The 2019 JLB season is upon us.
We are just a day away from Opening Day — yes, Quad Eh, the real Opening Day — and excitement abounds.
We enter the 2019 regular season with several teams believing that this year is their year, but alas, we must be reminded we are making our respective runs for a title in the shadows of a dynasty.
The Philly Cheese Steaks, led by Mr. Jim Vaughn, have been better than dominant.
His three JLB World Series titles in four years have been highlighted by crafty moves, strong pitching and all of a sudden in 2018, the best offense in the JLB.
There doesn’t appear to be a quick end to the dynasty and it is going to be an uphill battle for the rest of the League to dethrone him.
In the National League, it is just like last year, a battle between five teams to get the two wild-card spots — and since it is a wild card matchup that will decide who will face Jim Vaughn in the NLCS, it truly comes down to five teams looking for that one chance to somehow have a better week in early September.
If that fails, it’s six teams in the American League battling to get to the World Series where AL teams have been unsuccessful in each of the last eight tries.
This year, the American League will at least have something nostalgic going for them. The last time the AL won was an epic 16-day matchup between the Gamblers and the Slammers. (You’ve all heard the story.)
In 2019, the World Series is now scheduled for 2 full weeks in September.
It will be a true test of who can win it all from Monday, Sept. 16, to Sunday, Sept. 29.
If the preseason poll holds true, it will be a rematch of the 2017 World Series, Breakfast vs. Steaks, but there is one stark difference between the AL and the NL: the American League crown is definitely up for grabs.
Here’s how the voting panned out:
American League
1. Big Ol’ Country Breakfast..................55 points (7 first-place votes)
2. Crox Sox........................................... 52 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Gameday Gamblers..........................45 points (3 first-place votes)
4. Big League Choo...............................40 points (1 first-place vote)
5. Sex Panthers......................................31 points
6. N.J. Bombers.....................................23 points
National League
1. Philly Cheese Steaks............................65 points (10 first-place votes)
2. Jimmy Jam Slammers........................53 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Quad Eh All-Stars...............................43 points (1 first-place vote)
4. Little Lebowski Urban Achievers........39 points
5. Monkeys Never Cramp........................30 points
6. Steroid.ERA.........................................16 points
In the American League, there is no doubt going to be a major battle between Breakfast and Crox.
Hands down, they have the best starting pitching staffs in the American League, possibly the JLB. Their starters go 13 deep thanks to RPs who will be starting in 2019.
Breakfast has the edge offensively, which is likely why he landed atop the preseason poll, but nonetheless, it’s going to be an epic run.
But with that said, the battle for the final wild-card spot will be interesting. It came down to the final day last season, and we could run into something similar with the Gamblers, Choo and Sex Panthers all displaying strengths in different areas that should win them enough matchups to keep them in the playoff conversation.
The Bombers could sneak up and get there with some help from the minors, but a short-handed pitching staff will likely keep the playoffs away for one more season.
In the National League, as mentioned, the Steaks should run away with it. Pitching and a strong offense should do the trick.
But that being said, but Quad Eh and I have a decent chance to compete with strong bats and pitching staffs that could snag some wins from the stronger pitching teams.
I’m just using the poll when writing that last part because there’s also no reason why the Dude shouldn’t be in this conversation; and Monkey, too, with Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton leading the way. Depth could be the issue for both, especially the Dude who ran down the prospect aisle with his right arm out knocking them all off the shelves and into his shopping cart. He treated the draft as a free shopping spree.
“I got all excited about the expanded minors and slightly overdid it…” he admitted Monday. “We’ll see how it goes with these guys just riding the bench.”
With his lineup and pitching, he may be able to live with it.
Steroid.ERA cannot. He is very short-handed due to injuries and minor leaguers in places where active roster players should be if you want to compete this year.
Like the Bombers, 2020 has to be the goal.
I actually have four team previews written, but there’s no chance I get the other eight completed before Opening Day. Too tight a turnaround so I’m scrapping them to save my sanity.
The prospect of staying up until 2 a.m. tonight just to get half the league done and then having to stay up even later tomorrow is not one I want to deal with.
I will instead write more in-season Jargons. I promise.
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