Spartans Heading into 2018

As 2017 comes to a close, Scarborough's basketball team is poised to continue play in District 24-4A.  Heading into the new year, the Spartans are "like 6-11 overall"  according to their assistant coach, Edgar Villalta.  More importantly they are 1-1 in the two district games they have already completed.

10 district games remain on the schedule as they push for one of the district's four play-off spots.

#Wednesday, 1/10- Washington (Delmar)- 6 pm
#Friday, 1/12- Yates (Delmar)- 5:30 pm
#Wednesday, 1/17- Kashmere (Pavilion)- 4:30 pm
#Saturday, 1/20- Wheatley (Delmar)- 11:30 am
#Tuesday, 1/23- Worthing (Delmar)- 7:30 pm
#Saturday, 1/27- North Forest (Pavilion)- 11:30 am
#Saturday, 2/3- Washington (Delmar)- 1 pm
#Tuesday, 2/6- Yates (Barnett)- 4:30 pm
#Saturday, 2/10- Kashmere (Delmar)- 11:30 am
#Wednesday, 2/14- Wheatley (Barnett)- 6:00 pm

#District Game

Spartans 2017-18 Basketball Schedule

Tuesday, 11/21- Sharpstown(Scarborough)- 1 pm
11/30-12/2- YMBL Tournament- Beaumont
#Saturday, 12/9- Worthing (Butler)- 1 pm
#Wednesday, 12/13- North Forest (Delmar)- 6 pm
12/21-23- HISD Tournament
12/28-30- James Gamble Classic(Port Arthur)
#Wednesday, 1/10- Washington (Delmar)- 6 pm
#Friday, 1/12- Yates (Delmar)- 5:30 pm
#Wednesday, 1/17- Kashmere (Pavilion)- 4:30 pm
#Saturday, 1/20- Wheatley (Delmar)- 11:30 am
#Tuesday, 1/23- Worthing (Delmar)- 7:30 pm
#Saturday, 1/27- North Forest (Pavilion)- 11:30 am
#Saturday, 2/3- Washington (Delmar)- 1 pm
#Tuesday, 2/6- Yates (Barnett)- 4:30 pm
#Saturday, 2/10- Kashmere (Delmar)- 11:30 am
#Wednesday, 2/14- Wheatley (Barnett)- 6:00 pm

#District Game

62 Top Prospects in Need of Rule 5 Protection

Tomorrow(Monday) at 7 pm Central time is the deadline for MLB clubs to set their 40-man rosters for the off-season.  Among other issues, teams will be considering which players they need to protect from next month's Rule 5 draft.

The following is a look at the top prospects who are in need of said protection.

These players are:
1) Vulnerable to the Rule 5 Draft
2) In the top 15 of MLB.com's prospect ranking of their organization
3) NOT on their organization's 40-man roster

A player listing includes:
Ranking within organization, Name, Age as of April 1, 2018, Highest level played at in 2017, Position

If you are looking for the top 30 prospects, Jonathan Mayo has  an extended listing at this link.

Arizona
#12, Brad Keller, 22, AA, RHP

Atlanta
#13, Travis Demeritte, 23, AA, IF
#15, Dustin Peterson, 23, AAA, OF

Baltimore
#7, Hunter Harvey, 23, Low A, RHP-added to 40-man

Boston
N/A

Cubs
#1, Oscar DeLa Cruz, 23, High A, RHP-added to 40-man
#3, Adbert Alzolay, 23, AA, RHP-added to 40-man
#9, Trevor Clifton, 22, AA, RHP

White Sox
#1, Eloy Jimenez, 21, AA, OF-added to 40-man
#11, Casey Gillaspie, 25, AAA, 1B-added to 40-man
#14, Micker Adolfo, 21, Low A, OF-added to 40-man

Cincinnati
#7, Shed Long, 22, AA, IF-added to 40-man

Cleveland
#4, Yu-Cheng Chang, 22, AA, SS-added to 40-man
#9, Willi Castro, 20, High A, SS-added to 40-man
#12, Julian Merryweather, 26, AAA, RHP-added to 40-man

Colorado
#12, Sam Howard, 25, AAA, LHP-added to 40-man
#15, Dom Nunez, 23, AA, C

Detroit
#10, Michael Gerber, 25, AAA, OF-added to 40-man
#12, Gregory Soto, 23, High A, LHP-added to 40-man

Houston
#7, Cionel Perez, 21, AA, LHP-added to 40-man
#11, Ramon Laureano, 23, AA, OF-traded to Oakland, added to 40-man

Kansas City
#14, Ryan O'Hearn, 24, AAA, 1B

Angels
#8, Jaime Barria, 21, AAA, RHP-added to 40-man
#12, Michael Hermosillo, 23, AAA, OF-added to 40-man
#14, Jesus Castillo, 22, AA, RHP-added to 40-man

Dodgers
#12, Dennis Santana, 21, AA, RHP-added to 40-man
#14, Trevor Oaks, 25, AAA, RHP-added to 40-man

Miami
#6, Merandy Gonzalez, 22, High A, RHP-added to 40-man
#10, Jeff Bigham, 26, High A, RHP

Milwaukee
#9, Mauricio Dubon, 23, AAA, IF-added to 40-man
#11, Freddy Peralta, 21, AA, RHP-added to 40-man
#15, Marco Diplan, 21, High A, RHP-added to 40-man

Minnesota
#3, Stephen Gonsalves, 23, AAA, LHP-added to 40-man
#9, Kohl Stewart, 23, AAA, RHP
#10, Lewin Diaz, 21, Low A, 1B
#15, Lewis Thorpe, 22, AA, LHP-added to 40-man

Mets
#11, Luis Guillorme, 23, AA, SS-added to 40-man
#12, Wuilmer Becerra, 23, High A, OF
#15, Jhoan Urena, 23, AAA, IF

Yankees
#1, Gleyber Torres, 21, AAA, IF-added to 40-man
#6, Domingo Acevedo, 24, AAA, RHP-added to 40-man
#7, Albert Abreu, 22, High A, RHP-added to 40-man

Oakland
N/A

Philadelphia
#7, Franklyn Kilome, 22, AA, RHP-added to 40-man
#14, Ranger Suarez, 22, High A, LHP-added to 40-man

Pittsburgh
#1, Austin Meadows, 22, AAA, OF-added to 40-man

San Diego
N/A

San Francisco
#3, Tyler Beede, 24, AAA, RHP-added to 40-man
#8, Aramis Garcia, 25, AA, C/1B-added to 40-man

