Most of you know that I have kept Chicago Franchise statistics since rejoining the league in 1980. Somehow, 1981 was lost. I have the physical cards for that team so I know who was on it, but years of searching has yet to discover those missing numbers. I have completed the updating of these stats with the 2021 season. It was a much improved season over 2020's but not good enough to get a play-off spot. Perhaps if I knew about the overuse amnesty that was granted I would have used Ke'Bryan Hayes in 2 or 3 more games ??. Each year I send these stats to league members for their perusal should they decide to do so. But, they are very, VERY large files (254 pitchers and 287 batters). This year I created a top 5 in 12 pitching and 12 hitting categories. Two pages, easy to read. I have attached that to this e-mail. If you want all or part of the teams total stats, let me know. My pride and joy is the Mob Baseball Encyclopedia, in the style of the old Baseball Encyclopedia of years past. But mine has pictures!!  Good bathroom reading.

A few highlights/lowlights of The Chicago Mob 2021. The team was vastly improved over 2020 (86 - 76, .531 pct vs. 68 - 94, .420 pct). This was mostly due to the hitting improvement over 2020 which wasn't so hard to do given that 2020's offense was the worst in team history. There were no new individual records set, good or bad. Chicago did set a franchise record for strikeouts by pitchers of 1511, nearly 200 more than 2020. Speaking of Ke'Bryan Hayes the Chicago 1st round pick did not disappoint in his limited season.  Hayes slashed .425/.484/.724 in 277 plate appearances with 15 HR's and 54 RBI's and a 1.209 OPS. Despite playing in only 95 games his WAR of 5.7 was more than 2 wins higher than the next highest player. It was an awesome season.

There is one player who has been a Mobster since being drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft. His baby brother gets all of the press but Kyle Seager has been moving up the Mob leaderboard steadily and currently is in the top 5 of many career categories. He gets little attention in real life, making only one all-star team. But he has been a solid player for The Mob on offense and defense. A hand injury in 2019 slowed him down. I wondered why that would be, being only a hand injury but in March 2020, I fell and broke a bone in my left wrist. That heeled well but this klutz tripped over a curb on 7/9/21 and not only broke another bone in that same wrist but sprained ligaments and tendons as well. This break heeled quickly enough but it was the rest of it that is still a problem. The doc said it can take up to 18 months for an injury like this to heel completely. It still hurts. So now I know why Seager AND Hayes have taken so long to get back to their prime. I'm particularly hoping that Hayes returns to his 2020 form. BUT WHAT ABOUT SEAGER???  OH NO!!!  Larry informed me yesterday that he is RETIRING.....

2022 does not look particularly promising for Chicago. The hitting will be average but the pitching, oy, the pitching looks atrocious.

a·tro·cious    /?'troSH?s/

adjective

1. horrifyingly wicked.

   "atrocious cruelties"

Add that we don't have a #1 in 2022 (Hayes didn't come cheap) and it looks like a possible lottery pick in 2023 for Chicago. 

May you all have a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and happy New Year and may those bastards who continue to try and ruin baseball come to an agreement speedily and in our day.

By the way, Fred Turtle is still going strong. He's been with us for 26 years now and says hello

AND NOW.... HERE ARE THE STATS!!!

https://connect.xfinity.com/appsuite/#