The 2021 baseball season at Hodgetown just wrapped up. Thus, there is no better time to talk about why I believe the 2021 Sod Poodle team is better then the team we had in 2019. I also believe that the 2021 Sod Poodles could have brought home a 2nd straight Championship title.

Before I begin, let me just say that I love both the 2021 team and the 2019 team equally. However, technicalities and facts do not live in the heart, but I digress.

The Stats

Looking at the stats the for the 2019 Sod Poodles, they won 72 games out of 140 games. This equals to a 51% win rate. Looking at the 2021 Sod Poodles, they won 59 out of 120 games, giving them a 49% win rate. However, the real difference that I'm basing this argument on which is the 20 game difference.

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The First Half

The 2019 team ended the first half of the season with a even 34-34 record which is very good. It's even more so when you consider that there are only two other teams over 500 at the end of the first half (Arkansas and Tulsa). While the 2021 team only won 27 out 60 games (45% win rate), meaning they got beat by almost every team in the double A central.

The Second Half

Going into the second half is where teams either do one of three things.

  1. Improve and start playing hoping to make the playoffs
  2. Improve start winning but then crack under the pressure and choke the rest of the season
  3. Don't change a thing and keeping losing like you did in the first half

The 2019 and 2021 team both improve and went into the playoff chase with the 2019 team ending the second half at 38-32 wining 54% of there games only getting beat by Arkansas, Tulsa, and Midland. The 2021 team ended up going 33-27 winning 55% of their games.

But also looking at the stats the 2021 team in august they won 17 out 26 which is a 65% win rate and in September they didn't slow down winning 11 out 19 games which is a 58% win rate.

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The Extra 20 Games

So with the 2021 team winning about 60% of their games  we can apply this to the extra 20 games and the 2021 Sod Poodles would have ended their season with a 73-67 record entering the playoffs and possibly even bringing home a second straight championship title.

2021 Highlights

But just because the 2021 Sod Poodles didn't get to bring a championship they still left us fans very happy and lots of moments to remember like

  • Matt Tabor 7th innings no hitter a first in Sod Poodle in history with Luis Frías to only do it again 21 days later both times against the San Antonio Missions.
  • Mikey Reynolds Stealing Home Plate.
  • The Back to Back to Back to Back Home Runs which I only ever found to be done  10 times in MLB history.
  • Last but not least Stone Garrett 3 run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the final game of the 2021 season.

But now that the 2021 season is over we have to wait until April 8th 2022 for the Sod Poodles to return to action at Hodgetown First Pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.

Josh Jung and the Frisco RoughRiders play in Amarillo at HODGETOWN

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