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The Fuzzy Memorial League |
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Baseball with an Attitude |
Dec. 12, 2024 |
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The FML Welcome to the Fuzzy Memorial League, one of the oldest Rotisserie-style fantasy baseball leagues in United States. Formed in 1984 at the now-defunct Turbot Restaurant on North State Parkway in Chicago, the FML is in its 39th year, as of 2019. Main Menu Other Links Contact Steve Marovich, Commissioner |
Shoeless Sandmen Win the 2024 FML ChampionshipAfter becoming the eighth Fuzzy Memorial League team to occupy first place this season, back on May 8, the Shoeless Sandmen never lost their hold on the lead, occupying the top spot in the standings for 141-straight days. The Sandmen won the 2024 championship by three points over the second-place Karp’s High Ratios, 82 to 79, with the third-place Addison Lights three and one-half points behind, 82 to 78.5. On Sept. 14, Karp’s narrowed the lead to a point and a half, 80 to 78.5. At times on Friday night, Sept. 27, the Sandmen’s margin narrowed to a single point, 80 to 79, over both Karp’s High Ratios and the Lights.
For the Sandmen, the title was only the second for franchise, with former-owner Albert Ettinger winning the 1994 championship. Phil Dlatt, the current owner, completed his sixth year in the league after taking over from Ettinger in 2019. The 141-straight days in first place is second only to the 1993 L.L. Beans, who led the entire season, 182 total days. Patton’s High Velocity won a heated battle for fourth place over the Blues City Bruisers, 58.5 to 57.
The Sandmen won season titles in home runs, earned run average and ratio, while finishing second in runs scored, tied for second place in RBI, third in batting average, tied for fourth place in wins, fourth in both stolen bases and strikeouts and fifth in saves.
Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal and Emmanuel Clase Top the 2024 FML All-Star TeamThe Addison Lights’ Aaron Judge was named the Fuzzy Memorial League’s 2024 “Most Valuable Player” with a .322 batting average, 58 home runs, 144 RBI and 10 stolen bases. The Shoeless Sandmen’s Bobby Witt Jr. was the runner-up with a .332 batting mark, 32 home runs, 109 RBI and 31 stolen bases. Patton’s High Velocity’s Tarik Skubal won the league “Most Valuable Starting Pitcher” award with an 18-4 record, a 2.39 earned run average and a 0.92 ratio (the latter ninth-best in FML history). Emmanuel Clase from Karp’s High Ratios took “Most Valuable Relief Pitcher” honors for the second-straight year with a 4-2 mark, 47 saves, a 0.60 ERA and a 0.66 WHIP.
The “Rookie Position Player of the Year” award went to Patton’s Ceddanne Rafaela with a .246 batting average, 15 home runs, 75 RBI and 19 stolen bases. The “Rookie Starting Pitcher of the Year” was the Addison Lights’ Luis Gil with a 15-7 record, a 3.55 ERA and a 1.23 ratio in 28 starts over 145 innings pitched. Karp’s Mason Miller took “Rookie Relief Pitcher of the Year” honors with a 2-2 record, 28 saves, a 2.49 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. Click here to see the complete 2024 FML All-Star Team.
Former Bruiser Dave Parker Elected to the Baseball Hall of FameDave Parker and Dick Allen will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025 after being elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee.
Parker becomes the 49th Fuzzy Memorial League player to enter the hall of fame. While he spent most of his career in the National League, Parker played for the Blues City Bruisers in 1989 as a member of the Oakland Athletics and in 1991 as a member of both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels. Parker also played for the 1988 Shoeless Sandmen (then Herr’s Hot Grounders) in his first year with Oakland.
Click here to see the complete list of FML players in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Record BookThe Three Stooges’ 199 stolen bases was the fifth-best all-time in the FML…the Shoeless Sandmen’s 3.254 team earned run average was the third-best all-time, with the 1991 Karp’s High Ratios holding the league record at 3.190…the Sandmen set a league record with a 1.0855 WHIP, shattering a record of 1.1250 by the 2022 L.L. Beans…Patton’s recorded 101 wins, marking the 10th time the team has surpassed the century mark…the Three Stooges set a futility record with a .2303 team batting average, the worst in the 41-year history of the FML…the Stooges weren’t alone in being offensively-challenged, with six FML teams failing to hot better than .240…the Brew Jays, with $1,018 spent in 2024, became the eighth FML team (four times by the Brew Jays) to spend more than $1,000. The league record of $1,206 by the 2021 Brew Jays still stands. The 36 free agents signed by this year’s Jays was second only to the 46 signed by the 2022 Bruisers…the $72 auction salary assigned to Karp’s Juan Soto is a league record, breaking a mark of $69 set by the Karp’s in both 2003 and 2006 for Alex Rodriguez.
