Trade Deadline Review: 1989

This is the eighth in a series of posts taking a look at the trade deadline action in each season during the CFCL’s first 29 years. Specifically, for each season we’ll look at each team’s trading turnover in the 3-4 weeks before the trading deadline. Individual deals were listed (though not analyzed) in the “This Week in CFCL History” posts.

Previous posts in this series:

1984-1987
1988
1998-1999
2000
2001
2002
2006

Here's what when on at the trade deadline in 1989.

1989
Trade Deadline: July 11 (final out of All Star Game), trading allowed between contiguous teams until August 31
Number of Teams / Number of Trades:  6 teams, 10 trades
Number of Players Changing Hands:  40 players, 6 draft picks
Busiest Teams:  McGuire's Picks (7 trades)
Contenders:  David's Copperfields, Dem Rebels
Rebuilders: McGuire’s Picks, David’s Ruffins, Eric’s Lambchops, Six Packs

1989 saw the continuation of the dual trade deadline instituted in 1988. There was free trading from Draft Day until mid-season, then between the All Star Game and August 31 only teams that were adjacent in the standings could trade with each other.

This year there was a little more of that contiguous dealing going on, as four trades were completed after the All Star Game deadline.

Here’s all the deadline action from 1989:

DAVID’S RUFFINS

Acquired	Traded	Results
Jose Uribe Dennis Cook	Kevin Elster Andy McGaffigan	The Ruffins acquired Uribe and Cook in mid July when the Ruffins were just 4 points out of last place, so it’s hard to believe this wasn’t an attempt at rebuilding.  They didn’t keep either player in 1990, so as rebuilding attempts go, it can’t be called a success.   Neither player contributed much to the Ruffin’s effort in 1989 either.  After the trade Cook won 4 games with a 4.50 ERA, while Uribe hit just .195 with 9 RBI.

 McGUIRE’S PICKS

Acquired	Traded	Results
Rolando Roomes David Martinez Geronimo Berroa Luis Salazar Terry Pendleton Jeff Treadway Tom Foley Dave Magadan Jody Davis Benito Santiago <Dennis Cook> <Scott Garrelts> Rick Aguilera Eric Show 1st round pick 1st round pick 1st round pick	Kevin McReynolds Oddibie McDowell Vance Law Ryne Sandberg Dave Magadan Randy Ready Glenn Davis Keith Hernandez Nelson Santovenia Mike Scioscia Mark Davis Dennis Cook Scott Garrelts Tom Browning 1st round pick 1st round pick	The Picts apparently took stock of their position on July 11, and finding themselves in 5th place (out of 8 teams), and nearly as close to last place as they were to 4th place, began a heavy rebuilding campaign, completing 7 trades and turning over half their active roster in the two and a half weeks between July 11 and August 1.   All that action yielded little in terms of results, though.  Ten of the players the Picks acquired were gone by Roster Freeze Day 1990, in fact the Picks waived half of those ten before the 1989 season had even ended.   The two who made it to the 1990 Picks Opening Day roster were Luis Salazar and Eric Show.   Salazar hit .254 that year, with 12 HR and 47 RBI, while Show imploded, winning just 6 games with a 5.76 ERA.   The Picks didn’t even use all of the minor league picks they received, selecting only pitcher Jay Aldrich in the 1990 minor league draft.  Aldrich never pitched for the Picks.

ERIC’S LAMBCHOPS

Acquired	Traded	Results
Von Hayes Oddibie McDowell Todd Benzinger Kevin Elster <Randy Ready> Sid Fernandez Rob Dibble <Dennis Cook> Scott Garrelts Andy McGaffigan	Geronimo Berroa Terry Pendleton Pedro Guerrero Randy Ready Jose Uribe Scott Terry Tim Burke Rick Aguilera Dennis Cook 1st round pick	By July of 1989, the Lambchops were seemingly securely ensconced in the second division, just 5 points out of last place, so they started picking up pieces for 1990.   Only one acquisition made it through to their roster the next year, Scott Garrelts.  Garrelts had a so-so season that year – he won 12 games, but supported it with a 4.15 ERA and 1.43 Ratio.   Garrelts actually helped the Lambchops more in 1989 than in 1990.  He won 8 games after they acquired him and posted at 1.69 ERA and an 0.82 Ratio.  Combined with the 0.99 Ratio they received from Fernandez and the 1.02 Ratio from Dibble, the Lambchops rose from last place in Ratio on July 10 to first place in the category by the end of the season.   That was enough to pull them up into 4th place overall, and secured the 1st overall minor league draft pick in 1990, which they used to select pitcher Steve Avery.

