Up in smoke

Here is another unofficial statistic from the 2009 season: the much-debated blown saves.

The numbers aren't official because there was one game involving two West Division teams that might have had a blown save that I was unable to confirm with the radio broadcasters.

For the second year in a row, Washington led the Frontier League in blown saves.
It's interesting that many of the teams with the worst records in the league were at the bottom of the list for blown saves. Traverse City had the fewest blown saves, probably in part because of Jeff Williams being so good as the Beach Bums' closer in the first half of the season and it being so hard to score at Wuerfel Park. Gateway, the fifth-place team in the West, had the second-fewest blown saves. When the Grizzlies won, they usually won big because they led the league in home runs and runs scored.

Blown saves totals for 2009:

15 - Washington
14 - Southern Illinois
13 - Kalamazoo
13 - Rockford
12 - Midwest
11 - Evansville
10 - Florence
10 - Lake Erie
9 - River City
9 - Windy City
7 - Gateway
5 - Traverse City

NOTES: Washington also had 15 blown saves in 2008. In 2007, the Wild Things had only five blown saves. ... In the 15 games with blown saves, the Wild Things had a 4-10 record. They had two blown saves in an Aug. 4 game against Lake Erie that was won by the Crushers. ... Seven different Washington pitchers had at least one blown save. ... Washington's four losses when leading after eight innings and seven losses when leading after seven innings were each league highs. ... Most of Southern Illinois' blown saves came in the middle innings. The Miners were 45-0 when leading after eight innings.