BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, and GBRL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
24 August 2303
Feature Story: Are We Forgetting About the Party Boys?
They have claimed the North Charles Association crown the past two season and won the Sole Survivor Series two years ago over the Atom Cats. So why are we not talking much about the Nordhagen Beach Party Boys? Well, we should. And now we are.
Things were not looking good for the Boys early in the season. Finishing April at 10-10 and leaving May with a 19-23 record, Nordhagen Beach looked to be out of the running early in the season. In fact, on June 1, the Boys were in 5th place, already 10 games back of Brotherhood League leader County Crossing. The only team worse than the Boys at that point in the NCA was The Slog Ghouls at 16-26.
But June marked a turnaround, and the Party Boys started to win. A lot. They went 14-7 in June, 17-3 (!!!) in July, and now possess a 10-7 August record that started as a 2-5 record. At 60-44, Nordhagen Beach now holds the second-best record in the NCA behind only the Bloodbugs and the CBO's fifth-best record.
With 482 runs scored, the Party Boys are 2nd in runs scored as opposed to 5th in runs allowed (418). While they are not hitting the ball that well as a team (6th in BA at .257), they are jacking a lot of balls out of the park. Much of that success is due to the middle of their lineup with RF Jonathan Angelou (.311/37/103) in the middle of an MVP race, as well as CF Maxx Murtagh (.286/33/76) and LF Michael Fogcrawler (.257/23/70). 3B Dirty Dog Sapienza (.315/12/38) has also been a major contributor to their explosive offense.
The starting pitching has the 2nd-best ERA at 3.62, but their numbers seem a little off compared to previous years. Ace SP Beachboy Nut (15-7, 2.97) is having a great year, but his record is harking back to being a part of some of those bad Roxbury teams he started with. SP Ugio Church (7-8, 3.83) does not have a bad ERA but also gets the worst run support of his fellow staff. SP Chet Arthur (10-5, 3.22) and SP Tommy Beach (10-7, 4.21) are chugging along as best they can.
The bullpen has been their weakest unit, standing at 9th in the NCA in ERA at 4.41, including blowing several games late. CL Matt Breakball was the winner of the closer sweepstakes, but he has struggled with a 4.73 ERA, 24 saves, and 6 blown saves, the second most of his career. MR Lawdog Whipple, a one-time starter in Lexington, has been the best bullpen pitcher, sporting a 2-1 record with a 2.54 ERA. Eight-year veteran reliever Night Demon Archaki is 4-1 with a 3.27 ERA.
Analysis
Roxbury takes #1 in the Power Rankings after winning 10 straight. The Rad Sox swept Goodneighbor (#18), Egret (#21), Quincy (#23), and Oberland (#20) in a decently easy two-week stretch. It will get a bit tougher down the stretch with 6 of their last 8 opponents in playoff contention.
County Crossing dropped to #2 last week and remains there this week by going 6-4 in their last 10. Despite being the first team to clinch a playoff berth in the 2303 playoffs, they currently trail the Rad Sox. The Bloodbugs swept Abernathy (#16), won two of three at Nordhagen Beach (see below), split at Sunshine Tidings (#17), and then lost two of three at home versus The Slog (#22).
University Point moves into the #3 position with a 6-4 record the past two weeks. The Claws split at FHE (#6), lost two of three at the Hancocks, split at the Ninjas, and then swept Quincy.
Atom is right on the Claws' trail and takes the #4 spot after a 6-4 two-week stretch. The Cats swept Diamond City (#7), lost two of three at the Gunners, split at Vault 81 (#12), and then won all three versus Warwick (#24).
Nordhagen Beach, our featured team this week, moves into the #5 spot. In the past two weeks, they have gone 8-2, including a sweep at Lexington (#15), losing two of three to the Bugs, sweeping Starlight (#11), and sweeping Salem (#19).
