Somebody hit the random stats increase jackpot! Also, a great selection for it since the first story character is named after my two favorite dogs ever: my dog for the family name and a friend's dog I helped nurse back to health after being hit by a car for the first name. Happy randomness puts a little more joy in my step among a busy week!
Today in the CBO
News and Notes - Reports from around the Commonwealth
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
5 June 2298 - Lead Bellies' Cocoa Returns from Training
For the University Point Deathclaws' 2nd-round pick in the 2297 Rookie Draft, first baseman Barker Cocoa has not see much playing time. When given an opportunity for a 10-day training for an elite Brotherhood squad, Cocoa shuffled to the front of the line to volunteer, meaning he did not have a chance to see the field for the Boston Common Lead Bellies during that time.
Cocoa returned to Boston Common today looking different. He measured in at 20 pounds heavier than when he left, all of that in muscle.
"That was the most intense experience of my life," Cocoa said, looking heftier and more muscular. "We had to do all kinds of things I never imagined. One thing we had to do was wrestled a declawed and detoothed yao guai. That thing was massive and got the best of me, but I gave it my best."
According to Cocoa, the regiment was ten days of training for "power" warriors, which could include using power armor or assist those in them.
"We had a team of us that had to lift power armor off a mannequin," he said. "I didn't even know I was that strong."
Cocoa said that he was told that he could not speak of some of the training, but that the daily activities included lots of power training, four hours of perk training, seven meals a day accompanied with supplements that he could not name, and one daily shot.
"They also gave us a specialty perk training," Cocoa said. "For me, it was swatter training for the Big Leagues perk. I want to play baseball for a long time, so I spent four hours a day on strength and pinpoint swings. That means I had to be able to hit a dot on a moving target.
"As I was told to recite in training, I can now do double damage with a melee weapon, and gain a chance to cripple my opponent, or grand slam their head clean off! I just hope I do that to a baseball instead of a man, you know."
What does that mean for him in baseball?
"Well, don't tell [Lead Bellies hitting] Coach 'Ski' [Chuck Tomaszewski]," Cocoa laughed, "but I think I learned more about hitting in those 10 days than I did from him in 6 months."
5 June 2298 - Owens Pitches Gem as Yao Guai Beat Oberland, 2-0
Oberland dropped a 2-0 shutout to Danny Owens and the FHE Yao Guai at BosCom Circle today. The T-51s offered little resistance to Owens, who stopped them on 5 hits, fanned 4 and walked 4 and earned his first win of the season. The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning due to frequent radstorms. Both managers agreed the game was complete.
"It just felt right today," the left-handed Owens told reporters after the win. "Even with the radstorm, it didn't throw me off my rhythm."
This season Owens has compiled a 1-9 mark with a 6.90 ERA in 12 starts.
"If I had to be honest," FHE manager David Meatcook said, "I figured this one for a loss based on our pitching matchup. Danny proved me wrong today."
The matchup Meatcook referred to was Ownes, 0-9 to start the day, facing off against perhaps the best pitcher in the CBO, Sheng Kawolski, who started the day 7-0. Kawolski happened to lose today's duel, allowing one earned run on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
The Yao Guai's Hose Wallcrawler hit his sixth home run of the season in the first inning to drive in what proved to be the winning run. Tyler Shoemaker hit an 8th inning home run off the T-51s' Joe Charlie to account for the second run.
The loss marked only the 10th of the season for Oberland (35-10), which no only holds a 1.5 game lead over Goodneighbor (33-11) for the top record in the South Charles Association and all of the CBO.
5 June 2298 - Radstags Fall, 9-5, to Violet, Lady Killers
Led by Zeldolph Violet, the Starlight Lady Killers downed the Concord Radstags, 9-5. Violet went 4 for 4 with a home run, 2 doubles, and a walk, while scoring 2 times and driving in 5 for the Lady Killers. Starlight has now won 4 games in a row.
In the top of the third, with the bases loaded, Violet came to the plate. He drew a walk, driving in 1 run off Gwinnett Southie to put the Lady Killers in the lead, 3-2.
"Getting the win feels nice," said Violet. "More importantly, I had a good game."
5 June 2298 - Hancocks Top Deathclaws, 8-0, Behind Iddings
Goodneighbor left-hander Bruce Iddings pitched his team to victory over the University Point Deathclaws at Third Rail Stadium at S. Boston HS. The final score was 8-0. Goodneighbor now has a 6-game win streak.
Iddings, the Goodneighbor left-hander, went 8.2 innings, allowing no runs on 4 hits. He collected 11 strikeouts.
Iddings called the win the result of "everyone working in tandem."
5 June 2298 - Dwellers Earn 7-6 Win Against Swatters in 11
The Vault 81 Dwellers knocked off the Diamond City Swatters, 7-6, at CURIE Inc. Field in 11 innings. Deer Quickwalker was a big reason Vault 81 won. The right fielder hit 2 home runs. The winner was Danny Rocketman in relief. His record improves to 2-1. Josh Samm took the loss. Vault 81 is 19-26 and Diamond City, with the loss, 20-25.
The Dwellers procured the win, in large part because of first baseman Erns Gold. In the bottom of the 11th, he produced the game-winning run-scoring single. It was his only hit of the game but a clutch one.
Quickwalker called the triumph "a good team win."
5 June 2298 - Synths Win at Fort Hagen, 4-1
The Lexington Synths tallied a win at Hubris Comics Park, throttling the Fort Hagen Silver Shroud, 4-1. Starting pitcher Pete Pembroke was a big reason for his team's success. Pembroke picked up the win for Lexington, going 8 innings. He gave up 1 run on 7 hits. He now sports a record of 4-7. Doug Dee El recorded the save for Lexington, his 8th of the season.
Lexington relied on the hitting of Swat Diamond to pick up the win. The first baseman clubbed a 2-run home run in the top of the fourth inning to put the Synths on top, 2-0. For the game, Diamond had 1 home run and 1 single in 4 at-bats.
"Getting ahead of the hitters was the key," said Pembroke.
The Synths now have a record of 21-24 with the win over Fort Hagen.
5 June 2298 - Party Boys Come Up Short at Finch Farm, 5-4
The Finch Farm Four Leafs topped the Nordhagen Beach Party Boys, 5-4, in North Charles Association action at Finch Family Park. The standout performance belonged to Finch Farm pitcher and Methuen, Massachusetts, native Matt Pageturner. Pageturner, now 6-6, was the winner. In 8 innings, he gave up 8 hits, while striking out 5, walking 5, and allowing 4 runs. The Four Leafs are now 22-23, while the Party Boys fall to 29-16.
The Party Boys had been locked in a 0-0 tie with the Four Leafs going into the bottom of the second inning. That changed quickly when the 30-year old catcher Gary "Gary" Gary came to the plate. Gary hit a 2-run double on a 1-1 changeup from Nordhagen Beach hurler Tommy Beach. It was Gary's 13th double of the year.
"One win at a time, one game at a time. We try not to get too far ahead of ourselves," Gary told the Finch Farm Observer.