Ten games to go and only one of the 10 playoff spots are clinched! That will change this coming week, but the end of the season is mostly exciting for all seeds but #1 in the NCA.
BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, and GBRL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
19 August 2301
Players of the Week
NCA Star of the Week Chosen: It's always a thrill for fans of the team and students of the game alike when a superstar in the making shows what he's got. Glenn Higinbotham, the Starlight Lady Killers 24-year-old center fielder, put himself in the spotlight last week making him the clear-cut choice for North Charles Association Player of the Week honors.
He ripped 11 hits in 24 at-bats, compiling a .458 average with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs.
This year Higinbotham is hitting at a .296 pace with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs. He has played in 98 games and scored 70 times.
Bather Week's Best in SCA: Knud Bather demonstrated his potential to be a star in the game last week and today he took home the South Charles Association Player of the Week Award.
The Vault 81 shortstop wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers last week, pounding them for a .526 average (10-for-19) with 1 home run and 5 RBIs on his way to claiming the honor.
Bather is currently hitting at a .282 pace with 23 home runs, 72 RBIs and has scored 71 times.
Transactions
Sunday, August 18th , 2301
Salem Witch Hats: Activated SP Tony Bertha from the injured list.
Oberland T-51s: Signed 1B Barry North.
Saturday, August 17th , 2301
Lexington Synths: CF Mike Pigeonfoot returns from his rehab assignment.
Lexington Synths: Released 1B Soundwave Wiggins.
University Point Deathclaws: Placed SP Lennie Landslide on the 7-day injured list.
Easy Town Assaultrons: Activated RP Chris Salazar from the 60-day injured list.
Easy Town Assaultrons: Sent RP Chris Salazar to Triple A Taffington Boathouse for injury rehab.
Quincy Gunners: Placed 3B Ben Pettinato on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/16/2301. Pettinato is suffering from an unexplained case of Swamp Gut and will travel to Acadia to seek treatment.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Activated SS Newscap Woldorf from the injured list.
Oberland T-51s: Signed 1B Clap Homestead.
Friday, August 16th , 2301
The Slog Ghouls: SS Lernz Tentsleep returns from his rehab assignment.
Vault 81 Dwellers: CF Aesed Hayjen returns from his rehab assignment.
FHE Yao Guai: Activated RP Daddy-O Sixx from the injured list.
FHE Yao Guai: Sent RP Daddy-O Sixx to Triple A Eastlake for injury rehab.
FHE Yao Guai: Released SP Ryan Kaplon.
Warwick Mirelurks: Activated SP Jayden Fleming from the 60-day injured list.
Warwick Mirelurks: Sent SP Jayden Fleming to Triple A Charles View for injury rehab.
Thursday, August 15th , 2301
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: SP Mike Cartrette returns from his rehab assignment.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Placed RF Gargoyle Falcone on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/14/2301.
Concord Radstags: Placed RP Bell Franklin on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/14/2301.
Concord Radstags: Signed RP Steve Watertank.
Wednesday, August 14th , 2301
Salem Witch Hats: RF Chris Treestump returns from his rehab assignment.
Abernathy Adamantium: Placed RP Danny Rocketman on the 60-day injured list.
Atom Cats: Placed 2B Pat Shammo on the 60-day injured list.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Signed free agent RP Wolf Jasmine to a minor league contract.
Standings
Team Power Rankings
Weekly Team Power Rankings: Here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (128.7, o)
2) Atom Cats (113.4, o)
3) Vault 81 Dwellers (112.5, ++)
4) University Point Deathclaws (107.2, -)
5) Diamond City Swatters (105.5, -)
6) Concord Radstags (102.0, +)
7) Starlight Lady Killers (101.3, ++)
8) Salem Witch Hats (100.2, -)
9) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (98.5, +)
10) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (96.7, -)
11) FHE Yao Guai (93.8, +)
12) County Crossing Bloodbugs (91.5, --)
13) Easy Town Assaultrons (91.2, +)
14) Abernathy Adamantium (89.7, --)
15) Quincy Gunners (87.2, +)
16) Goodneighbor Hancocks (85.2, +)
17) Egret Ninjas (80.3, -)
18) Roxbury Rad Sox (76.8, ++)
19) The Slog Ghouls (76.3, ++)
20) Lexington Synths (72.8, -)
21) Oberland T-51s (71.1, --)
22) Finch Farm Four Leafs (65.6, -)
23) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (61.1, o)
24) Warwick Mirelurks (50.3, o)
Analysis
We will not pretend to predict everything to come, but we do know that Nordhagen Beach (#1) is the team to go through in the North Charles Association on the way to the Sole Survivor Series. The Party Boys need an 8-2 week to match Goodneighbor's 2298 season for the best record in CBO history.
The rest of the Top 5 is made up of South Charles Association teams. Atom (#2) has risen to just a game back of University Point (#4) in both the Minutemen League standings and for the #1 seed in the SCA. The Cats had been 9-1 in June before hitting a snag by losing 2 of 3 at Goodneighbor (#16) over the weekend. However, the Deathclaws had a dreadful 1-4 week, including losing two at home to Diamond City (#5) and then 2 of 3 versus Quincy (#15).
