BNN Weekly Report
News from the CBO, Minors, College, and Youth Leagues
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
17 May 2309
CBO Analysis
The league is now 32 games, or just over 25%, of the 2309 season with six teams per association currently above .500. Those 12 teams are all recent participants in the playoffs, meaning there are probably no shifts in power at least for now before the league expands to 28 teams in 2310. Let's take a look at the Power Rankings after the first quarter.
Here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Roxbury Rad Sox (130.8, ++) - The Sox are back! Roxbury went 8-2 in their last 10, tied for the best in the CBO during that span, to take over the top record in the SCA and tie for the CBO's top record. The Rad Sox swept Atom, won two of three at FHE, swept Jamaica Plain on the road, and then won two over Vault 81.
2) Starlight Killers (127.8, -) - Although they dropped a spot, the Killers are still tied for the CBO's top record and have the NCA's top record after going 6-4 the past two weeks. Starlight split with Nahant, won all three over Lexington, got swept at Salem, and then won two at Fort Hagen.
3) Oberland T-51s (117.1, -) - The T-51s are no longer in 1st place in the Railroad League, but they are still a team to be reckoned with despite going 5-5 in their last 10. Oberland swept Quincy, won two at Egret, got swept at Goodneighbor, and won one of three versus the Ninjas.
4) Bunker Hill 75ers (115.5, -) - The 75ers, like Oberland, are trailing in their own league, but they are still a powerhouse in their association after a 6-4 run. Bunker Hill split with Nordhagen Beach, swept Concord, split at The Slog, and won one of three at the Radstags.
5) Egret Ninjas (113.5, +) - The Ninjas may have gone 5-5, but they trail by only two games in rounding out the Top 5 of RL and Institute League teams. Egret split with the Hancocks, won one versus the T-51s, split with University Point, and then won two at Oberland.
6) University Point Deathclaws (111.9, -)
7) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (108.9, o)
8) County Crossing Bloodbugs (104.2, +)
9) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (103.9, -)
10) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (103.2, ++)
11) Vault 81 Dwellers (96.6, o)
12) Salem Witch Hats (94.6, o)
13) Nahant Celtics (93.0, +)
14) Spectacle Island Reapers (87.0, o)
15) The Slog Ghouls (84.4, --)
16) Quincy Gunners (83.4, --)
17) Atom Cats (77.8, o)
18) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (76.8, o)
19) Easy Town Assaultrons (66.1, o)
20) FHE Yao Guai (62.9, +)
21) Diamond City Swatters (56.9, -)
22) Goodneighbor Hancocks (49.6, +)
23) Lexington Synths (48.6, o)
24) Concord Radstags (45.6, -)
Brotherhood League
This league is still tight, though Easy Town struggled to a 2-8 mark in their last 10 to fall five games back of the BL leaders, Country Crossing and Nordhagen Beach. The Bloodbugs have seemed to recover while the Party Boys have hovered around .500 the past four weeks. Salem, Nahant, and The Slog trail by 1, 2, and 3 games, respectively.
The Assaultrons are not out of the race by any stretch, but they have been struggling compared to past seasons. Of course, Easy Town also missed out on the playoffs in 2308 despite a 66-54 record. Part of the Trons' problem has been a major drop-off in offensive production. They are currently 10th in both runs scored (130) and average (.257) and 9th in home run production (28). 1B Lannie Tykeson (.333/6/23) is the team leader, though his production is currently on pace for the lowest since 2302 when he finished batting .297 with 20 home runs and 52 RBI. Other top contributors are 3B Dog Prairie (.230/8/25), LF Sean Samuels (.312/2/3), and RF Dan Squirrel (.307/3/19).
Institute League
Haves and Have-nots. That is the story as the top three teams have large leads over the bottom three teams. Fort Hagen is not out of the playoff race, but another month could see them more than 10 games behind third place. The top three--Starlight, Bunker Hill, and Sunshine Tidings--are just too talented to catch, and three games separates those three teams.
