BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
7 May 2300
News Around the League
1 May 2300 - CA Choice for Batter of the Month is Aguilar
Carlos Aguilar may be much younger than other hitters in the Commonwealth Association, but he performed like a seasoned veteran in April to win the Batter of the Month award.
The 20-year-old College Square third baseman hit .306 with 5 home runs, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored.
Brownell Wins MA Prize, Named Best Hitter in April
Dusty Brownell made his presence known as one of the best young stars in the Massachusetts Association this past month.
The Boston Common Lead Bellies first baseman shined through the month of April and has won the Batter of the Month award.
The 20-year-old hit .474 with 10 home runs, 21 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
Pitcher of the Month Named in CA
Ryan Huz has made fans throughout Boston Minor Union take notice over the past month with an exceptional 3-0 record. No pitcher in the Commonwealth Association threw better in April, garnering him the Pitcher of the Month award today.
In 3 starts Huz compiled a 1.50 ERA, putting up a 3-0 record, striking out 25 and tossing 24 innings.
MA's #1 Starter is Sanch
Over the past month Aldo Sanch has turned quite a few heads. He's young, talented and able to pitch with the established arms in the Massachusetts Association. He proved all that and now he's been named April's Pitcher of the Month.
The rookie for the Haymarket Mall Commandos posted 2-0 mark and a 0.00 ERA. In 3 starts he tossed 22 innings, permitted 10 hits and fanned 25 batters.
Pretty Belts Bunch of Base Hits
It was almost a perfect day for Mike Pretty.
The Vault 95 third baseman displayed a hot bat today, enjoying an outstanding 5-hit day, but something was missing: The Robobrains lost to the Trinity Plaza Snipers, 3-2. Pretty told BNN reporters after the game that luck was "fickle."
Vault 95 manager Chris Puzey told the beat writers otherwise.
"There was no luck today," he said. "He got 5 hits because he has a solid approach to hitting and he put it all together today, and we lost because the rest of us didn't put it together so well."
Mike Pretty doubled in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, flied out in the 6th, singled in the 9th, singled in the 11th and doubled in the 13th.
Pretty's current batting average stands at .391 and he has chalked up no home runs and 6 RBIs.
2 May 2300 - Monticello Dominates Cabot House
In a very impressive mound performance, Sage Monticello stopped the Cabot House Rayguns cold. The 38-year-old Aquaboys hurler blanked them on 6 hits to post a 6-0 triumph.
Herbst Goes 5-for-6
Rick Herbst was the King of Swing today at Memory Den Field today in the 10-2 Vault 95 Robobrains win over the Trinity Plaza Snipers. The Vault 95 second baseman stepped into the batter's box 6 times against the Trinity Plaza and delivered 5 hits. It was a sensational game for him.
"Unbelievable feeling," he told the press. "It felt good. 5-for-6 isn't bad for your batting average either."
Rick Herbst hit a solo-shot off Austen Austin in the 1st, doubled in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, singled in the 7th, singled in the 8th and flied out in the 9th.ink]
This season Herbst is hitting at a .321 pace with 1 home run, 1 RBIs and has scored 9 times.
6 May 2300 - Garge Injury Update
The College Square Nerd Ragers have made it official: Cram Garge is headed to the injured list. The 23-year-old center fielder has been out since 05/03/2300 with a torn back muscle. He is expected to miss 4 months.
Players of the Week
Red-Hot Rampage Reaps CA Reward
Unstoppable Hammond demonstrated his potential to be a star in the game last week and today he took home the Commonwealth Association Player of the Week Award.
The Taffington Boathouse center fielder wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers last week, pounding them for a .583 average (7-for-12) with 1 home run and 3 RBIs on his way to claiming the honor.
Rifleman Bags MA Best Player Award
Kern Rifleman burst onto the Massachusetts Association stage in a big way last week. This promising rookie right fielder for Charles View garnered everyone's respect by putting up some remarkable numbers and picking up the Player of the Week trophy.
The 22-year-old haunted opposing pitchers hitting .462 (6-for-13) with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs last week.
