BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, GBRL, Youth Leagues
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
1 May 2305
The May 1 Super Post
CBO Analysis
We are one month into the 2305 season with a few of the expected better teams making their way up the standings while some other teams expected to make a playoff run fall deeper into an irradiated mudhole.
The North Charles Association has found its way into this week's Top 5 with the sole representative climbing all the way to #1. Let's break down the Top 5 and then look at the rest of the league.
Easy Town comes in as this week's #1. In the last two weeks, the Assaultrons have gone 8-2 in their last 10, including a current eight-game winning streak, the longest in the CBO. The Trons started by being swept at Bunker Hill (#17), and then they got four straight sweeps at Sunshine Tidings (#21), versus Lexington (#20), versus Starlight (#15), and versus Fort Hagen (#18).
Roxbury is #2 thanks to a South Charles Association best 8-2 in their last 10. The Rad Sox swept Goodneighbor (#22), split with Spectacle Island (#13), swept Jamaica Plain (#14), split at Atom (#3), and then swept at University Point (#5).
As mentioned above, the Cats are #3 after going 7-3 and taking a two-game lead in the Minutemen League. In their last 10, Atom split at Diamond City (#8), split at FHE (#7), swept Vault 81 (#24), split with the Sox, and swept Egret (#4).
The Ninjas fell from #1 to #4 in this week's Power Rankings but are still in great shape despite falling behind the Rad Sox by a game. That fall came thanks to a 5-5 go in their last 10. The Ninjas swept Quincy (#23), split with Goodneighbor (#22), split at the Gunners, split at the Red Rockets, and then got swept by the Cats.
University Point rounds out the Top 5 after going 6-4 in their last 10. The Deathclaws swept the Yao Guai, split at Oberland (#10), split with the Swatters, swept the Dwellers, and then got swept versus Roxbury.
Brotherhood League
The three teams expected to be at the top are now there after all three--Easy Town, County Crossing, and Nordhagen Beach--won at least eight games in their last 10. The Bloodbugs went a CBO-best 9-1 in their games against the Institute League.
The Assaultrons lead by only four games, but there have been some signs that they may not relinquish the BL in 2305. That starts with the NCA's #1 offense in six of eight categories. The Trons have scored 160 runs (7.3/game) and have a team batting average of .327! While he would be considered the overall MVP of the CBO due to being both a great hitter and pitcher, 1B Lannie Tykeson (.494/9/22) has dominated the first month of the season, earning both this week's Player of the Week and Player of the Month honors. Acquiree SP Austen Austin (5-1, 1.48) has been lights out on the mound, putting himself in the limelight as the NCA's Pitcher of the Month. Tykeson is also 4-0 with a 4.33 ERA on the mound.
The Bloodbugs and Party Boys have seemed to find their feet against the loathsome IL opponents, propping them into the second and third-best records in the NCA. As it stands, if the playoffs would start today, the Bugs would be the third seed while the Boys would be the fifth.
Both The Slog and Finch Farm at .500 also have better records than the IL's best team, but we would assume they both start to fade away once BL games begin with opponents too tough to overcome above them.
Institute League
This league is currently a mess with Starlight currently in first place with a .455 winning percentage. Records should start to even out once IL games begin this weekend.
It is hard to pinpoint what exactly is going wrong with each team. The Sunshine Tidings Chemists, currently on a 9-game losing streak, are the team we most shake our heads at. They are much better than their current record shows, but they are struggling as a team for no known reasons. Still, like every other team in the IL, a small winning streak would boost them back to where they belong.
The Lady Killers have been performing above their expectations, which is strange to state for a 1st-place team below .500. RF Nate Eiland (.395/3/6) has been outstanding to start, as has C Biter Trout (.329/1/8), CF Glenn Higginbotham (.301/5/10), and 3B Hubris McBride (.310/1/7).