Seattle
#12, Luis Liberato, 22, High A, OF
#13, Anthony Jimenez, 22, Low A, OF
#14, Greifer Andrade, 21, Rookie, OF

St. Louis
#4, Tyler O'Neill, 22, AAA, OF-added to 40-man
#15, Austin Gomber, 24, AA, LHP-added to 40-man

Tampa Bay
#1, Brent Honeywell, 23, AAA, RHP-added to 40-man
#5, Jake Bauers, 22, AAA, OF/1B-added to 40-man
#10, Justin Williams, 22, AA, OF-added to 40-man

Texas
#9, Ariel Jarado, 22, AA, RHP- added to 40-man
#10, Brett Martin, 22, High A, LHP- added to 40-man
#12, Joe Palumbo, 23, High A, LHP- added to 40-man
#13, Jose Trevino, 25, AA, C- added to 40-man

Toronto
#8, Max Pentecost, 25, High A, C/1B
#11, Conner Greene, 22, AA, RHP-added to 40-man
#12, Rowdy Tellez, 23, AAA, 1B-added to 40-man

Washington
#12, Kelvin Gutierrez, 23, High A, IF-added to 40-man

World Cup Field is Set

Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Denmark
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Iceland
Iran
Japan
Mexico
Morocco
Nigeria
Panama
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tunisia
Uruguay

Final World Cup Window Opens Thursday

The final nine nations will qualify for the 2018 World Cup between now and November 15.  Here's a rundown of when different regions will decide their qualifiers.


11/10
Senegal is in(#24)

11/11
Tunisia(#25) and Morocco(#26) are in

11/12
Two qualifiers from Europe
Switzerland(#27) is in
Croatia(#28) is in

11/13
One qualifier from Europe
Sweden(#29) is in

11/14
One qualifier from Europe
Denmark(#30) is in

11/15
Qualifier from CONCAF or Asia
Australia(#31) is in
Qualifier from Oceania or South America
Peru(#32) is in

Figuring Out the Super Two Class of 2018

UPDATE ON OCTOBER 20:  MLB Trade Rumors reports that the cutoff for Super Two status will be 2.123.

Their information shows Dominic Leone with 2.123 in service time as the last man on the list.  Leone started the season with reportedly 1.123 in service time.  As best I can tell from Leone's information, he spent 18 days in the minors.  That would give him 165 days of service time in 2017.  That makes his total of 2.116.  It doesn't look to me like Leone is a Super Two, but I don't have all of the information. 

UPDATE ON OCTOBER 15:  I just found out that Jorge Soler is under contract through 2020.  My understanding is that he still takes a Super Two spot despite his contract status.  If this is not a correct understanding, I will update as necessary.

UPDATE ON OCTOBER 14: MLB Trade Rumors has added Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler to their projections.

UPDATE ON OCTOBER 12:  MLB Trade Rumors  posted their projection of arbitration salaries a few days ago.  This list includes a good portion of the Super Two class I projected.

One thing that caught my eye was the fact that Nick Martinez shows up on this list with only 2.149 in service time.  Cot's Contracts has him with over three years of service time.  I showed him with 2.171.  It will be interesting to see what his official number is.

Also, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler, both of whom I project as Super Twos, don't show up on the MLB Trade Rumors list.

UPDATE ON OCTOBER 7:  So, Cot's Contracts has posted its listing of service times through the 2017 season.  I found a few corrections to ponder.

First, their listing shows Nick Martinez with 3 years and 2 days of service time.  This amount of service time would take Martinez out of the Super Two running. He'd become a full-fledged three-year arbitration player. I have looked at Martinez's transactions for the season numerous times and cannot see my error.

Second, a few of my calculations were off by a day or two compared to Cot's listing for a few other players.  None of them seem to affect the Super Two class.

Lastly, I miscalculated the service time of Joe Rickard.  According to my calculations, Rickard, Baltimore, had 2 years of service time.  However, Baltimore had optioned Rickard to AAA for 15 days at the end of August.  This means Rickard ended the 2017 season with 1 year and 168 days of service time.

The result?  Based on Cot's numbers, Rickard and Martinez would not be a part of the pool used to determine the Super Two class.  Under their data, only 115 players are included.  This means only 25 players would  receive Super Two status.  Not the 26 I had projected.

Nick Martinez moves off the list if his 3.002 service time number is accurate.  In this case, the other 25 players that I listed below with Martinez remain as the Super Two class.

I have posted the following list which shows the upcoming off-season's projected Super Two class several times.

1. Kris Bryant-2.171
1. Nick Martinez-2.171(see update above)
3. Maikel Franco-2.170
4. Carlos Rodon-2.168
4. Keone Kela-2.168
6. Addison Russell-2.167
7. Chasen Shreve-2.165
8. Hunter Strickland-2.163
8. Mike Foltynewicz- 2.163
10. Felipe Rivero-2.162
11. Michael Lorenzen-2.159
12. Raisel Iglesias-2.154
13. Cam Bedrosian-2.153
14. Corey Knebel-2.151
15. Andrew Heaney-2.150
16. Noah Syndergaard-2.149
17. Jorge Soler-2.141
18. Lance McCullers, Jr.-2.140
19. J.C. Ramirez-2.139
20. Matt Szczur-2.134
20. Yolmer Carlos Sanchez-2.134
22. Eduardo Rodriguez-2.130
23. Blaine Hardy-2.129
24. Hansel Robles-2.128
25. Ryan Rua-2.127
26. Eddie Rosario-2.120

Here is a look at the data I used to identify these 26 Golden Ticket winners, who are in line to gain an extra year of participation in MLB's arbitration process.

During the second half of the season, I maintained the spreadsheet found at this link.  

Included in this database are all players who will complete the regular season with at least 2 years and less than 3 years of MLB service time.

^Players with less than 86 days of service time this season are not included.
^Players who are not on a 40-man roster are not included.


As you can see on the spreadsheet, 117 players fell into this category.  This number is multiplied by .22 to determine which players fall in the top 22% in service time accrued.

The product of this computation is 25.74.  My understanding is that MLB rounds this number to the nearest whole number to determine the number of players who are included in the Super Two Class.

26 is the nearest whole number to 25.74, so 26 is the number of players I project to be in the class.


I'll be back after the Super Two class is revealed to critique my projection.

Huge World Cup Qualifying Window

Between October 5 and October 10, at least 13 teams(and possibly a few more from Africa) will qualify for the 2018 World Cup field.  By the end of this time frame,  at least 21 of the 32 slots for the event will be filled. Here is a running tally of the qualifiers.