Vault 81 jumped into the #3 spot, which includes a current claim to the #2 seed in the SCA. The Dwellers had a 3-2 week with a split with the Gunners and a weekend series win over Egret (#17). The Swatters got swept by Roxbury (#18), resulting in a loss of their two-game Railroad League heading into the weekend.
Both the #1 seed chase in the SCA among the Claws, Cats, Dwellers, and Swatters and the race in the NCA for the #2 seed among Concord (#6), Starlight (#7), Fort Hagen (#9), and Abernathy (#14) are exciting. As a secondary chase, the NCA's chase for #3 that includes all four teams in the Institute League and the Brotherhood League's Salem (#8) and County Crossing (#12).
Jumping first into the SCA's #1 chase, University Point and Diamond City are on the road for the next five, but play no current playoff teams. The Deathclaws will travel to Oberland (#21) and Quincy, while the Swatters visit Quincy and Egret. Atom faces Vault 81 in the midweek for a huge series for both teams. On the weekend, the Cats host Jamaica Plain (#10), while the Dwellers host the Rad Sox.
In the Brotherhood League, Salem and the Bloodbugs both have a tough week in facing all playoff-quality teams, including each other in County Crossing over the weekend. The Witch Hats also visit first-place Concord in the midweek, while the Bloodbugs host Fort Hagen.
In addition to hosting the Hats, the Radstags have the second-easiest weekend schedule with a trip to Lexington (#20). The Silver Shroud have the easiest weekend path by hosting Sunshine Tidings (#23). Starlight will face The Slog (#19) before traveling to Abernathy, while the Adamantium will challenge Finch Farm (#22) in the midweek.
Playoff Picture Through 98 Games
NCA:
1. x-Nordhagen Beach - clinched #1 seed
2. Concord - Playoff chances = 97.9%
3. Salem - Playoff chances = 80.6%
4. Starlight - Playoff chances = 76.2%
5. County Crossing (head-to-head tiebreaker over Fort Hagen) - Playoff chances = 61.2%
Close:
6. Fort Hagen - Playoff chances = 59.3%
7. Abernathy - Playoff chances = 23.4%
Outside Looking In:
8. Easy Town (Magic number to elimination - 7)
Eliminated:
9. The Slog
10. Finch Farm
11. Lexington
12. Sunshine Tidings
SCA:
1. University Point - (Playoff magic number = 1) - Playoff chances = 100%
2. V81 - (Better league record than Diamond City, Playoff magic number = 3) - Playoff chances = 100%
3. Atom - (Playoff magic number = 2) - Playoff chances = 100%
4. Diamond City - (Playoff magic number = 3) - Playoff chances = 100%
5. Jamaica Plain - Playoff chances = 64.2%
Close:
6. FHE - Playoff chances = 22.9%
7. Goodneighbor (head-to-head tiebreaker over Quincy) - Playoff chances = 5.3%
8. Quincy - Playoff chances = 6.1%
9. Egret - Playoff chances = 1.5%
Outside Looking In:
10. Oberland (Magic number to elimination - 2)
Eliminated:
11. Roxbury
12. Warwick
Minor League Report
BMU
Wilde Selected Top Player: One of the league's most exciting young players, Hunter Wilde of the Malden Grognaks earned himself Commonwealth Association Player of the Week honors with a standout performance in last week's games.
For the week the 22-year-old first baseman had a lofty .455 average (5-for-11), collecting 3 home runs, 6 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
So far in 2301 Wilde is batting .307 with 35 home runs, 79 RBIs and 48 runs scored. He has 70 hits in 228 at-bats and a .378 OBP.
Dallas Week's #1 Player: Jon Dallas has the tools to stick in this league for many years. The 22-year-old first baseman of the Vault 95 Robobrains had a hot bat in the Massachusetts Association over the past seven days and won the Player of the Week honors.
Dallas batted .455 with 5 hits in 11 at-bats, 4 home runs and 6 RBIs.
Looking at his season stats, Dallas has compiled a .326 batting average and a .450 on-base percentage, while hitting 32 home runs and driving in 65 runs.
Standings
GBRL
NL Presents Player of the Week Trophy: Jay Hall burst onto the North League stage in a big way last week. This promising rookie third baseman for Cambridge garnered everyone's respect by putting up some remarkable numbers and picking up the Player of the Week trophy.
The 21-year-old haunted opposing pitchers hitting .455 (5-for-11) with 3 home runs and 3 RBIs last week.
For the season Hall has hit .283 with 8 home runs and 16 RBIs. He has played in 31 games and scored 18 times.
SL Names Best Player: So far in his young career, Moxie Morris has kept a low profile, but after his performance at the plate last week, he attracted the notice of the rest of the South League in a big way as he was named the Player of the Week today for his efforts.
The 20-year-old Coast Guard Pier Demolitionists right fielder hit at a torrid .583 clip as he collected 7 hits in 12 at-bats, 1 home run, 9 RBIs and 6 runs scored.
This year Morris has collected a .275 batting average to date with 25 hits in 91 at-bats, 23 RBIs, 5 home runs and scored 14 times. He has played in 27 games.
Standings