Bunker Hill's 1B Matt Stickhouse (.271/4/14) won the April Player of the Month honors. The former 12th overall pick in the 2301 Rookie Draft by Easy Town, Stickhouse showed progress each year, though in 25 games at the BMU's Bunker Hill Gun Fu in 2304, he did not hit a home run. Over 2.5 seasons in the GBRL he hit 52 home runs.
Minutemen League
As expected, Atom and University Point are jostling for position, while surprisingly Jamaica Plain sits below .500, tied for third with Spectacle Island.
The Red Rockets, the 2304 ML champions, are in danger of missing the playoffs for the second time in three years. Part of their struggles is that their offense has been on a squad-wide slump. Only one player is hitting over .300, 3B Notorious Fugate (.341/0/3). LF Damani Beebe (.244/9/21) has been the sole player generating power, hitting more than half of the Rockets' home runs. C Ayag Mour has yet to break out of his month-long slump, batting .189 on the year (Spolier: he has not had a stat drop so his slump is an anomaly he should break out of).
The Cats are getting things done on the mound, allowing a CBO-low 58 runs (2.6/game). Both their starters (2nd at 2.88) and bullpen (1st at 2.33) have been outstanding, led by the efforts of SP Scruffy Taguchi (1-1, 2.12), SP Deedee Martinson (4-0, 2.67), CL Chopstick McWilliams (6 SV, 1.00), and RP Adam Forestman (4-0, 0.61).
University Point is the top offensive team, ranking 1st in offense in the SCA in six of eight categories. The four-headed monster of 1B Barker Cocoa (.405/8/21, April's Batter of the Month), RF Tomas Jones (.391/11/28), SS Austin Engill (.367/6/20), and CF Aesed Hayjen (.306/8/18) are performing as expected, with a danger of each to blast a run each time through the lineup. With a runs/game rate of 7.0, that is true of almost every inning.
Railroad League
The RL could and should be considered the best league in the CBO with five of its six teams above .500. On the other hand, Vault 81, considered to be a decent team, is 12 games below .500 at this point in the season. It is safe to state that they will sit out the 2305 playoffs.
They may not have started out hot, but they are now. Who are they? The two-time defending champions, of course, currently tied with Atom and Easy Town for the CBO's top record. The Sox are hitting below their norm, which is even scarier for one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. The top three starters have been tip-top: Nuke Laloosh (3-1, 1.69), College Luckyman (4-1, 0.75), and Whokill Poole (6-0, 1.76, April's Pitcher of the Month).
Egret may have fallen behind the Rad Sox, but the Ninjas are 4th in the SCA in runs scored (123) and 3rd in runs allowed (76). They may have holes in their team, but their players have been playing. SP Tup Mallory (3-0, 3.03) has been the ace they hoped he could be after a 10-14, 3.71 2304. Three players are also hitting above .300: SS Hopper Hayes (.314/2/8), LF Rick Pickle (.307/5/15), and 1B Joe Mahaney (.324/2/18) as the 2-3-4 hitters.
FHE's 3B Steven Capone is the Rookie of the Month in the SCA after batting .349 with 10 RBI. Capone was an undrafted free agent signing by Bunker Hill in 2300. In the offseason, the 75ers traded Capone to the Yao Guai for the rights to 1B Donny Kowalski (.286/5/16) and minor leaguer RF Glenn Stackstat. Capone was considered CBO-ready with room to ger better by FHE after he hit .310 with 17 home runs and 47 RBI for the Gun Fu in 2304.
CBO Standings
CBO Power Rankings
CBO Transactions
Monday, May 1st , 2305
Vault 81 Dwellers: Released RF Justin Harrison.
University Point Deathclaws: Placed RP James Schwerdtfeger on the 60-day injured list.
County Crossing Bloodbugs: Activated C Darth Horse from the injured list.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Chris Kunkle.
Egret Ninjas: Signed free agent CF Big Meyers to a minor league contract.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Released RF Chris Kunkle.
Sunday, April 30th , 2305
Nordhagen Beach Party Boys: Placed SP Matt Ranger on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/27/2305.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Taylor Seeley.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Released RF Taylor Seeley.