SIX PACKS

Acquired	Traded	Results
Vance Law Pedro Guerrero Scott Terry Tim Burke	Luis Salazar Todd Benzinger Sid Fernandez Rob Dibble 1st round pick	In 2nd place on July 10, the Six Packs put together a couple deals to try and catch the leading Dem Rebels.   They got mixed results from their acquisitions.  Law bombed, hitting just .235 with 4 HR; but Guerrero was a stud the final 2 and a half months, hitting .330 with 11 HR, 62 RBI, and even adding a couple SB.   On the pitching side, Terry was decent with a 3.40 ERA but only 2 Wins and 2 Saves.  Burke was solid though, with a 2.14 ERA, 0.91 Ratio, 4 Wins and 11 Saves.   Overall, though , the Six Packs were able to only pick up an additional half a point the rest of the season and ended up falling to 3rd place by the end of the year.

DAVID’S COPPERFIELDS

Acquired	Traded	Results
Ryne Sandberg Randy Ready <Dave Magadan> Keith Hernandez Glenn Davis Nelson Santovenia Tom Browning 1st round pick 1st round pick	Von Hayes Rolando Roomes Jeff Treadway Tom Foley Dave Magadan Benito Santiago Eric Show 1st round pick	The Copperfields came into 1989 having won three consecutive CFCL Championships, and were intent on adding a fourth.   For most of the season, though, they struggled to stay above 5th place.  By the end of July, they were locked in 4th place, just half a point ahead of the 5th place Lambchops, and trailing the 3rd place Picks by 2.5.   This place in the standings provided the Copperfields an opportunity, however.  The free-trading deadline had already passed, but the Copperfields could still trade with the teams directly above and below them in the standings, and the Lambchops and Picks had already started rebuilding for next year.   The Coppers took advantage of the opportunity, and completed four deals in the last two weeks of the season – three with the Picks and one with the Lambchops.   They didn’t get much of anything from Keith Hernandez or Nelson Santovenia (Hernandez was particularly disappointing, hitting just .165).  But the others helped the Copperfields put together a drive that took them from 4th to a tie for 1st by the end of August.  The Rebels pulled away after that, though, topping the Copperfields by 3 points at the end of the season.   The Copperfields used one of the first round picks they acquired to select Reggie Jefferson, who ended up having a few good years, but only after he had moved to the American League.   With the other pick the Coppers chose outfield prospect Moises Alou, who obviously went on to have a stellar career, but the Copperfields had cut him after an injury cost him the entire 1991 minor league season.

 DEM REBELS

Acquired	Traded	Results
Kevin McReynolds Mike Scioscia Mark Davis 1st round pick	David Martinez Jody Davis Dennis Cook Scott Garrelts 1st round pick	Dem Rebels made only one trade at the 1989 deadline – a 7-player, 2 draft pick deal with the Picks.    In 1st place by 6.5 points in mid-July, they set out to address the one category they were lagging in – Saves – and acquired reliever Mark Davis.   Davis delivered big time, nailing down 22 saves to go with his 1.10 ERA and 0.88 Ratio.  He helped the Rebels move from 6th in the category to 1st.  In addition, McReynolds contributed 15 HR and 45 RBI, while Scioscia hit 7 long balls and drove in 24.   The trade helped the Rebels solidify their hold on First Place and they beat the Copperfields by 3 points to take their first CFCL Championship.   In 1990, they selected catcher Todd Hundley with the 1st round pick they received from the … um … Picks.

1989 Standings at Trade Deadline and End of Season (click to embiggen)

 

Trading the Gator: The Home Stretch

As we've seen the past couple days, the 2013 race has turned out to be another nail-biter.  It's that time of year when the team in the lead spend gut-wrenching nights hitting refresh on the Live Scoring, desperately trying to stave off charging competitors, while those lower in the standings - if they're paying attention at all - wonder at what could have been, while others have already checked out for the year.

We see all of that in this clip from Trading the Gator.  We get to hear the anxious thoughts of Lambchop owner, Eric Lamb, as he tries to hang onto a lead for the last few weeks of the season, we get to experience the softball prowess of Da Paul Meister's owner Paul Zeledon, and hear David Mahlan (David's Copperfields) and Kelly Barone (Six Packs) dissect the Six Packs all-out collapse in 2002.

