable Jetson Award is presented to:

Randy Lillard
Pitcher/Outfielder, George Jetsons, Season 8
[/quote]
[b]SEASON SCHEDULE[/b]
[code]DATE TIME FLD OPPONENT RESULT
May 13 7pm 4 at Clutch Hitters W 15-2
May 13 8pm 4 at Space Sluggers T 11-11
May 20 6pm 4 vs Rastros W 8-6
May 27 6pm 1 vs Swingin Richards L 19-17
May 27 7pm 1 at Delta Force W 15-13
Jun 3 9pm 3 vs Tappa Kegga Brew W 19-14
Jun 10 9pm 1 at Rastros L 14-12
Jun 24 6pm 3 vs Clutch Hitters W 13-7
Jun 24 7pm 1 at Bohica W 6-2
Jul 22 6pm 3 at Swingin Richards W 15-4
Jul 22 7pm 4 vs Delta Force W 8-5
Jul 29 6pm 3 vs Space Sluggers W 13-6
------------------------------------------------
Aug 12 8pm 4 vs Clutch Hitters W 10-7
Aug 13 8pm 3 at Rally Monkeys W 15-11
Aug 13 9pm 3 vs Texas Techs L 19-14
[/code]
[b]FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS[/b]

The George Jetsons claimed second place in Season 8, 1-1/2 games behind the 11-1 Rastros.
[code]# TEAM W L T
1 Rastros 11 1
2 George Jetsons 9 2 1
3 Clutch Hitters 7 5
4 Bohica 6 6
5 Swingin Richards 5 6
5 Delta Force 5 6
7 Space Sluggers 3 8 1
8 Tappa Kegga Brew 0 12
[/code]
[b]SEASON-BY-SEASON[/b]

The George Jetsons offense improved dramatically after a poor performance in Season 7. The GJ offense posted its second best OPS ever (my favorite indicator). Their 2.4 runs scored per inning was also second best. Let’s keep up the good work in Season 9.
[code]SEA AVG SLG OPS RPI W-L MVJ ROY
1 .531 .711 1.243 1.67 2-6 SOSTARIC
2 .569 .711 1.291 1.98 1-7 VICKER PETERNELL
3 .502 .767 1.269 1.66 1-7 LILLARD LILLARD
4 .537 .814 1.359 2.05 7-5 PETERNELL VILLARREAL
5 .509 .734 1.250 1.98 4-8 VICKER ABBEY
6 .618 .908 1.527 2.79 5-3 LILLARD ROSENQUIST
7 .517 .743 1.265 1.77 1-11 ABBEY
8 .554 .851 1.417 2.41 9-2-1 LILLARD KOPNICKY

All-time regular season record: 30-49-1 (.381)
All-time record for ALL games: 34-55-1 (.383)
(includes tournaments, playoffs, and canceled seasons)
[/code]
[b]INDIVIDUAL REGULAR SEASON STATS[/b]
[code]25 plate appearances are required to qualify for the percentage categories (AVG, SLG, OBP, OPS).

BATTING AVERAGE SLUGGING PERCENTAGE ON-BASE PERCENTAGE
RECORD .750 x RECORD 1.222 x RECORD .743 x
Hart .773 * Lillard 1.394 * Hart .808 *
Lillard .667 McCann .926 Lillard .658
Kroeger .577 Hart .909 Kroeger .621

OPS (OBP + SLG) RUNS SCORED RUNS BATTED IN
RECORD 1.962 x RECORD 19 x RECORD 29
Lillard 2.052 * Lillard 20 * Lillard 18
Hart 1.717 Vicker 18 Vicker 15
McCann 1.502 Peternell 17 Abbey 13
Peternell 1.388 Kopnicky 13 Peternell 13

HITS DOUBLES TRIPLES
RECORD 24 RECORD 9 RECORD 5
Lillard 22 Abbey 5 Lillard 5 +
Vicker 19 Lillard 5 Vicker 5 +
Peternell 18 McCann 5 McCann 3
Hart 17 Peternell 4 Peternell 3

HOME RUNS TOTAL BASES
RECORD 3 RECORD 46
Kopnicky 3 + Lillard 46 +
Lillard 3 + Vicker 32
Sostaric 1 Kopnicky 28
Peternell 28

Blue Record = Record is still safe for another season
x = Fallen record (broken in Season 8)
* = New record set in Season 8
+ = Tied record in Season 8
[/code]
[b]12-GAME SEASON RECORDS[/b]

We now have played 4 12-game seasons. 25 plate appearances are required to qualify for the percentage categories in 12-game seasons.

In Season 8...

Hart went 17-for-22 to break Peternell’s average record with a .773 mark. Add to that 4 walks and he also claims the OBP record with an .808 mark. Hart barely qualified by one plate appearance, making his speedy return from the airport during Week 7 crucial, when he returned in time to get just 2 at-bats.
Lillard had another amazing season, breaking the SLG, OPS, and runs records, and tying the triples and homers records.
McCann set the triples record last season with 5 3-baggers. This season, Lillard and Vicker both tied that mark.
Kopnicky tied the homers record along with Lillard. What’s impressive is that Kopnicky hit his 3 homers while playing just 7 games. Two of his round-trippers with inside-the-park.
[code]STAT RECORD PLAYER(S) SEASON(S)
H 24 Peternell Season 4
Lillard Season 5
Lillard Season 7
2B 9 Lillard Season 5
3B 5 McCann Season 7
Lillard Season 8
Vicker Season 8
HR 3 Lillard Season 4
Lillard Season 5
Kopnicky Season 8
Lillard Season 8
R 20 Lillard Season 8
RBI 29 Lillard Season 5
TB 46 Lillard Season 5
Lillard Season 8
AVG .773 Hart Season 8
SLG 1.394 Lillard Season 8
OBP .808 Hart Season 8
OPS 2.052 Lillard Season 8
[/code]