NCA
1. County Crossing
2. Fort Hagen
3. Nordhagen Beach
4. Starlight (Clinched season series over Concord)
5. Concord
6t. Lexington
6t. Easy Town
8. Finch Farm (Clinched season series over Sunshine Tidings)
9. Sunshine Tidings
10. Abernathy (Clinched season series over Salem)
11. Salem
SCA
1. Roxbury
2. University Point
3. Atom
4. FHE
5. Diamond City
6. Goodneighbor
7t. Jamaica Plain
7t. Vault 81
Standings
Team vs Team
Power Rankings
Players of the Week
NCA
RF Jonathan Angelou, Nordhagen Beach - 8/15 (.533), 4 HR, 7 RBI
LF Stu Gains, The Slog - 12/20 (.600), 3 HR, 9 RBI
SCA
1B Barker Cocoa, University Point - 8/17 (.471), 3 HR, 6 RBI
SP Scruffy Taguchi, Atom - 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 16.2 IP, 8 K
Transactions
Monday, August 24th , 2303
Easy Town Assaultrons: 3B Dog Prairie returns from his rehab assignment.
FHE Yao Guai: Released CF Tom Weems.
FHE Yao Guai: Released RP Mitch Wagner.
Sunday, August 23rd , 2303
Concord Radstags: Placed 3B Nate Tivity on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/22/2303.
Friday, August 21st , 2303
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Dave Merchantson.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Dave Merchantson.
Wednesday, August 19th , 2303
Easy Town Assaultrons: Activated 3B Dog Prairie from the injured list.
Easy Town Assaultrons: Sent 3B Dog Prairie to Triple A Corvega for injury rehab.
Easy Town Assaultrons: Released RF Nestor de la Cruz.
Lexington Synths: Released RP Dust Aguila.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Activated SS Aaron Erickson from the restricted list.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Placed LF B.J. Perez on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/18/2303.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Jordan Frag.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Adam Fallon.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed CF Delk Delightful.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Corey Statue.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Bill Hulk.
Tuesday, August 18th , 2303
Abernathy Adamantium: Released RP Jake Caller.
Nordhagen Beach Party Boys: Activated LF Michael Fogcrawler from the injured list.
Warwick Mirelurks: Released RP Haddock Pena.
The Slog Ghouls: Placed SS Father Franetzki on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/15/2303.
Monday, August 17th , 2303
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: LF Ginger Rogers returns from his rehab assignment.
Finch Farm Four Leafs: Placed RP Ernie Peacemaker on the 60-day injured list.
The Slog Ghouls: Signed free agent RF Moxie Morris to a minor league contract.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Signed free agent 2B Jeff Phoneman to a minor league contract.
Finch Farm Four Leafs: Signed RP Dubya Bush.
The Slog Ghouls: Released 2B Diss Montand.
Sunday, August 16th , 2303
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Adam Fallon.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Matt Badbreath.
Friday, August 14th , 2303
Starlight Lady Killers: Released RF Moxie Morris.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Corey Statue.
Salem Witch Hats: Released RF Greg Weatherly.
Thursday, August 13th , 2303
Egret Ninjas: Placed RP Elijah Huge on the restricted list.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Placed SS Aaron Erickson on the restricted list.
Warwick Mirelurks: Activated SP Thorn McCormick from the injured list.
Warwick Mirelurks: Released RP Robert Cannon.
Abernathy Adamantium: Signed 1B Megaman Crowley.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Bill Hulk.
Abernathy Adamantium: Released 1B Yellowshoe Trinkle.
Wednesday, August 12th , 2303
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Activated LF Ginger Rogers from the injured list.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Sent LF Ginger Rogers to Triple A Forest Grove for injury rehab.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Released SS Jeff Phoneman.
Tuesday, August 11th , 2303
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: SS Aaron Erickson returns from his rehab assignment.
Quincy Gunners: Activated RF Baywatch Fischler from the injured list.
Finch Farm Four Leafs: Released LF Matt Welsch.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Matt Badbreath.
Finch Farm Four Leafs: Signed free agent 3B Do-Good Wilkerson to a minor league contract.
Finch Farm Four Leafs: Released RP Mark Bartolotti.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Ben Schuckman.