Anatomy of a Pennant Race (Part 2)

Here's a look at the top five places of the CFCL 2013 Pennant Chase.  Standings as of 9/11/13.

1.  Clowns 74
2.  Bulls  73
3.  Ruffins  63
4.  DoorMatts  62
5.  Kenndoza Line  57
6.  Beatniks (Beatniks listed yesterday and today to show how they might move up or down the standings).

Beatniks VS Line (9 points separating the teams)
Beatniks could gain 1 SB, 1 OBP, 3 WHiP, 1.5 QS, 3 K/BB, 1 H/S for a total of 10.5 points.
Line could lose 1 OBP, 2 WHiP for a total of 3 points.
13.5 points in play with a nine point deficit.  Beatniks could move up.

Line VS DoorMatts (5 points separating the teams)
Line could gain 1 Run, 1 TB, 1 ERA, 1 WHiP for a total of four points.
DoorMatts could lose 1 OBP, 1ERA, 1 K/BB for a total of three points.
Seven points in play with a five point deficit.  Line could move up.

DoorMatts VS Ruffins (1 point separating the teams)
DoorMatts could gain 1 OBP, 1 WHiP, 1 K/BB for a total of three points.
Ruffins could lose 1 R, 1 TB, .5 QS, 1 K/BB for a total of three and a half points.
6.5 points in play with a one point deficit.  DoorMatts could move up and for all of August and part of September, the DoorMatts and Ruffins in fact have been been trading the third and fourth place slots.

Ruffins VS Bulls  (10 whopping points separating the teams).
Ruffins could gain 1 RBI, 1 ERA, 1 WHiP, .5 QS, 2 K/BB, 1 H/S for a total of six and a half points.
Bulls could lose 1 R, 1 TB, 1 WHiP, .5 QS, 2 K/BB, 1 H/S for a total of six and a half points.
Thirteen  points in play with a ten point deficit.  Amazingly, with two weeks left in the season, the Ruffins could move up.

Bulls VS Clowns (1 point separating the teams).
Bulls could gain 1 OBP, 1 TB, 1 ERA, 1 WHiP, 1.5 QS, 1 K/BB for a total of 6.5 points.
Clowns could lose 1 OBP, 3 WHiP, .5 QS, 3 K/BB for a total of 7.5 points.
Two weeks left in the season and there could be a fourteen point swing with the top two teams.  Bulls could move up.  And in fact, for August and September the Bulls and Clowns have been flipflopping the top two places in the standings.

Disclaimer**  This is all potential stuff.  For any head-to-head matchup diagnosed above and yesterday to happen, all the right (or wrong) things must happen.  The reality is that some of this and some of that will happen.  The amazing point to this Anatomy of a Pennant Race is that with two weeks left in the season, EVERY SINGLE TEAM has the ability to move up or down in the standings.  That speaks volumes to the parity of the talent of the owners in this league as well as the detailed attention they give their team week in and week out.  Oh, sure it could be luck or a special convergence of events.  But as we saw yesterday, this is the fourth year out of the last five where we very well won't know the CFCL champion until the last out of the last game of the season.

Further proving that point, [get this, this is amazing] the Bulls and Clowns are adjacent to each other in FIVE categories and four of those categories it is completely possible that one could pass the other.  That is eight points that will be in play until the final game of the season.

Anatomy of a Pennant Race (Part 1)

It may not surprise you to hear that over the course of 29 complete seasons the CFCL has seen some amazing pennant races.  I'm sure every league has had them.  But just in the last four years we have seen three amazing races, each quite different than the other.

2012 - Candy Colored Clowns hold a commanding 15-20 point lead over the league around the trade deadline.  Dem Rebels decide to try to make things interesting and make a few deals at the deadline.  As late as the end of August the Clowns still held a 20 point lead over the Rebels.  And then September happens.  And the Rebels are coming, and they keep coming and they make the Clowns sweat.  When the final out was recorded for the season, the Clowns had their first CFCL title, finishing 1 point ahead of Dem Rebels.

2011 - A year that will live in infamy in the Revenge historical archives.  Four teams finished within four and a half points of each other.  Going into the final week the DoorMatts, Ruffins, Revenge and Kenndoza Line all had legitimate opportunity to take home the Copperfield Trophy.  With about six days left in the season the Ruffins, in third or fourth place, even sent out a concession e-mail wishing the other three owners well in their pursuit of the pinnacle.  When it looked like the Revenge would take their first championship to the mantle, tragedy struck in the name of Brad Lincoln and the Ruffins scooted past the scrum to finish 1.5 points ahead of the Kenndoza Line.