Countries in bold qualified during the October 5-10 window.

Panama
Colombia
Uruguay
Argentina
France
Portugal
Serbia
Iceland
Egypt
Poland
Costa Rica
Nigeria
Spain
England
Germany
Russia
Belgium
Iran
Japan
South Korea
Saudi Arabia
Mexico
Brazil

Brewers Free Agents and Arbitration Eligibles

Brewers eligible for free agency after the 2017 season:

Matt Garza, 34, P
Eric Sogard, 31, IF
Anthony Swarzak, 32, P
Neil Walker, 32, IF


Brewers eligible for arbitration after the 2017 season:

Jared Hughes, 32, P (2018)
Carlos Torres, 35, P (2018)
Jeremy Jeffress, 30, P(2019)
Stephen Vogt, 33, C (2019)
Chase Anderson, 30, P (2020)
Jimmy Nelson, 28, P (2020)
Hernan Perez, 26, IF (2020)
Jonathan Villar, 26, IF (2020)
Corey Knebel, 26, P (2021)


All ages are as of April 1, 2018

(Years in parenthesis are the season after which that player becomes free agent eligible assuming they stay on big league roster continuously until that year.)

The Super Twos- The Final Regular Season Projection

With the end of the regular season just around the corner, this is my final projection of who the Super Twos will be this off-season.  The numbers shown are the projected end of season service times for these players.

1. Kris Bryant-2.171
1. Nick Martinez-2.171
3. Maikel Franco-2.170
4. Carlos Rodon-2.168
4. Keone Kela-2.168
6. Addison Russell-2.167
7. Chasen Shreve-2.165
8. Hunter Strickland-2.163
8. Mike Foltynewicz- 2.163
10. Felipe Rivero-2.162
11. Michael Lorenzen-2.159
12. Raisel Iglesias-2.154
13. Cam Bedrosian-2.153
14. Corey Knebel-2.151
15. Andrew Heaney-2.150
16. Noah Syndergaard-2.149
17. Jorge Soler-2.141
18. Lance McCullers, Jr.-2.140
19. J.C. Ramirez-2.139
20. Matt Szczur-2.134
20. Yolmer Carlos Sanchez-2.134
22. Eduardo Rodriguez-2.130
23. Blaine Hardy-2.129
24. Hansel Robles-2.128
25. Ryan Rua-2.127
26. Eddie Rosario-2.120

First player off the bubble- Carlos Correa- 2.119



I plan to post two more times on the 2017 class.

1) Once the season ends, I will post access to the database that I used to determine this list.

2) Once the Super Twos are announced, I will look at how accurately my efforts predicted the Super Two class. If I made any mistakes, I will attempt to figure out what they were for future reference.

Brewers Super Two Watch

As the All-Star Break approaches, the Brewers have eight players in line to finish the season with at least three and less than six years of major league service time.  These players will be eligible for salary arbitration heading into the 2018 season.  Players in bold will be eligible for arbitration for the first time.

Chase Anderson, P
Jared Hughes, P
Jeremy Jeffress, P
Jimmy Nelson, P
Hernan Perez, IF
Carlos Torres, P
Jonathan Villar, IF
Stephen Vogt, C

In addition to these eight players, three current Brewers have a chance of becoming arbitration eligible for the first time either by accruing three years of service time or as SUPER TWOs.  Super Two status is granted to players who:

#1 Have at least years two years and less than three years of major league service time at the end of a season.

#2 Rank in the top 22% of players of all players who have at least two years and less than three years of service time- in terms of service time accrued. Please note that the exact number of days of service needed to qualify for Super Two status varies from season to season.  The number usually falls between 2 years and 120 days and 2 years and 145 days.

#3 Accrued at least 86 days of major league service time in the just completed season.


Based on this information, a look at the Brewer in the running for Super Two arbitration status:

Corey Knebel, P

Service Time at beginning of season: 1 year and 151 days
Service Time accrued this season: 172 days

Total Service time at end of season: 2 years, 151 days

OUTLOOK:  A lock to be a Super Two

Super Two Projections- The Second Draft

UPDATE on Sunday, September 17:  El Paso, Chase d'Arnaud's AAA team has been eliminated fro the play-offs.  See the bottom of this post to see how d'Arnaud's promotion, if it happens, could affect the Super Two picture.

I am almost ready to finalize my list of this off-season's Super Two qualifiers with a caveat.

I don't have access to official service time numbers and there is the possibility I misinterpreted the guidelines for determining Super Two status. However, I am confident that I have this roster correct. If I find out that I don't, I'll be the first one to tell you.

Service time numbers shown are projected for the end of the regular season.

1. Kris Bryant-2.171
1. Nick Martinez-2.171
3. Maikel Franco-2.170
4. Carlos Rodon-2.168
4. Keone Kela-2.168
6. Addison Russell-2.167
7. Chasen Shreve-2.165
8. Hunter Strickland-2.163
8. Mike Foltynewicz- 2.163
10. Felipe Rivero-2.162
11. Michael Lorenzen-2.159
12. Raisel Iglesias-2.154
13. Cam Bedrosian-2.153
14. Corey Knebel-2.151
15. Andrew Heaney-2.150
16. Noah Syndergaard-2.149
17. Jorge Soler-2.141
18. Lance McCullers, Jr.-2.140
19. J.C. Ramirez-2.139
20. Matt Szczur-2.134
20. Yolmer Carlos Sanchez-2.134
22. Eduardo Rodriguez-2.130
23. Blaine Hardy-2.129
24. Hansel Robles-2.128
25. Ryan Rua-2.127
26. Eddie Rosario-2.120

Note: There is still a chance that Chase d'Arnaud could have his contract selected by Padres.  He is still participating in the PCL play-offs. If that were to happen, he would jump into the Super Two line.  d'Arnaud currently has 2 years and 141 days of service time.  Depending on when his contract is selected, he would likely be in the 12th to 16th position.  As a result of d'Arnaud's ascension, Eddie Rosario would be bumped and need to wait another year to earn arbitration status.

Post-Season Eligibility in the Age of September Call-Ups

First of all, thanks to Tom Haudricourt for pointing out the error of my first analysis that led to this post.

Yesterday after my first week back in a fourth grade classroom, I read that the Brewers had a) selected the contract of Aaron Wilkerson, b) Designated Yadiel Rivera for assignment and c) Placed Jimmy Nelson on the 10-day Disabled List.

Some of you remember me from my Days of Farmstros when the minutiae of baseball transactions was my "jam".  Those days are behind me now as I have moved on to different things.  However, after a week of interacting with 9 and 10  and a few 11 year olds all day long, the prospect of pondering baseball transactions and all their intricacies got that part of my brain revved up again.  It was a nice blast from the past.