2025 FML AuctionSave the date. The 2025 FML Auction will be Saturday, March 22 at Noon, CDT, at the home of Bill Levy in Deerfield, Ill. The deadline for 15-player freeze lists and long-term contracts will be the previous Tuesday, March 17. MLB Opening Day is the Thursday after the auction, March 27.
FML AccountsThe following teams owe money to the league, as of Sept. 30: Addison Lights, $460, no payment needed Blues City Bruisers, $279, payment now due Brew Jays, $144, payment now due L.L. Beans, -$40, to be credited on 2025 account Nordica Knucklers, $49, payment now due Patton's High Velocity, $99, no payment needed Shoeless Sandmen, $158, no payment needed Three Stooges, $13, to be debited on 2025 account Wa-Wa Two Sees, -$7, to be credited on 2025 account
Rookie EligibilityThe following players lost their rookie eligibility in 2024: Ben Rice, Addison Lights (Aug. 7) Colton Cowser, Addison Lights (April 8) Connor Norby, Addison Lights (Aug. 5, traded to the N.L.) Luis Gil, Addison Lights (April 22) Colt Keith, Addison Lights (May 13) Shane Baz, Addison Lights (July 8) Darell Hernaiz, Addison Lights (Aug. 13) Jackson Holliday, Addison Lights (Aug. 29) Kyle Manzardo, Addison Lights (Sept. 4) Evan Carter, Blues City Bruisers (April 22) Parker Meadows, Brew Jays (April 1) Justyn-Henry Malloy, Brew Jays (July 22) Yariel Rodriguez, Brew Jays (July 29) Leo Jimenez, Brew Jays (Aug. 20) Dillon Dingler, Brew Jays (Sept. 12) Mason Miller, Karp’s High Ratios (March 29) Austin Wells, Karp’s High Ratios (April 15) Emerson Hancock, Karp’s High Ratios (May 6) Wyatt Langford, Karp’s High Ratios (June 3) Spencer Horwitz, Karp’s High Ratios (June 24) David Festa, Karp’s High Ratios (Aug. 31) Junior Caminero, Karp’s High Ratios (Sept. 10) Zebby Matthews, Karp’s High Ratios (Sept. 28) Brayan Rocchio, L.L. Beans (April 8) Nick Loftin, L.L. Beans (April 15) Nolan Schanuel, Nordica Knucklers (March 29) Drew Thorpe, Nordica Knucklers (July 30) Brooks Lee, Nordica Knucklers (Sept. 13) Curtis Mead, Patton’s High Velocity (April 1) Ceddanne Rafaela, Patton’s High Velocity (April 8) Heston Kjerstad, Patton’s High Velocity (July 1) Joey Loperfido, Patton’s High Velocity (July 8) Ryan Bliss, Patton’s High Velocity (July 11) Addison Barger, Patton’s High Velocity (Aug. 3) Cade Povich, Patton’s High Velocity (Aug. 27) Jonatan Clase, Patton’s High Velocity (Sept. 29) Wenceel Perez, Shoeless Sandmen (May 27) Ben Joyce, Shoeless Sandmen (June 10) Jhonkensy Noel, Shoeless Sandmen (Aug. 14) Jordyn Adams, Shoeless Sandmen (Sept. 24) Kyren Paris, Three Stooges (June 10) Jonathan Cannon, Three Stooges (July 15) Jordan Leasure, Wa-Wa Two Sees (May 13) Spencer Arrighetti, Wa-Wa Two Sees (June 3) Austin Martin, Wa-Wa Two Sees (June 17)
2025 FML Transaction DeadlinesAll times Central Daylight. Please note that FML deadlines are determined by the first MLB game, not necessarily the first American League contest.
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