2010 -   Perhaps the most amazing race ever.  The Kenndoza Line and DoorMatts were neck and neck.  To make matter more hectic, perennial champion Copperfields were hovering just a few points back.  It came down to the last day.  It came down to the last game.  It came down to the last inning.  After the final pitch we had a flatfooted tie, Kenndoza Line 79 - DoorMatts 79.  The Line owned the tie-breaker, denying the DoorMatts their first ever title.

2013 is shaping up much the same way.  But not just for the championship.  There is a lot of drama for ALL the positions.  Today and tomorrow we will look at each "race".  First - teams 6-10.

STANDINGS AS OF 9/11/13

6.  Eukennott Beatniks  48
7.  Dem Rebels  48
8.  Stranger Danger  46
9.  Morkertzuma's Revenge  44
10.  Twin  Killers  35

In the following matchups, I have only identified if the team lower in the standings can catch the team directly above them by either gaining points or having the higher team lose points.  If you want to see a comprehensive view of the standings, click here.

Twin Killers  VS.  Revenge  [Nine points separate them]
The Killers can conservatively gain 1 point in Runs, 1 OBP, 2 WHiP, 2 K/BB for a total of 6.
The Revenge could potentially lose 1 SB, 1 OBP, 1 ERA, 1 WHiP, 1 QS, 2 K/BB for a total of 7.
Thirteen point swing with a nine point difference.  Killers could move up.

Revenge VS Danger [Two points separate them]
Before we get to the analysis, let's be reminded that the Revenge are trying to pass a team WHOSE OWNER DIDN'T SHOW UP TO THE DRAFT; WHOSE PROXY LEFT THE DRAFT EARLY; WHO HAD TO COMPLETE HIS RESERVE ROSTER TWO FULL DAYS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE DRAFT!!!!
Revenge can gain 1 RBI, 1 OBP, 1 TB, 2 WHiP for a total of 5.
Danger can lose 1 SB for a total of 1.
Six point swing with a two point difference.  Revenge could move up.

Danger VS Dem Rebels [Two points separate them]
Before we get to the analysis, let's be reminded that the Rebels are trying to stay ahead of a team WHOSE OWNER DIDN'T SHOW UP TO THE DRAFT; WHOSE PROXY LEFT THE DRAFT EARLY; WHO HAD TO COMPLETE HIS RESERVE ROSTER TWO FULL DAYS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE DRAFT!!!!
Danger can gain 1 OBP, 1 QS for a total of 2.
Dem Rebels can lose 1 R, 2 OBP, 2 WHiP, 2 K/BB for a total of 7.
Nine point swing with a two point difference.  Danger could move up.

Dem Rebels VS Beatniks [0 points separate them]
I show the Rebels as the pursuers of the Beatniks, despite the tie in points because the Beatniks have been ahead all season long.  Simply throwing a bone to the 'Niks.  They've had a tough season.
Dem Rebels can gain 1 SB, 1 K/BB for a total of 2.
Beatniks can lose 1 SB, 1 OBP, 2 WHiP, 1 QS, 1 K/BB for a total of 6.
Eight point swing with no point difference.  Dem Rebels could move up.

Teams 1-5 tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

CFCL Owners of 1997



 



You need to use your imagination on this one since the camera angle doesn't provide a great shot of all the owners.  Starting with the gentleman with his back to the camera and working left:  Ken Welsch (Welch's Flatfeet); Dave Goetz (ForGoetzMeNots), Darrin Bowser (Darrin's Big Dogs), Dave Holian (David's Ruffins), David Mahlan (and eventual CFCL Champion David's Copperfields), Rich Bentel (Dem Rebels), Matt Bentel (DoorMatts), Paul Zeledon (Da Paul Meisters), Eric Lamb (Lambchops).  Not pictured because he was just off camera to the right, Kelly Barone (Six Packs).

1997 saw the CFCL on video, but not prescient enough to take a league photo.  David and Michelle opened their home to the league for drafting.  If I'm not mistaken, this was the year when we drafted at David and Michelle's when Michelle left the house early in the draft to go for a walk.  She came back an hour or so later, looked at us and said "I can't believe you're spending a beautiful spring day inside sitting around a table."  She had a point.  Up until that day, the weather in Chicago had been pretty dreary and cold.  This day was sunny and in the 60's and, well we had work to do.  So one of the only beautiful spring days that year flitted by as we watched the Copperfields build a team that ran to their 8th CFCL Championship.