The question that immediately jump up in my cranium was, "Why DFA Yadiel Rivera when it would be simple enough to put Jimmy Nelson on the 60-day Disabled List?"

The answer is rooted in the possibility of Milwaukee making it to the post-season.

Before yesterday, none of the players on the Brewers roster of post-season eligible players was injured. The roster of post-season eligible players is essentially comprised of all players on a team's 40-man roster as of the end of August 31.  I think in the Brewers' case, this included everyone on the 40-man roster except for Quintin Berry.  Berry was added to the 40-man roster on September 5, when his contract was selected.

Why is this important? 

A team that qualifies for the post-season can petition with MLB to replace an injured player who is on the post-season eligibility roster with another player who was in the organization(40-man roster or not) at the end of August 31.  The fact that Jimmy Nelson is now injured (and eligible for the post-season roster) means the Brewers could petition to replace him with someone else from their organization assuming they make the post-season.

As I understand it, the replacement is not limited to players added to the 40-man roster in September. It could indeed be Aaron Wilkerson or Quintin Berry.  It could also be (within the scope of the rule), Rob Scahill or Michael Blazek or Keston Hiura or Yadiel Rivera.  I don't think a pitcher has to be replaced by a pitcher, but I could be wrong about that.

So why not just put Nelson on the 60-day Disabled List? 

The upside of putting Nelson on the 60-day DL is that it would open a spot on the 40-man roster for Aaron Wilkerson and Yadiel Rivera stays under complete control.  However, there is a catch.

Any player on the 60 day Disabled List has to be on said list for at least 60 days to maintain their post-season eligibility status.  This means that if Nelson had been placed on the 60 day DL, he would be removed from the post-season eligibility roster. There would be no potential to petition to replace him on that list with Wilkerson or Scahill or Berry or Hiura or anyone else for that matter.

Having said all this, I will shut down the baseball transaction portion of my brain and go back to using the part that manages 9,10 and 11 year olds.  Thanks.

Super Two Picture all But Complete

With Ryan Rua's promotion yesterday, the Super Two arbitration picture is nearing full development.
It appears that 26 players, including Rua will earn the extra arbitration year this off-season.  Only two players who can affect the over-all Super Two standings are still participating in the minor league play-offs.

Rob Scahill is pitching for Colorado Springs(Milwaukee) in the PCL play-offs.  Chase D'arnaud is in the El Paso(San Diego) lineup in the same league.  It's not likely that either of these players make it to the big leagues once the minor league play-offs wrap up, especially since neither is on a 40-man roster. However, a Scahill and/or D'arnaud promotion would bump Eddie Rosario  and then Ryan Rua from the bottom of the Super Two list.

Could Jumbo Diaz have cost Carlos Correa $4.5 Million?

It is not uncommon for Major League teams to promote top prospects with an eye on those players' service time clock. Teams engage this strategy so that they can avoid giving prospects an extra year of salary arbitration. Simply put, teams manipulate the process at the FRONT END.

This season, while closely monitoring the potential Super Two class of 2017 , I have several times had the thought, "Could a team manipulate the Super Two process at the BACK END?"

What would such BACK END manipulation look like?  A Great Question!

Here's a look at six steps that would be involved:

STEP #1- Manipulate the Front End

Perhaps it goes without saying, but in order to effectively manipulate the back end of the process, you need to start the process two years ahead of time-at the beginning of the game.

My Example: I looked at the promotion of Carlos Correa by Houston in 2015.  Correa accrued 119 days of service time during that season.  This number (with two added years of service time) would put Correa right on the edge of Super Two status in 2017.

Looking back to another notable 2015 example, The Cubs promoted Kris Bryant a mere 12 days into the season-giving him 171 service days by season's end.  This number assured an extra year before Bryant could be a FREE AGENT, but it also assured he would be a SUPER TWO in 2017.

By contrast in 2015, Cleveland promoted Francisco Lindor on June 14.  This promotion date allowed Lindor to accrue only 113 days of service time, a safer number than the 119 earned by Correa.  With this strategy, the Indians guaranteed themselves that Lindor wouldn't be arbitration eligible until the 2018 off-season.

STEP #2- Fast Forward Two Years and Monitor the Service Time Numbers

Assuming that your "Prospect" progresses as expected, the next step is to keep an eye on the service time levels throughout the league as the 2017 season progresses.  Special focus should be given to those players who have a chance to end the season with at least 2 and less than 3 years of service time. I started doing this around the All-Star Break, and it was possible at that point in time, to get an idea of which players were certain to be Super Twos, which ones were on the bubble and how many players would be between 2 years and 3 years of service time.

My Example:  I started my service time tracking project around the All-Star Break. It was possible at that point in time, to get an idea of which players were certain to be Super Twos, which ones were on the bubble and how many players would be between 2 years and 3 years of service time.

It was quickly evident that Carlos Correa would more likely than not fall just outside the Super Two qualifying range. However, this was not a done deal.  If a few players were demoted, promoted, etc., Correa could sneak off of the bubble and get into arbitration line.  His situation merited observation.

STEP #3- Find an Ace to Put Up Your Sleeve

This ace has some specific qualifications.

1. He needs to have service time in the given year of at least 60 days.

This number will assure that he can reach 86 days of service time in the current season if you put your plan in place.

2. He needs to have career service time in the range of 2.105 to 2.135.  

If he has to much service time, he could pass the 3 year threshold and hamper your plan.
If he has too little service time, he won't be able to accrue enough service time to make your plan effective.

Simply put, he needs to be able to finish the season with more service time than your  "Prospect".

3. He needs to be a free agent during the season.  

It seems like this qualification is the hardest of the three to find.  Numerous players with the first two qualifications are removed from 40-man roster during the season.  However, most of them are either claimed off of waivers by another team(and join a new 40-man roster) or they are outrighted and remain in the same organization.

I think the plan would work with a waiver pick up or trade as well, but there are extra costs to a team for using those transactions and they require the use of a precious 40-man roster spot.

My Example: Let me introduce you to veteran pitcher Jumbo Diaz.  Tampa Bay outrighted Diaz on July 19.  However on July 21, Diaz elected free agency rather than accepting an assignment to the minor leagues.  At that time, Diaz had accrued 108 days of service time this season.  His career total of service time was 2.128.

Houston signed Jumbo Diaz to a minor league contract on July 31.

