BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, GBRL, and Youth Leagues
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
19 August 2307
CBO Analysis
Most teams have played 100 games. With 20 games to play, one team has clinched a spot but no teams have been eliminated. Let's take a look at the current seeds and the Top 5.
The current playoff seedings look like this:
NCA
T-1. Easy Town
T-1. Sunshine Tidings
3. Nordhagen Beach
4. Starlight
5. County Crossing
The Assaultrons and Chemists have identical records with a 3-3 season series record against each other. That means the teams are officially tied for the top seed. The rest of the seeds remain the same.
SCA
1. z-Roxbury
2. University Point
3. Jamaica Plain
4. Oberland
5. Spectacle Island
Nothing has changed here except that the Rad Sox have clinched at least the 5th seed and they are just one win away from clinching a tie for the RL. The Reapers have a 3.5-game lead for the wildcard spot, which is about as solid a lead as there can be since no other SCA team appears capable of breaking the .500 barrier.
Roxbury is again #1 6-4 record in the past two weeks and a playoff spot clinched. The Rad Sox swept University Point (#4), won one at FHE (#17), split at Jamaica Plain (#6), and then won two over Oberland (#8).
Sunshine Tidings is the #2 team tied for the CBO's best of 7-3 over the past two weeks. The Chemists swept Salem (#13), won two over Bunker Hill (#12), split with Easy Town (#3), and won two at Starlight (#9).
Easy Town is #3 after a 6-4 run in their last 10, including the big weekend BL series win. The Assaultrons swept the Killers, won one at The Slog (#21), split with the Chemists, and won two over County Crossing (#10).
University Point is #4 also with a 6-4 record the past two weeks. The Deathclaws were swept by the Sox, swept Goodneighbor (#24), got swept by Egret (#18), and then swept Quincy (#14).
Nordhagen Beach comes in at #5 after matching the Chemists and Vault 81 for the CBO's top record in the past two weeks. The Party Boys swept Lexington (#22), won one at the Bloodbugs, split at Concord (#23), and then swept Nahant (#19).
Brotherhood League
Teams are starting to run out of time. Unless there is a severe streak in some direction, the standings are looking to be set, which would be great news for Easy Town since they have been on the brink of winning the BL for multiple years.
Salem has to be among the most frustrated teams and fan bases in the CBO. Considered legitimate playoff contenders in 2307, the Witch Hats are five games back of County Crossing for the 5th seed. The Hats are 7th in runs scored (437) and 4th in runs against (427), meaning that their record does not necessarily match their statistical output. This is a team that is young and has a lot of up-and-coming talent. They just have to find a way to put it all together. Whether or not Manager Megaphone SIlva gets a third chance to prove that is yet to be seen.
Institute League
Sunshine Tidings has the 2nd-lowest Magic # in the CBO at 12. Starlight leads the season series 7-5, but the Killers have been unable to handle the rest of the NCA at the same capacity. Bunker Hill has a slight chance to make the playoffs, but they need County Crossing to go cold first.
Fort Hagen has been rumored to be in the middle of a reload. That includes rumors that there are offseason deals for SP Scruffy Taguchi (7-14, 4.93), who has just not been a fit there. They have lots of offensive talent in their system, but they could use more pitching prospects.
Minutemen League
Like every other league in the CBO, there does not appear to be serious races for the end of the season. Perhaps Spectacle Island can find a way to battle Jamaica Plain for 2nd place, but otherwise we know who is in the playoff run and who is not. Atom and Quincy just do not appear to have what it takes to get themselves in the wildcard discussion.
Two weeks ago, Goodneighbor was the worst team in the SCA but not the CBO. Now they are back in contention for the #1 draft pick yet again. It would mark the 3rd-straight season of picking the top player. The last two--LF Handel Alone (,276/6/29) and CF Missile Crews (.342/27/78)--have had outstanding rookie seasons, showing the future is bright for the Hancocks. We will preview the top expected picks later in this update.
Railroad League
Roxbury is in and about to clinch the RL. Oberland leads Vault 81 by 1.5 games, making it the best race we have in the CBO, the right to be the 4th seed in the SCA.
We are curious to see what moves Diamond City makes this offseason. Owner Moe Cronin has called some players untouchable, but he may be impatient with Manager Steve Wagner and decide to ditch that philosophy for some fresh players. If that were to be true, we could see SP Sheng Kawolski (13-8, 3.54), CL Josh Samm (25 SV, 2.32), and 3B Allen Bishop (.280/10/44) on other teams in 2308.
CBO Standings
CBO Power Rankings
CBO Players of the Week
August 12 - His hard work and hustle paid off this week. The hard-working and hard-playing Dusty Brownell was rewarded with the North Charles Association Player of the Week honors.