1997 was also the first time the CFCL expanded to the nice round number of ten owners.  Darrin Bowser (Bowser's Big Dogs) spent their one and only year in the league.  For the first time we had nine returning owners.

Meet the Graging Bulls

We are coming down the home stretch of the Current Owner Q&A.  Matt Grage joined the CFCL in 2000.  In his first thirteen years in the league his highwater mark was 2nd place in 2003.  But this year, 2013, could be the year he reaches Shangri-La.  He is in a neck and neck fight with the Candy Colored Clowns to take home the Copperfield Trophy.

Matt is a baseball fan through and through.  Many a summer night you can spot him on WGN-TV at a Cubs game sitting four rows up and just to the right of home plate.  He's also a constant presence down at the Arizona Fall League.  In addition to his passion as a fan, Matt stepped up in an administrative role within the CFCL.  When David retired, Matt took over the duties of tracking players being cut during Spring Training and annually provides the league with the Official Draft Sheet of Available Players.

Matt is the only team in CFCL history to go through three name changes.  He entered the  league as Matt's Hard Hats.  In 2004 he changed the name to Hot Sludge Sundae (don't ask, please don't ask) and thankfully again changed his name in 2006 to Graging Bulls.  You can read his profile here.

In real life Matt is a firefighter and perhaps the most poignant moment in the CFCL was when Matt came to a CFCL get together, I think it was a draft, with his hair dyed red.  He and many other firemen across the country did this as a sign of support for their fallen brothers in the 9/11 tragedy.  It reminded me once again that what we are doing here is just a game and more importantly, this league is made up of some really amazing, special guys.  It's time now to meet the Graging Bulls.

You are the fourth most senior member of the CFCL. What changes seem the most significant to you from when you joined (2000) to now?

 

The last time I was a senior member of anything, there was a spanking machine, a 44 gallon drum of rendered bacon fat, a plethora of rubber chickens and three legged ocelot involved. Oh wait, I was never in a fraternity in college. That must have been a dream. Yes, a dream.

 

Ahem. Anyways, I think the biggest change is going from 12 teams to 10. Our player penetration was so deep (don't go there Mike) that there was spirited bidding on 5th outfielders and 3rd catchers. You never could draft starting position players in the Rotation draft, even if they were Betancourt bad. Plus there are so many players available on the waiver wire now. I don't think there has been a week without a FAAB bid or waiver claim this year.

 

When you draft each year you wear your “Angry Eyes” hat. Is that a “mascot” for you like DunnKenn is for the Kenndoza Line?

 

LOL It's mainly a combination of watching too much poker on TV and my impeccable fashion sense. Plus it's a really cool hat. For this special occasion, I'll even give you guys the origin story. Be sure to print this out on non-acidic paper and store it in a vacuum sealed mylar bag. I was researching (re: obsessively stalking) one of my many, many Padre prospects (most likely Jaff Decker) when I saw a thumbnail pic of said prospect. He was wearing a Lake Elsinore cap, probably because he was playing for them at the time. It was love at first sight. A quick visit to their online store and a long week of waiting by my mailbox like Charlie Brown on Valentine's Day and there it was. History was made. And it irrevocably changed the CFCL forever ... It is my precious.

 

It sounds like you head off to Arizona for the Fall League pretty consistently. Is that a yearly event for you?

 

Yeah, and I've already started making plans to attend this year. I'm not sure how many years I've been going, maybe close to 10. I think it's a great way to extend the baseball season another month. It's three days of going to some fairly competitive games and talking about them with people who do that sort of thing for a living.

 

Have you met scouts and other baseball executives while you’re there?

 

Actually, I have. They've invited a Blue Jay scout, Kimball Crossley, the last few years. He's a fantastic speaker and very approachable. One year, they had Logan White as a featured guest. He's the Dodgers VP of Amateur Scouting. I've also met a few guys who have gone on to work in various team front offices. For the most part, it's writers for most of the major sports and fantasy sports websites. Guys like Ron Shandler, CFCL alum Jason Grey, Lawr Michaels, John Sickels, Jim Callis, Eric Karabell & Jeff Erickson. Every year I try to convince Jeff to fire a low level employee by the name of Kenn Ruby but he never takes my advice, with the usual lame excuses of being a terrific writer, a keen fantasy strategist & righteous dude.

 

In your thirteen years in the league, who has been your favorite ballplayer to own?