Saturday, April 29th , 2305
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Perry Grosswater.
The Dalton Farm Fog Crawlers traded 18-year old minor league 1B Jonathan Lopez and 23-year old 3B Do-Good Wilkerson to the Jamaica Plain Red Rockets, getting 25-year old minor league LHP George Hickey in return.
Friday, April 28th , 2305
The Slog Ghouls: Placed 2B Sylvester Scalone on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/27/2305.
Thursday, April 27th , 2305
Roxbury Rad Sox: Activated SS Purple Gupta from the injured list.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Released RF Sherlock Watson.
Wednesday, April 26th , 2305
Bunker Hill 75ers: Placed RP Seward Kennedy on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/24/2305.
The Slog Ghouls: Activated RF Boots Yellowhair from the injured list.
Tuesday, April 25th , 2305
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Placed CF Ben Pawlak on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/24/2305.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Aeternus Oak.
Monday, April 24th , 2305
Finch Farm Four Leafs: Placed RP Jason Niederer on the 60-day injured list.
County Crossing Bloodbugs: Placed C Darth Horse on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/23/2305.
Sunday, April 23rd , 2305
Egret Ninjas: Activated CF Jace Nightwatch from the injured list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Activated C Hope Scrapper from the injured list.
Saturday, April 22nd , 2305
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Roger Darn.
Friday, April 21st , 2305
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Taylor Seeley.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Released RF Taylor Seeley.
Thursday, April 20th , 2305
The Slog Ghouls: Placed SP Tallahassee Gowner on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/19/2305.
The University Point Deathclaws traded 27-year old minor league LF Bryan Benton to the Diamond City Swatters, getting 17-year old minor league SS Sy Snootles and a 4th round draft pick in return.
Wednesday, April 19th , 2305
The Slog Ghouls: Placed RF Boots Yellowhair on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/18/2305.
Tuesday, April 18th , 2305
Finch Farm Four Leafs: Activated SS Pipe Wallcrawler from the injured list.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Nick Tofu.
BMU Analysis
The Nahant Shoremen (Finch Farm) and Boston Common Lead Bellies (The Slog) have each started 8-2 in the 2305 season.
Nahant currently has two players hitting over .400: 1B Heston Prynne (.405/6/12) and 2B Kirk Kluxen (.412/4/8). Pitching has not been particularly great, but top prospect Jalep Temper is 1-0 with a 5.59 ERA. SP Goody Two Shoes Robertson is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA. Kluxen is the Commonwealth Association's Hitter of the Week, while his teammate Prynne earned the Hitter of the Month award.
Van Funky of Taffington Boathouse (Roxbury) earned the Pitcher of the Month Award, going 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in 26.0 innings with 4 walks, 21 strikeouts, and 15 hits allowed.
The Bellies have been led by the efforts of CF Justin Sauerkraut (.472/6/8), 3B Plain Morris (.265/4/8), and RF Moxie Morris (.258/5/6). SP Tiger Fanne (1-0, 3.20) and SP Ponda Baba (1-0, 2.77) have led the pitching efforts.
1B Blue Beak of Charles View (Staten Island) is the Batter of the Month in the Massachusetts Association after hitting .611 with 10 home runs and 18 RBI. He also is the Hitter of the Week, going 12 for 14 (.857) with 6 homers, 11 RBI, and 11 runs scored.
SP Cobra Cobratea of Trinity Plaza (Egret) is the Pitcher of the Month. In 23.1 innings, he allowed 22 hits, walked one, and struck out 10 to go 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA.
GBRL Analysis
Covenant (Vault 81) of the North League is a perfect 10-0 to lead their league, while the Castle Strength lead the South League at 8-2.