STEP #4- Keep Monitoring the Transactions Page

It could be that the numbers work out and your "Prospect" falls outside of the range of Super Two status.

However keep watching because a few injuries here or a big slump could change the scenario quickly.  If you keep an accurate accounting through August and into September,  these alterations are easily detectable.  As the minor league season ends, you can decide if you need to implement your plan.

My Example: My calculations show that Correa is the first player on the Super Two bubble.  More specifically, he WILL be the first player on the bubble after Texas promotes Ryan Rua.  Rua is expected to be promoted on September 7.

If Correa is indeed the first player off the list, a celebration is order. Houston played the game perfectly back in 2015.  The team had Correa for exactly the number of days they could afford to that season.

However, it is not far-fetched to think another scenario could have played out during the season.  If circumstances had led to one player not being promoted Rua, Jorge Soler, or Blaine Hardy, for example,  Correa would be in line to receive the final Super Two Golden Ticket.

If scenario had unfolded, Step 5 would be in order.

Step #5- Implement the Plan

At this point, you select the contract of you Ace in the Hole.  This means you will need to remove someone from your 40-man roster to make space.  When you add your Ace, he will join those players in the Super Two range.  He should be ahead of your "Prospect" in terms of service time, so he will bump the "Prospect" off of the Golden Ticket List.

Warning:  Given that the number of players eligible for Super Two status is determined by multiplying the number of players with at least 2 and less than 3 years of service time by .22, adding your Ace could also lead to an extra Super Two slot.  This would make your plan ineffectual.

For example,
117 players in the pool= 26 Super Twos
118 players in the pool= 26 Super Twos
119 players in the pool= 26 Super Twos
120 players in the pool= 26 Super Twos

121 players in the pool= 27 Super Twos

My Example: For the purpose of my example, I assume for some bizarre reason, Ryan Rua does not get promoted.  Diaz could have his contract selected(assuming the Astros can find space for him on the 40-man roster).  Diaz would wrap the season with plenty of service time to be a Super Two and Correa would be just off of the bubble, eligible for arbitration after the 2018 season.

In my example, my calculations show that there are currently 118 players in the pool. This number could go as low as 117 or as high as 120 depending on what happens to the players still in the minor league play-offs.  Assuming the pool number stays at 119 or lower, Diaz could have his contract selected without creating another Super Two spot.

Step #6- Prepare for Arbitration

I'm not sure how much you will save by having the ACE UP YOUR SLEEVE arbitration eligible instead of a young top-level prospect/Now Star.  I do know that it would be a substantial amount going into the 2018 season.

My Example: Whose arbitration eligibility would be more costly Jumbo Diaz or Carlos Correa?

Now that the season is in its final month and the Super Two picture is mostly developed, it does appear that such maneuvering is possible.  However, it is complicated, and it requires pieces to fall into place in exactly the right order.

Super Two/Arbitration Update: The First Draft

Now that the minor league regular season has concluded, the Super Two picture is becoming even clearer.  Below is a first draft of who the Super Twos will be according to my calculations.  This list could change as a few more call-ups are still a possibility.

I count 116 or 117 players who will end the season with at least 2  years and less than 3 years of service time.(Depending on if the Padres promote Travis Jankowski before season's end)

If either of these numbers prove true, 26 players will be designated as Super Twos.  Here are the top 30 on the list in order of service time projected at the end of the MLB regular season.

1. Kris Bryant-2.171
1. Nick Martinez-2.171
3. Maikel Franco-2.170
4. Carlos Rodon-2.168
4. Keone Kela-2.168
6. Addison Russell-2.167
7. Chasen Shreve-2.165
8. Hunter Strickland-2.163
8. Mike Foltynewicz- 2.163
10. Felipe Rivero-2.162
11. Michael Lorenzen-2.159
12. Raisel Iglesias-2.154
13. Cam Bedrosian-2.153
14. Corey Knebel-2.151
15. Andrew Heaney-2.150
16. Noah Syndergaard-2.149
17. Jorge Soler-2.141
18. Lance McCullers, Jr.-2.140
19. J.C. Ramirez-2.139
20. Matt Szczur-2.134
20. Yolmer Carlos Sanchez-2.134
22. Eduardo Rodriguez-2.130
23. Blaine Hardy-2.129
24. Hansel Robles-2.128
25. Ryan Rua-2.127
26. Eddie Rosario-2.120
27. Carlos Correa-2.119
28. Delino DeShields, Jr.-2.116
28. Dominic Leone-2.116
30. Roenis Elias-2.115

Super Two/Arbitration Watch- The Locks

With just under two months left in the season, 16 players are locks to qualify for Super Two status.

Kris Bryant, Cubs
Maikel Franco, Philadelphia
Carlos Rodon, White Sox
Addison Russell, Cubs
Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta
Hunter Strickland, San Francisco
Felipe Rivero, Pittsburgh
Michael Lorenzen, Cincinnati
Keone Kela, Texas
Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati
Cam Bedrosian, Angels
Corey Knebel, Milwaukee
Lance McCullers, Jr., Houston
J.C. Ramirez, Angels
Yolmer Carlos Sanchez, White Sox
Matt Szczur, San Diego

Three more added on September 4:
Andrew Heaney, Angels
Noah Syndergaard, Mets
Chasen Shreve, Yankees

Super Two/Arbitration Update: September Call-ups, Part II

With the AAA regular season wrapping up today, there are a total of 10 players still in the minors who could have an effect on the Super Two picture during the off-season. Only four of the 10 are on teams that are slated for a play-off appearance, so six, if they are to be promoted, will be promoted tomorrow or soon thereafter.  Here are the 10 in order of MLB service time.

Player/Organization/Service Time this season/Total Service Time

Joc Pederson/Dodgers/139 days/2.167

Phil Gosselin/Rangers/62 days/2.147

Chase D'Arnaud/Padres/96 days/2.141#%

Rob Scahill/Brewers/71 days/2.137#%

Jumbo Diaz/Astros/108 days/2.128#

Jorge Soler/Royals/81 days/2.114

Christian Colon/Marlins/96 days/2.104#

Ryan Rua/Rangers/95 days/2.103

Chaz Roe/Rays/102 days/2.066%

Travis Jankowski/Padres/124 days/1.171%

# Player is not currently on a 40-man roster
%- Player is on a team scheduled to participate in the post-season

Super Two/Arbitration Update: Non-Roster Players

With four weeks left in the regular season, there are five players, currently not on a 40-man roster, who could still have an effect on the Super Two picture.  All five players are in AAA at the moment. Four of the five could qualify as Super Twos if they have their contract selected.