 

If you had asked this a couple years ago, my answer would have to had been Mark Prior unfortunately. He had such a bright career ahead of him before Dusty destroyed his arm. I can't wait for Baker to die so I can go spit on his grave ...

 

On the bright side, my new favorite player is a current Bull, Steven Strasburg. He was so good in his last start, he almost single-handedly put me in 1st place for about 10 minutes Sunday night. :) I thank Buddha that he's pitching for an organization that knows a little something about protecting pitchers. BTW, a close second is Bryce Harper :) But he gets docked a spot for getting his GED so he could enter the draft early and thus scuttling my plans on drafting him in the 13th round while he was a senior in High School ...

 

What exactly is your obsession with minor leaguers and your Reserve Roster?

 

It goes back to when I first came into the league. I saw the expansion draft list and the rosters of the returning teams and knew I wouldn't be able to compete. I was just getting back into fantasy sports after a long hiatus as well. I thought one area I could get even just a slim advantage was to put a lot of focus on the minor leagues. Sure, I made a lot of mistakes at first like drafting middle relievers (Hi Matt!!). :) But I think I've gotten better over the years and my hit rate is substantially better now.

 

As for Reserve List picks, I've actually done a complete 180 on them since starting out. The graybeards might remember a time when I'd just give them away like <REDACTED>.* Or maybe they can't remember because senility has set in. ;) I like having extras now either to as trade fodder or just to hoard so others can't use them. That didn't happen this year since I am in the unfamiliar position of being the dumpee rather than the dumper.

 

In real life you’re a firefighter for Chicago. Any interesting or cool stories you can tell?

 

Sure, but most are NSFW. I once nearly fell through an attic onto a fire floor (luckily I was too fat to slip in between the joists). Another time, some stairs collapsed right after I had just got off of them. Had a room flash over on me a couple of times. There were also a few bottle rocket fights at the firehouse and other assorted fireworks related gags. :)

 

But I guess the most appropriate memory for this forum would have to be meeting Double Duty Radcliffe a couple of times before he passed away a few years back. He was an old Negro Leagues ballplayer who earned his nickname by catching the first game of a doubleheader then pitching the second. He was living in an old folks' home close to my firehouse. He'd call for an ambulance and if we were closer, the alarm office would send us first. Even in his 90s, he was pretty healthy and able to get around well enough. He would tell us stories about the greats he played with who were long gone. He was a gifted storyteller.

 

On a more dour note, we were the ones who pronounced Vernon Jarrett a few years back as well. You never know who will be on the other end of a call ...

 

OK, I lied. There will be no further Joker references today ...

 

* - That was just too mean to Mike ;) I couldn't do it ... Just finish the sentence with candy :)

CFCL Teams in Living Color

I have mentioned numerous times during the posts of the Owner Q&A that we have currently and in the past many, many talented owners.  From the Q&A itself you have been able to realize just how talented many of our owners are with the written word and dry wit.  Today we are showcasing the amazing talent of one particular owner.

If you took the time to visit our CFCL Clubhouse you saw that a few owners posted a Team Logo (such as the one the Ruffins created at the link above).  I took another route.  I enlisted the amazing creativity and computer talent of Nick Hansen (a.k.a.  Head Beatnik).  "Enlisted" may be a bit generous.  It was more like "DEMANDED".  "I don't care about work, personal life, sleep!  Make me a logo!"  Ok, maybe not that bad, but I was persistent.

Well, persistency pays off.  Nick designed a few looks before we hit the jackpot.  Here are a couple of the early versions.

 Not bad.  Actually I liked it, but it needed something more.

Again, pretty cool.  I remember being torn about the coloration among these first three.








Cool, like the first two, but not quite it.

It certainly grabs the essence of Dem Rebels being based out of Fort Payne, Alabama.  And while this is simply a silly attempt to picturize a fantasy baseball team, I'm disturbed by the historical message the flag is giving.  Had to say no.

This one is nice.  It might be a nice emblem for a cap or maybe the road uniform.  But the next logo was the winner and all credit for creativity and execution goes to Nick.  (**I'm not being effusive with my praise because the Rebels are about to pass the Beatniks like a nitrogas infused Mustang passes a turtle.  Nick really did an amazing job.**)

This is it.  Like a woman who know she's found her wedding dress, this is the logo of Dem Rebels.  Perfect in every way.

Nick was even willing to do some work on spec.  He created this for the Graging Bulls.  No word on whether Matt incorporated this into his team's look.