For the Silver Shroud, their heyday is past them, having missed the playoffs the past four seasons after eight-straight seasons in the playoffs and three Sole Survivor Series appearances. Their biggest lack of talent comes in their starting pitching rotation. The Shroud ranks 12th in runs allowed (180) and Starters ERA (6.46). Two starters--Cleveland Heep (0-1, 7.71) and Matt Markland (2-4, 8.27)--have struggled considerably. Heep, the Shroud's 1st-round pick in 2307, often starts games (9 of 12 appearances) but has pitched a total of 14.0 innings.
Minutemen League
Only two teams--Jamaica Plain and University Point--are above .500 in a league struggling to find its groove. The Deathclaws got really hot, winning eight in a row and going 10-2 in May so far, to find themselves in a tie with the Red Rockets after trailing by four games just two weeks ago. Spectacle Island and Quincy are both hovering around .500.
Quincy has been a team that has improved over the last few seasons but still cannot find itself as a winning franchise. After contending for the playoffs but fading away in the end to finish 59-61, the Gunners missed the playoffs for the ninth-straight season and still have yet to win a Minutemen League champion in franchise history. This season, they are below average in both runs scored (7th at 150) and runs allowed (8th at 156). There is a huge difference between production and non-production on offense with the top five hitters driving almost all scoring. 2B Shirt Fowler (.373/3/17) may be the CBO's best overall hitting and defensive 2B in the league. LF Hondo Ohnaka (.267/10/20) leads the team in home runs from the leadoff spot. Though not terrible, former 2nd-overall pick in the 2304 draft, SP Lyle Pine (2-4, 5.33) is not yet ready to be a team's ace. SP Fosdyke Rochambeau (3-1, 2.88) has been the team's best pitcher thus far.
Railroad League
The top four teams in this league are good, and with Roxbury reemerging, the ML may not have a chance in 2309. The Rad Sox lead Oberland by a game and Egret by two with Vault 81 just five games back. FHE and Diamond City can start preparing for reshuffling their lineups in preparation for coming years.
For the Dwellers, they have yo-yoed between playoff success and missing out on the playoffs completely over the past four seasons. In 2306, they made the playoffs as the #1 seed before falling in the SCA Championship Series to Roxbury. They missed the playoffs in 2307, and then returned last season as the third-seed, again reaching the SCACS before falling to Oberland. This season, they are middling, currently 5th in runs scored (163) and 6th in runs allowed (146). The big blow is losing 2B Harry Byrd (.254/3/15) probably for the rest of the 2309 season. They made a trade for 2B Chris Connexx (.250/1/5) to fill in that role but it will be tough without Byrd. 3B Knud Bather (.372/10/34) has been the most productive hitter on the season. Ace Scruffy Taguchi (2-4, 5.05) has also struggled, while SP Exxie Summerset (7-1, 3.08) has been the pitching leader.
CBO Standings
CBO Players of the Week
May 10 - When it came to hitting the baseball, Baktu DaWell had few peers in the North Charles Association this past week.
The talented right fielder for Sunshine Tidings tagged opposing pitchers for a .471 average and was voted the Player of the Week Award. Included in his stats were 8 hits in 17 at-bats, 4 homers, 5 runs scored and 5 RBIs.
For the season DaWell is hitting .354, batted in 23 runs with 13 home runs and 25 runs scored.
Barker Cocoa of the University Point Deathclaws had an award-winning week and today was voted the Player of the Week by the South Charles Association.
For the week the 30-year-old first baseman batted .591 (13-for-22) with 7 home runs and 16 RBIs.
Currently Cocoa has 16 home runs and a .458 batting average.
May 17 - Jacob Tarberry has the tools to stick in this league for many years. The 20-year-old third baseman of the Nahant Celtics had a hot bat in the North Charles Association over the past seven days and won the Player of the Week honors.
Tarberry batted .571 with 12 hits in 21 at-bats, 2 home runs and 7 RBIs.
So far this year, Tarberry is batting .316 with 8 home runs and 19 RBIs.