Player/Organization/Service Time this season/Total Service Time

Chase D'Arnaud/San Diego/96 days/2.141

Rob Scahill/Milwaukee/71 days/2.137

Jumbo Diaz/Houston/108 days/2.128

Christian Colon/Miami/96 days/2.104

Chaz Roe/Tampa Bay/102 days/2.066
Further research shows that Chaz Roe is actually on Tampa Bay's 40-man roster.


NOTE:  Only Roe is completely eliminated from the possibility of Super Two status.  His maximum possible service time at the end of the year is 2 years 95 days(if he has his contract selected today). However, if he finds his way onto a 40-man roster he would add to the pool of players used to calculate the 22%.

Super Two/Arbitration Update: Blaine Hardy

Blaine Hardy, Detroit. Of more than 160 transactions on September 1, the promotion of Blaine Hardy by the Tigers has the most effect on the upcoming Super Two picture.

Assuming Hardy remains with Detroit until the end of the regular season, which seems likely now that rosters have expanded, he will complete the year with 2 years, 129 days of service time.  This number will almost certainly elevate him into a Super Two slot.

Since there is a limited(though variable) number of Super Two slots each season, Hardy's ascension pushes someone else off of the bubble and into a league minimum salary in 2018.  At the moment, Eddie Rosario of the Twins seems to be the most likely candidate.

The Runners-up:  Curt Casali(Tampa Bay) and Carlos Perez(Angels) were promoted on Friday. They don't have enough service time to be in the running for Super Two status.  However, Casali and Perez should accrue two plus years of service time by the end of the season, thus expanding the number of players in the pool used to determine the top 22% eligible for Super Two status.

NOTE:  After more research, I think Casali and Perez may not make any difference to the equation as they will  not be able to accrue the necessary 86 days of service time this season.

There are still players whose promotion(perhaps on Tuesday after the minor league regular season is ended) can effect the Super Two puzzle.

Super Two/Arbitration Update: The September Call-ups

With September roster expansions just two days away, there are nine players on 40-man rosters who could affect the Super Two picture if they are promoted to the big leagues for the month of September.  Please note there are a total of 31 potential service days from September 1 through the end of the regular season.

The seven players fall into three categories:

1) Players who could earn enough service time to qualify for arbitration with at least three years, thus leaving the potential Super Two pool, used to calculate the 22%.

Name, Organization, Service Time this season, Service Time total through August 29

Joc Pederson, Dodgers, 139 days, 2.167
Phil Gosselin, Rangers, 62 days, 2.147

2) Players who, with a September call-up, could move up enough in the service time rankings to be in the top 22%, and thus qualify for Super Two status.

Jorge Soler, Royals, 81 days, 2.114
Ryan Rua, Rangers, 95 days, 2.103
Blaine Hardy, Tigers, 61 days, 2.098

3) Players who could earn enough service time to end the year with a least two years of service time.  These players can't qualify as Super Twos, but if they reach the two year threshold, they will add to the number of players in the pool used to calculate the 22%.

Travis Jankowski, Padres, 124 days, 1.171
Shawn O'Malley, Mariners, 124 days, 1.156
Eddie Butler, Cubs, 67 days, 1.141

Super Two/Arbitration Update: Jumbo Diaz

Jumbo Diaz, Houston.  Diaz is currently pitching well in Houston's AAA bullpen.  However, he is not on their 40-man roster.  His service time level stands at 2 years, 128 days at the moment.

If he has his contract selected and finishes the year with Houston, he will be in line to grab a Super Two spot heading into the off-season.

Super Two/Arbitration Update: Jorge Soler

Jorge Soler, Kansas City. Soler is currently in AAA. He has accrued 2 years and 114 days of service time.  If Soler does not receive a September call-up, he will fall outside the Super Two range.

However, if he IS called up(let's say on September 5), he would end the regular season with 2 years and 141 days of service time.  In this event, Soler would claim a Super Two spot and knock one player off of the bottom of the list.

Super Two/Arbitration Update- Nick Tepesch

UPDATE:  It appears that Nick Tepesch will be on Toronto's roster through today.  If this holds true, Tepesch will have three years of service time and be eligible for arbitration this off-season.

Nick Tepesch, Toronto.  Before the Blue Jays selected his contract today, Tepesch had accrued 2 years and 159 days of MLB service time.  If he can stay up for 13 days, he crosses the 3 year arbitration threshold.  At this point, Tepesch cannot qualify for arbitration as a Super Two, despite his total service time, because he cannot accumulate the necessary 86 days during the 2017 season.

Super Two/Arbitration Update- Tuffy Gosewisch

Tuffy Gosewisch, Seattle. Although Gosewisch was a Super Two last off-season, there is a very good chance that he won't be arbitration eligible at all this off-season.  Seattle Designated him for Assignment on Sunday with 2 years and 171 days of service time accruedin total(He only has 17 days this season).  It will be interesting to see if he can find his way onto a big league roster before the end of the season.  He just needs one day to pass the three year threshold and qualify for arbitration.

Super Two/Arbitration Update: Jace Peterson

Jace Peterson, Atlanta.  The Braves recalled Peterson on Saturday.  Before Saturday, there were 58 days left in the regular season, and Peterson had accrued 2 years and 114 days of service time.  If he stays in the majors for the remainder of the season, Peterson will have exactly 3 years of service time. In that case, he would qualify for arbitration without having to go through the Super Two process.

Has Anyone Else Had an Experience Like This with Trip Advisor?

August 5: The remainder of my refund showed up on my credit card account today.  On Wednesday, I sent TRIP Advisor another email.  This time, I apparently found the right button. 

I had finally found their refund policy, which basically says if a property was misrepresented you will be refunded by Trip Advisor.  Prior to bringing up this information, TA kept giving me the excuse that they were waiting on approval from the property owner before they could give me my money.

The end of the Story: I did get my money back, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't reminded TRIP ADVISOR numerous times what their duty to their customers is.  

July 30 Update:  Nothing has changed on the Trip Advisor front.  Sent another email to them today including a link to this post.

Seeking any insights any of you may have concerning an ongoing interaction I am having with Trip Advisor.

In early June, we used Trip Advisor for lodging on our family vacation.  We booked our trip and the FULL PAYMENT for lodging ($518.38) was made on May 21.  We were scheduled to arrive at our destination on June 7. Our lodging was promoted as being "2 rooms, sleeps 12".