Prospect Spotlight
#29 - SP Han Nerfherder, Cabot House Rayguns (Atom) - 4 GS, 0-4, 10.38, 17,1 IP, 31 HA, 20 ER, 7 BB, 9 K
Analysis: Scouts love his potential. Batters love his pitches. Expected to develop into a decent CBO starter one day, Nerfherder has struggled to get outs so far in his second BMU campaign. He has a lot of energy on the mound and can pitch forever, but he serves up too many balls right over the plate, leading to some atrocious numbers so far. If he keeps this up, it is expected that scouts will drop the undrafted free agent from their Top 100 list.
#30 - 2B Jarrod Sebiess, Union Hope Lifegivers (Lexington) - 12/51 (.235), 4 R, 6 RBI, BB, 5 SO, CS
Analysis: Another undrafted free agent whom scouts love but has yet to show he has game. The 21-year-old was a good defender in the BYDL but never was a producer with the bat. That still is the case, though he is batting a career high in his third season with Lexington's BMU squad.
#31 - 1B Macaw Lee Calkins, Malden Grognaks (County Crossing) - 16/46 (.348), 3 2B, HR, 7 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO
Analysis: Recently traded from Warwick to County Crossing, Calkins is turning his chance in the NWL into an even better chance in the BMU. Calkins was on fire with the Charles View Cannibals, but has cooled off a bit at Malden. He has good all-around tools that, if developed, could make him a solid player with the Bloodbugs.
#33 - LF Delmarva Illeracula, Malden Grognaks (County Crossing) - 6/34 (.176), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 8 SO
Analysis: Like Calkins, Illeracula was a part of the five prospects sent to Warwick for SP Dobbie Radoncis. The 5th-overall pick in the 2299 draft, there was something the Mirelurks saw in him that did not sit well, leading to him being traded. He has struggled immensely in his first season, but scouts see him as a future contributor for the Bloodbugs or wherever he ends up playing. He is expected to take some time to develop, so he may be on this Top 100 list somewhere for at least three years.
#35 - SP Punky Shaum, Galleria Robotics Experts (Finch Farm) - 4 GS, 2-1, 2.92, 24.2 IP, 23 HA, 8 ER, 11 BB, 30 K
Analysis: Originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2296 Rookie Draft, Shaum has been creeping up in his tools and may already be ready to make the leap to the CBO. He has a 4-pitch repertioire, but his best two are his 99 MPH fastball and his cutter, with a decent forkball in the mix. If he can learn to control his pitches more, he will be unhittable at any level.
Weekly Team Power Rankings
Weekly Team Power Rankings: Here are the current team power rankings for Boston Minor Union:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Haymarket Mall Commandos (146.4, o)
2) College Square Nerd Ragers (134.6, +)
3) Fiddler's Green T-60s (133.6, o)
4) Galleria Robotics Experts (120.7, -)
5) Boston Common Lead Bellies (114.7, o)
6) Cabot House Rayguns (107.9, ++)
7) Greentop Nursery Night People (106.9, ++)
8) Charles View Cannibals (101.9, +)
9) Outpost Zimonja Strongbacks (101.9, -)
10) Somerville Place Sentry Bots (101.9, --)
11) Union Hope Lifegivers (100.9, --)
12) Taffington Boathouse Spy Hunters (94.0, +)
13) Natick Banks Big Leaguers (93.0, ++)
14) Corvega Flamers (91.0, ++)
15) Forest Grove Pugilists (89.0, -)
16) Malden Grognaks (86.0, --)
17) Breakheart Banks Behemoths (80.1, ++)
18) C.I.T. Ruins Refractors (71.1, --)
19) Bunker Hill Gun Fu (63.3, +)
20) Trinity Plaza Snipers (63.3, +)
21) Eastlake Aquaboys (48.4, o)
22) Vault 95 Robobrains (46.4, --)
23) Postal Square Action Boys (33.6, +)
24) Mystic Pines Raybathers (29.6, --)
Stats and Standings