Missile Crews is respected by most Goodneighbor Hancocks fans for his no-frills style of play. The 20-year-old center fielder went about his business with vigor last week to grab the South Charles Association Player of the Week honors.
He compiled a .550 average (11-for-20) with 1 home run, 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored.
Posting a .382 batting average to date, Crews has 7 home runs and 19 RBIs.
CBO Transactions
Monday, May 17th , 2309
Starlight Killers: Placed SP Whokill Poole on the restricted list.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Placed 3B Well Done Dungan on the restricted list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Activated CL John Walden from the restricted list.
Starlight Killers: Signed RP Bookie Reader.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Danny Bricklayer.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Signed free agent RP Nick Doster to a minor league contract.
Sunday, May 16th , 2309
Vault 81 Dwellers: Placed 2B Harry Byrd on the 60-day injured list.
Atom Cats: Activated 3B Shane Stabb from the restricted list.
The Slog Ghouls: Activated RF Boots Yellowhair from the injured list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Activated C Ayag Mour from the restricted list.
Saturday, May 15th , 2309
Nahant Celtics: Placed SP Doug Creep on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 05/14/2309.
FHE Yao Guai: Activated CL Baker Dozen from the injured list.
Atom Cats: Activated 1B Yip Yick Ping from the restricted list.
Atom Cats: Sent 1B Yip Yick Ping to Triple A Medford for injury rehab.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Activated LF Knife Bowie from the restricted list.
Nahant Celtics: Signed RP Nick Dyson.
Friday, May 14th , 2309
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Activated SS Aaron Nukacola from the injured list.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Activated RF Deerlord Fugivmee from the injured list.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Sent RF Deerlord Fugivmee to Triple A Sandwich for injury rehab.
Oberland T-51s: Signed LF Davjean Lewis.
Thursday, May 13th , 2309
Atom Cats: Activated LF Figgie Legendsport from the restricted list.
Oberland T-51s: Activated RF Judge Sharp from the injured list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Activated 3B Diamond Ball from the restricted list.
Wednesday, May 12th , 2309
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Activated RF Ziggy Stardust from the injured list.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Sent RF Ziggy Stardust to Triple A Foxborough for injury rehab.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Two-tone McGee.
Monday, May 10th , 2309
CBO: The league suspended seven players from Atom and Spectacle Island following a post-game scrap. Spectacle Island closer John Walden took exception to Atom LF Figgie Legendsport's reaction to hitting a ninth-inning home run. Following the game, Walden confronted Legendsport and a fight erupted involving seven players. Those seven players are listed below for the restricted list.
FHE Yao Guai: Activated 3B Daryl Stamperman from the injured list.
Atom Cats: Placed 3B Shane Stabb on the restricted list.
Atom Cats: Placed LF Figgie Legendsport on the restricted list.
Atom Cats: Placed 1B Yip Yick Ping on the restricted list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Placed C Ayag Mour on the restricted list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Placed CL John Walden on the restricted list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Placed LF Knife Bowie on the restricted list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Placed 3B Diamond Ball on the restricted list.
Sunday, May 9th , 2309
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Bill Charisma.
Saturday, May 8th , 2309
Nahant Celtics: Activated SS Roger Coker from the injured list.
Egret Ninjas: Activated SS Notorious Fugate from the injured list.
Friday, May 7th , 2309
Bunker Hill 75ers: Activated RP Hangman Alley from the injured list.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Crab Kroh.
Thursday, May 6th , 2309
Concord Radstags: Activated SS Hatrack Hines from the injured list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Activated RF Matt Basile from the injured list.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Natural Clagett.
The Sunshine Tidings Chemists traded 28-year old 2B Chris Connexx to the Vault 81 Dwellers, getting 29-year old RHP Chris Salazar and 20-year old minor league CF Ham Slamous in return.
Wednesday, May 5th , 2309
Bunker Hill 75ers: Activated SP Corey Ware from the restricted list.
Bunker Hill 75ers: Released RP Nick Dyson.
Tuesday, May 4th , 2309
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Riot Parkranger.