Fast forward to about five days before our trip:

After numerous attempts to contact the owner of the property where we are booked, the owner revealed that she was having issues with the air conditioning in her unit.  Without our knowledge, the owner had been planning to solve this problem by putting us in a unit (2 rooms, sleeps 4) that has functional air conditioning.  This unit would just barely meet our lodging needs; however, it was not anywhere near what we were promised when we booked.

I communicated with the owner about this issue.  She seemed contrite and indicated that if I were able to find a more suitable property for our visit, she would "absolutely" refund our fees.

Fortunately, I was able to find an alternate property, so I booked that place for our visit. Consequently, I canceled our booking at the original location.

Our deposit of $150 was refunded in a timely manner- on June 6.  Expediting the return of the remainder of our fees($368.38), unfortunately, has been a different story.

Several times in the last seven weeks, I have contacted the Trip Advisor support team, which has resulted in a series of friendly, yet completely unproductive emails.  These emails basically say tell me: we understand you are trying to get your money back, we have contacted the owner via phone and gotten no answer.  We have sent her an email and are waiting for her to release her funds so we can give you your money back minus any booking fees.

Needless to say, these emails help me very little.  I am still short $368.38 as a result of a property owner with which I contracted via Trip Advisor not following through on her promise.

Has anyone who has used Trip Advisor had an experience like this?  If so, what did you do about it?

Super Two/Arbitration Update: Pedro Beato

Pedro Beato, Phillies. The Phillies selected Beato's contract on July 29.  The next day, he was placed on the 10-day disabled list.  Prior to having his contract selected, Beato had accrued 1 year and 169 days of service tme.

Beato's time in MLB pushes him past the two-year threshold in regards to service time.  Crossing this threshold seemed unlikely a week ago.  Granted, Beato cannot be a Super Two; however, the fact that he now has two years of service time could result in one more player higher up the service time ladder becoming a Super Two after the season.

Super Two/Arbitration Update- Jumbo Diaz and Brett Oberholzer

Jumbo Diaz, Houston. Diaz is not on a 40-man roster at the moment; however, he did sign a minor league contract with Houston today.  Currently, the right-handed pitcher has 2 years and 128 days of service time.  If he has his contract selected and returns to the big leagues, he will be right in line for a Super Two designation.  If he is able to accrue at least 44 days of service time in the remainder of the season, he would eclipse the 3-year threshold and bypass the Super Two process entirely.

Brett Oberholtzer, Toronto. The lefty had his contract selected today by Toronto.  This is his first appearance on a big league roster this season.  Prior to having his contract selected, Oberholtzer had 2 years and 127 days of service time.  He needs 45 days of service to hit the 3 year threshold and be arbitration eligible.  At this point, Super Two status is not possible, since Oberholtzer cannot earn the minimum requirement of 86 days on an active roster this season.

UPDATE: On Tuesday(August 1), Oberholtzer was designated for assignment.

2017 Brewers' Draft Class

Players in Bold have signed with Milwaukee

1- Keston Hiura, IF, College Junior, Wisconsin
CBA- Tristen Lutz, OF, High School, Helena
2- Caden Lemmons, RHP, High School, AZL Brewers
3- KJ Harrison, C, College Junior, Helena
4- Brendan Murphy, LHP, High School, AZL Brewers
5- Nick Egnatuk, IF, High School, AZL Brewers
6- Devin Hairston, IF, College Junior, Wisconsin
7- Bowden Francis, RHP, JUCO, AZL Brewers
8- Jayson Rose, RHP, College Junior, Helena
9- Dallas Carroll, IF, College Senior, Wisconsin
10- Alec Bettinger, RHP, College Senior, Helena
11- Alex Lazar, RHP, High School, AZL Brewers
12- Je'Von Ward, OF, High School, AZL Brewers
13- Abdiel Layer, IF, High School
14- Gage Workman, IF, High School
15- Christian Santana, RHP, High School
16- Justin Bullock, RHP, High School, AZL Brewers
17- Leugim Castillo, OF, High School, AZL Brewers
18- Ledgend Smith, LHP, High School
19- Noah Gibbons, IF, High School
20- Austin Rubick, RHP, JUCO, AZL Brewers
21- Dylan File, RHP, College Sophomore, Helena
22- Brandon Presley, LHP, JUCO, Helena
23- Cam Robinson, RHP, High School, AZL Brewers
24- Robbie Hitt, RHP, College Junior, Helena
25- Karlos Morales, LHP, High School
26- Carson McCusker, OF, JUCO
27- Cody Martin, RHP, College Junior, Helena
28- Roberto Delgado, RHP, College Junior, Helena
29- Brent Diaz, C, College Junior, AZL Brewers
30- Cody Beckman, LHP, College Senior, Helena
31- Rylan Kaufmann, LHP, High School
32- Miller Hogan, RHP, College Sophomore
33- Kyle Jacobsen, OF, High School
34- Garrett Crochet, LHP, High School
35- Davis Bradshaw, OF, High School
36- Kenny Corey, UTL, College Senior, Helena
37- Christian Taugner, RHP, College Senior, AZL Brewers
38- Robbie Rojas, C, College Senior, AZL Brewers
39- Robert Henry, OF, College Senior, AZL Brewers
40- Trevor Keonig, LHP, High School

Super Two/Arbitration Update- Rosscup and Shreve

Two players, Zach Rosscup and Chasen Shreve were called up to the Major Leagues Sunday.  This action greatly increased each player's chance of being arbitration eligible this off-season.

Zach Rosscup, Colorado.  After Sunday, Rosscup has 2 years and 116 days of MLB service time.  If he stays in the big leagues for at least 56 of the season's 63 remaining days, he will reach the 3 year threshold for arbitration.  NOTE:  With only 11 days on a big league active roster so far this season, Rosscup cannot reach the 86 days of service time to qualify for Super Two status.

Chasen Shreve, Yankees. After Sunday, Shreve has accrued 2 years and 103 days of service time.  If he can stay in the big leagues for another 30 days this season, he should fall in the range to be certified as a Super Two.

Tracking the Super Twos

One thing I have become intrigued by this summer is figuring out which players will qualify for Super Two status in MLB.  This interest has led to the creation of a spreadsheet that began with all players who started this season with between 1.000 and 2.171 years and days of MLB service time.  

With 10 weeks left in the regular season, I plan to use my spreadsheet to guesstimate who will fall in the 22% group that qualifies for an extra year of arbitration, and the potential extra money that goes with it.  My intention is to post a projected list of "Super Twos"  two or three times between now and the end of the regular season and once after the season has concluded.

A few notes about the database...
An "x" after a player indicates that he has been optioned to the minors
Players in blue have been designated for assignment
Players in red are not currently on a 40-man roster

Please join me as I try to learn a little bit about the Super Two process.