The Refractors have benefited from the efforts of C Uter Zorker (.429/3/11), 3B Nick Moshassuck (.351/2/11), and RF Pants Krupa (.333/2/4). Three pitchers--Josh O'Farrell (3-0, 2.22), Flirt Perez (1-0, 2.25), and John O'Brien (2-0, 3.75)--have also contributed to the dominance. O'Farrell was the Pitcher of the Month in the NL.
LF Vodka Zuskin of Clifton (Staten Island) is the April Hitter of the Week. The 18-year-old left fielder for the Clifton Vertibirds hit .333 with 7 home runs, 16 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
Castle's middle of the lineup has been outstanding: CF Pudding Ohnderitz (.455/2/3), 2B Scott Gunderson (.333/1/10), and RF Mark Goodday (.349/3/11). On the mound, ace Phil Pearlman (1-1, 1.85) has not given up much but does need more run support. CL Matt Hoernig (4 SV, 0.00) has been money every time on the mound, earning him the SL Pitcher of the Month.
April's Hitter of the Month is SS Hotstick Reynolds of South Boston (Concord). In 10 games last month this outstanding undrafted second-year player batted .386 with 3 home runs, 15 RBIs and 8 runs scored.
BYDL Outlook
The North Region's North Charles Bank Goonies of the Paul Revere Division and the South Region's West Quincy Atoms of the Crispus Attucks Division are expected to be the top teams in 2305.
Other division winner predictions are listed below:
NR Benjamin Franklin Division - Beantown Sprouts
NR Ralph Waldo Emerson Division - Green Future Sea Urchins
SR Samuel Adams Division - Boston Common Baby Bellies
SR Samuel Morse Division - Needham Radstorm
The expected top players to compete for MVP and Top Pitcher awards are:
NR Hitters
CF Blue Dahlia, JR, North Charles Bank Goonies
3B Keg Gutterson, JR, Pleasant Minigunners
LF Polite Richardon, JR, Fraternal Post 115 Leaders
2B Seemly Sam Tucker, JR, Wattz Ups
3B Jacob Tarberry, JR, North Charles Bank Goonies
NR Pitchers
SP Paul Stains, JR, North Charles Bank Goonies
SP Oliver Oil, JR, Fraternal Post 115 Leaders
SP Sluggo Pyne, FR, Beantown Sprouts
SR Hitters
CF Missile Crews, JR, West Quincy Atomatoys
SS Patrick Funday-Monday, JR, State House Orphans
C Bogut Kuternoga, FR, Weymouth Locksmiths
2B Yoink Yukon, JR, Hester Mechanists
CF Ziggy Stardust, FR, Needham Radstorm
SR Pitchers
SP Clubhouse Treelover, SO, Weymouth Locksmiths
SP Make Money, JR, Spectacle Island Specters
SP Clueless Gunsmith, SR, Boston Common Baby Bellies
CCYL Outlook
The West Dennis Menaces of the South Division is expected to top the Wellfleet Settlement Beacons in the 2305 championship. All eight teams are expected to be in contention during the season with last place teams picked to finish one and four games back per the North and South divisions.
Top Hitters
1B Mountainside Rockhand, JR, Wellfleet
RF Pogo Cliffhanger, SR, West Dennis
LF Wilde Game, SO, Eastham
RF Shmi Earthwalker, SR, Provincetown
RF Calixto Corrium, SO, Truro
Top Pitchers
SP Sarthis Idren, SO, Harwich
SP Kai Wet-Pommel, SO, Provincetown
SP Lucky Petman, JR, West Dennis
PJPL Outlook
The Freeplat Wicked Goods are expected to best the Woodlawn Red Clay in the 2305 PJPL season.
Top Hitters
1B Brunwulf Freewinter, SO, Freeplat
CF Hondo Ohnaka, SR, West Seekonk
3B Lee Shang, JR, Brown U
3B Zero Nought, JR, Pawtucket
1B Weequay Taanti, SR, Woodlawn
Top Pitchers
SP Nervous Patron, SO, Freeplat
SP Thrifty Tony Malacara, SO, Woodlawn
SP Pokey Chatman, SR, Pawtucket