The scrappy Concord Radstags first baseman hit .421 while collecting 8 hits in 19 at-bats, 3 home runs and 7 RBIs.
Brownell is batting at a .274 pace this season, picking up 89 hits in 325 at-bats with 35 home runs, 80 RBIs and 58 runs scored.
22-year-old Nuke Lebowitz sent shock waves through Commonwealth Baseball Organization last week with an eye-popping performance that brought him the South Charles Association Player of the Week Award.
A newcomer to the league, Lebowitz made the establishment sit up and take notice, punishing opposing pitchers with a .444 average, 8 hits in 18 at-bats, 5 home runs and 10 RBI.
Where the FHE Yao Guai left fielder goes from here, only the baseball gods know for sure, but Lebowitz certainly made his mark last week.
So far this season Lebowitz is hitting .266 with 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and 17 runs scored. He has 33 hits in 124 at-bats and a .314 OBP.
August 19 - County Crossing Bloodbugs shortstop Cy Thompson walked away with the North Charles Association Player of the Week Award today after putting up some impressive numbers over the past seven days.
"The Bloodbugs fans are really behind me right now," said the 28-year-old. "That helps. They give you the confidence to go out there and do better."
Thompson batted .500 (10-for-20) with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs this week on his way to the award.
Presently Thompson is hitting .319 with 25 home runs and 61 RBIs. He has played in 83 games and scored 69 times.
It was a sweet day for Barker Cocoa of the University Point Deathclaws, who found out he has been named the South Charles Association Player of the Week.
The Deathclaws first baseman put up a solid .667 average and contributed 6 home runs and 15 RBIs to claim the honors.
So far this year Cocoa has 52 home runs and a .418 batting average. He is the 4th player all time to hit 50+ home runs in a season. The other three happened in 2306.
CBO Transactions
Saturday, August 17th , 2307
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Adrian Savoie.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Adrian Savoie.
Thursday, August 15th , 2307
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Dave Icecream.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Released RF Dave Icecream.
Wednesday, August 14th , 2307
Roxbury Rad Sox: Signed RF Flounder Polk.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Released RF Flounder Polk.
Monday, August 12th , 2307
Starlight Killers: Activated SP Quest Dawg from the 60-day injured list.
Starlight Killers: Sent SP Quest Dawg to Triple A Warwick for injury rehab.
Egret Ninjas: Activated LF Bat Savelli from the injured list.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Will Bradber.
Sunday, August 11th , 2307
Atom Cats: Activated 2B Root Beer from the injured list.
Saturday, August 10th , 2307
Concord Radstags: Placed 3B Lightning Rod Forth on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/07/2307.
Friday, August 9th , 2307
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Activated RP Scaredy Cat Talbott from the injured list.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Sent RP Scaredy Cat Talbott to Triple A Breakheart Banks for injury rehab.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Placed RP George Agee on the 7-day injured list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Placed SP Chris Teddybear on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/07/2307.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Robber Jannah.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Signed RP Brian Moore.
Tuesday, August 6th , 2307
Quincy Gunners: Activated RF Baywatch Fischler from the injured list.
Quincy Gunners: Sent RF Baywatch Fischler to Triple A Malden for injury rehab.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Activated LF David Seaweed from the injured list.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Sent LF David Seaweed to Triple A Breakheart Banks for injury rehab.
CBO Draft Preview
Commonwealth Baseball Organization has dealt the cards out on the table, announcing the list of players looking to draw a glimpse of success in the 2307 first-year player draft. Management and scouting veterans from all teams will be able to review candidates for 90 days prior to the draft and determine who might be appropriately suited for a future role in the upcoming shuffle of fortune and fate.
The Transactions page will devote a section to these prospects.
The early favorites to be high picks are the following:
1. Malyn Varen, 17 year-old 1B out of high-school.
2. Duff Fee, 17 year-old CF out of high-school.
3. Clubhouse Treelover, 17 year-old LHP out of high-school.
4. Jouane Manette, 17 year-old RF out of high-school.
5. Castor Puzzlemaker, 17 year-old LF out of high-school.
6. DuLove Somebody, 17 year-old LF out of high-school.
7. Sarthis Idren, 17 year-old LHP out of high-school.
8. Gorgeous George Davis, 17 year-old RF out of high-school.
9. Calixto Corrium, 17 year-old RF out of high-school.
10. Gian Fist, 17 year-old 3B out of high-school.
Here is OSA's early Mock Draft for the 1st Round. Order is determined by 2306 records. It will be updated when the season ends, but right now the order would be: 1. Goodneighbor, 2. Concord, 3. Fort Hagen, 4. Lexington, 5. The Slog
BYDL Playoffs Update
Tomorrow, the Kendall Hospital Yahoos and Spectacle Island Specters will face off for the deciding game in the Boston Youth Series. The Specters are looking to win their second-straight championship and third overall.
