2017 NoJR Season Revue - AJ's Aces Round the Bases

This season summary is 3 years late, but I'll be danged if I have any gaps in cataloguing the illustrious history of the Nephews of Jody Reed fantasy league!

2017 is noteworthy in that it was basically the same season as 2019: it was an Astros vs. Dodgers World Series won by Houston using a sign stealing system. The difference back then is that we didn't know about it, and the city of Houston had suffered damage from back-to-back hurricanes (Harvey and Irma), so people still liked the Astros' story back then.

You know what they say: party today, whistle blow tomorrow.

From a fantasy perspective, 2017 brought with it an expansion from 12 to 14 teams for NoJR, making it a fiercely competitive and active season. One team rose above the fray to win the first championship in the new expanded format, and it was AJ's Aces!

Ready to feel embarrassed? AJ was 1.5 when he won his first chip.

Read on for a season synopsis that looks at the road to the championship, starting with the draft, identifying the top free agents, and a look at how AJ's Aces navigated the playoffs to secure the title.

2020 NoJR Season Revue - Oh, It's Over Already?

That's what she said.

2020 has been a wild, weird, and memorable year for the world, and it was no different for NoJR. We entered our 10th season with a beastly 14 teams and an epic auction draft that was almost longer than the actual season itself. Then COVID shut down everything, we waited for the league and players union to figure out what the heck they were doing, and on July 23rd we finally played ball.

A caption that only makes sense in 2020.

All things considered, I'm shocked the season went as well as it did. When the Marlins had to postpone over a week of games, and then the Cardinals joined in, I thought the season was going to unravel, but teams managed to keep it together enough that fans and fantasy players were able to stay invested.

As for NoJR, we had a lightning quick regular season with just 5 match-ups followed by 3 rounds of playoffs making this a sprint like no other. 

MLB clubs have had significant roster churn such that I probably can't even name half of my favorite team's roster right now (Red Sox); accordingly, we lifted weekly free agent transaction restrictions from 3 to 10, creating a surge of GM activity.

We also expanded the number of playoff teams to 8, meaning over half the league had a shot at the championship.

While the season may have been unique in these many ways, the end result was anything but. For the 3rd year in a row, the Rip City Reavers are champions!

If this guy posts that scene from Serenity one... more... time...

As usual, this season-ending synopsis will review the draft (long, long ago) and the flurry of activity from opening day through our final stanza in what was a weird and unforgettable year.