BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, and GBRL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
24 September 2305
CBO Playoff NCA Association Semifinals Preview
NCA Playoffs - #5 County Crossing Bloodbugs (72-48) vs #1 Sunshine Tidings Chemists (78-42)
Season Series
Sunshine Tidings 5, County Crossing 3
April 23-24 @ CC: CC 4-1, CC 5-2
May 16-17 @CC: ST 11-3, ST 5-0
June 6-7 @ST: ST 3-2, CC 3-2
August 8-9 @ ST: ST 7-1, ST 5-1
Analysis
If ever a #1 team dreaded facing the #5 seed, this series would be it. The #5 seed, of course, was the 2304 NCA champions, County Crossing. This season was different, with the #1 Sunshine Tidings Chemists taking the season series, 5 games to 3, with the Chemists winning five of the last six games on the season.
Sunshine Tidings made a number of moves both this season and last to show that they are trying to build a championship-quality team. Those acquired players include ace Eugene Gym (17-6, 3.26), SP Terrence Artman (13-7, 3.59), SP/RP Joey Dimes (7-3, 2 SV, 2.04), 3B Ross Merchantman (.278/30/94), LF David Seaweed (.261/23/62), SS Lernz Tentsleep (.275/35/80), and 1B Byran Assman (.261/22/66).
On offense, the Chemists are all about power, finishing 2nd in the NCA in runs scored (654) based a lot on their CBO-best 219 home runs. Two of their top home run hitters are leadoff CF Ricky Ticky Laughy (.254/36/89) and RF Baktu DaWell (.324/35/89). All but 2B Paul Warwick (.257/7/48) hit at least 22 home runs.
With all that power, the Chemists did not need pitching, just like the Deathclaws, right?
Au contraire! Sunshine Tidings was 1st in runs allowed (434), 1st in Starters ERA (3.43), and 1st in Bullpen ERA (3.05). The combination of Gym, Artman, and Brian Bridges (16-8, 2.72) will be a tough 1-2-3 combination in each playoff game. Add to that CL Cush Baker (27 SV, 1.55) and Dime in the bullpen, and it will be difficult for County Crossing to score a lot of runs, show in the regular season with the Bugs scoring just 19 runs combined in their eight games against the Chemists.
Prediction
It is hard to believe that County Crossing cannot repeat its success from 2304, but the Chemists seem to be the team built best for the playoffs. Still, they have not had previous success in the playoff while the Bugs have. We're going to take the Bloodbugs: County Crossing 3, Sunshine Tidings 2.
SCA Playoffs - #3 Easy Town Assaultrons (76-44) vs #2 Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (78-42)
Season Series
Nordhagen Beach 8, Easy Town 4
June 9-11 @ET: NB 4-3, NB 9-2, NB 4-3
June 30-July 2 @NB: NB 5-4, NB 7-3, NB 4-2
September 1-3 @ET: ET 6-0, ET 6-0, ET 8-5
September 8-10 @NB: NB 5-4, NB 2-0, ET 8-6
Analysis
The season series made all the difference in the final standings in the Brotherhood League, with the #2 Nordhagen Beach Paty Boys holding an 8-4 advantage over the #3 Easy Town Assaultrons. While the Trons got a late-season sweep that contributed to the Party Boys not earning the #1 seed in the playoffs, the Boys did have two sweeps of their own earlier in the season when Easy Town had appeared to be the NCA's best team.
Nordhagen Beach is now making its 9th-straight playoff appearance, including all eight years of the CBO. With all that success, though, they have won only one Sole Survivor Series (2301) and have mostly folded at some point in the NCA playoffs otherwise. This season has shown that they beat up on bad teams and become just OK against good teams, though their best record against a playoff team was against Easy Town.
On offense, the Party Boys finished 4th in runs scored (600) but 2nd in home runs (195). Five players led that home run barrage, led by RF Jonathan Angelou (.279/47/100), who won the CBO home run title and fell just one home run short of tying County Crossing's Babs Rooth who hit 48 in 2304. Other big boppers on the team include CF Maxx Murtagh (.305/36/84), LF Michael Fogcrawler (.253/34/88) who still stands as the CBO's home run king (247 in full CBO, 284 overall), 1B Dustin Mart (.286/24/63), and 2B Jumper Hayes (.318/23/71).
The pitching was among the best again though not comparable to the Chemists. Nordhagen Beach finished 2nd in runs allowed (446), Starters ERA (3.54), and Bullpen ERA (3.42). The three playoff starters are a tough matchup for any team: Beachboy Nut (16-8, 2.37), Ugio Church (15-5, 3.84), and Tommy Beach (13-8, 3.80). In the bullpen, David "AntAgonist" Kidd (35 SV, 2.89) had his best season. RP Handsome Frank (8-4, 2.58) and SP Lawdog Whipple (8-4, 3.42) will also contribute in late-game situations.
Easy Town is making its fourth appearance overall and its first time in back-to-back seasons. Although they have never won the Brotherhood League, the Assaultrons have been competitive, including losing the first-place tiebreaker to the Boys in 2300. By our count, though, this year's version of the Assaultrons is their best yet.
It all starts with having the NCA's best offense. The Trons were the best in runs scored (711), with a best batting average of .292 thanks to six players hitting over .300: probable Nuka Hitter Award winner 1B Lannie Tykeson (.365/35/100), 3B Dog Prairie (.327/22/97), CF Sharkey Lurkfodder (.322/19/66/14 SB), LF Sean Samuels (.312/22/78), SS Rick Rolled (.312/1/64), and C Tyler Shoemaker (.308/8/80).
The pitching was not as good but not bad either. The Assaultrons finished 5th in runs allowed (517), 4th in Starters ERA (4.11), and 6th in Bullpen ERA (4.27). The three starters are Tykeson (14-6, 3.80), Charred Lee Widemore (12-11, 4.43), and Austen Austin (15-4, 3.81). CL Good Company Schiller (28 SV, 2.25) and Jame Functionary (6-5, 2.42) are the two main bullpen pitchers. SP Pete Pembroke (11-5, 4.18) is out for the playoffs.
Prediction
We are tossing this one around a lot but feel that a showdown between these two teams favors Nordhagen Beach. In fact, we will state this series as the one we are second most confident in behind predicting Roxbury to sweep. So, when in doubt, go with the team that seems to be the better: Nordhagen Beach 3, Easy Town 1.