Projection of Super Twos based on service time data through July 23, 2017:

This projection has a service time cut-off of 2.120

Kris Bryant
Maikel Franco
Carlos Rodon
Addison Russell
Mike Foltynewicz
Hunter Strickland
Felipe Rivero
Chasen Shreve
Michael Lorenzen
Keone Kela
Raisel Iglesias
Cam Bedrosian
Corey Knebel
Andrew Heaney
Noah Syndergaard
Lance McCullers, Jr.
J.C. Ramirez
Yolmer Carlos Sanchez
Matt Szczur
Eduardo Rodriguez
Chris Bassit
Eddie Rosario
Jace Peterson
Chris Bergman
Jorge Soler
Michael Blazek

Celebrating my Half Birthday...With The Skeeters

SAVE THE DATE: The Sugar Land Skeeters are celebrating my half birthday by appreciating local educators.

Whether it is just a happy coincidence or a planned tip of the hat to my half birthday, the Skeeters have scheduled one of their Teacher Appreciation Nights this season on my half birthday (June 29).

NOTE:  The Skeeters are also hosting a Teacher Appreciation Night on August 12, for those educators who are not able to celebrate my half-birthday.

Here's what Teacher Appreciation Night entails at Constellation Field- two free tickets for educators with a valid teacher ID. In addition, tickets for additional family members can be purchased for $8 each.

The Skeeters are playing the Long Island Ducks on June 29.

2017 Scarborough Football Schedule

September 1, Austin (Dyer)- 7:00
September 9, Wisdom (Butler)- 6:00
September 15, Sam Houston (Cowart)- 7:00
September 22, KIPP Generation (KIPP)- 7:00
September 30, Worthing # (Barnett)- 6:00
October 7, North Forest # (Dyer)- 6:00
October 20, Washington # (Dyer)- 7:00
October 27, Yates # (Dyer)- 7:00
November 3, Kashmere # (Cowart)- 7:00
November 10, Wheatley # (Dyer)- 7:00

#- District Game

Brewers' Minor League Free Agents

As best I can tell, the following members of the Milwaukee organization will be eligible for minor league free agency after this season. I have only included players on full season affiliates.

Colorado Springs

Andrew Barbosa, P

Yhonathon Barrios, P

Hiram Burgos, P

Tyler Cravy, P

Ivan DeJesus, IF

Tim Dillard, P

Rene Garcia, C

David Goforth, P

Stephen Kohlscheen, P

Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF

Sean Nolin, P

Gabriel Noriega, IF

Jorge Ortega, P

Wei-Chung Wang, P
Tom Wilhelmsen, P

Biloxi

Javier Betancourt, IF

Art Charles, IF

Michael Choice, OF

Dustin Houle, C

Natanael Mejia, C

Nick Ramirez, P

Matt Ramsey, P
Michael Reed OF

Tayler Scott, P

Forrest Snow, P

Angel Ventura, P

Carolina

Carlos Belonis, OF
Frank Lopez, P

  

Wisconsin

Parker Berberet, P

Victor Diaz, P

Fidel Pena, C

Yerison Pena, IF

Rule 5 Vulnerable Brewers

The following members of the Brewer organization are vulnerable to this December's Rule 5 Draft. They can be protected by being placed on the 40-man roster prior to the draft.

(The # listed after some players shows those players' prospect rankings within the organization according to MLB.com)

NOTE: This information was gathered from player information found in various sources. Please let me know if you see any incorrect information. I have only included players on the rosters of full season affiliates.

Colorado Springs

Tristan Archer, P

Garrett Cooper, IF

Tyler Heineman, C

Nate Orf, IF

Michael Wren, OF

Biloxi

Clint Coulter, OF

Johnny Davis, OF

Dustin DeMuth, IF

Mauricio Dubon, IF #9

Preston Gainey, P

Jacob Nottingham, C #14

Angel Ortega, IF
Wendell Rijo, IF

Javier Salas, P

Josh Uhen, P

Aaron Wilkerson, P

Carolina

Luis Aviles, IF

Brandon Diaz, OF

Marcos Diplan, P #11

Freddy Peralta, P #19

Wisconsin

Nattino Diplan, P

Tucker Neuhaus, IF

Jorge Quiterio, IF

Joantgel Segovia, OF

I'm Thinking of Living a Summer of Box Tops

The end of the school year is just around the corner, May 25 to be exact.  Among the items on my list for the summer is seeing if I can use social media to convince people to collect their Box Tops to support Stevens, the school where I teach.

I will be passing on more information on my efforts and how you can help.

Thanks.

Spartans Still in Play-off Chase with ten days to Go

According to the information that I have been able to gather, Scarborough's basketball team still has an outside chance to make the play-offs with three games remaining in their regular season.

The Spartans are 3 and 6 in district play after Saturday's upset win over Booker T. Washington.  That record puts Scarborough in fifth place in District 24-4A.  The top four teams in the district qualify for the post-season.  At this point, North Forest, Yates and BTW appear to be locks for three play-off spot.

Here's a look a the unconfirmed standings heading into the week:

Yates- 9-1
North Forest-8-1
BTW- 6-4
Worthing-4-6
Scarborough- 3-6
Wheatley- 2-7
Kashmere- 1-8

Worthing has games remaining against Wheatley and North Forest
Scarborough has games remaining against Yates, Kashmere and Wheatley
Wheatley has games remaining against Worthing, North Forest, and Scarborough.

The regular season concludes on Wednesdy, February 15.

Starting Tonight, the Spartans Have Nine Games Left

Scarborough's basketball team is in its home stretch with a little over a month to go in the season.  At this point, they are 0-2 (with one game result still unknown)

Here's the remaining schedule for the Spartans:

Friday, January 13 at Barnett vs. Yates (7:30)
Tuesday, January 17 at The Pavilion vs. Kashmere (8:30)
Friday, January 20 at Barnett vs. Wheatley (7:30)
Tuesday, January 24 at Barnett vs. Worthing (7:30)
Saturday, January 28 at Barnett vs. North Forest (5:30)
Saturday, February 4 at The Pavilion vs. Washington (1:00)
Tuesday, February 7 at The  Pavilion vs. Yates (4:30)
Friday, February 10 at The Pavilion vs. Kashmere (6:00)
Wednesday, February 15 at Delmar vs. Wheatley (6:00)

Yes, you read the finally entry correctly!  A game at Delmar Fieldhouse.  According to the HISD website, games will begin at the rebuilt facility next month.  The first games there are scheduled for February 10.