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Nuka News Update
Reporting on the NWL, APL, NWLR, and BBL Leagues
by Evan Guy
1 June 2309
Victory, Dark Earn Early Leads
Some teams have played 24 games, and others have played 25. In the 90-game season, there is still a lot of season to go. Let us take a look at what is happening in the NWL, the minors, and the youth league as we move into the month of June.
In the NWL, both the Cave Crickets and Bloodworms have divisional leads early, with two teams--Wild and Quartz--struggling to win games.
Victory at 16-8 is 1st in the NWL with 147 runs scored and 7th in runs against (138). Many of their games come down to which teams hits more, which is usually the Cave Crickets. 2B Due Crymes (.462/1/12) leads the NWL in average, WAR, at-bats, hits, and triples. Other top hitters include 3B Jesse Saloum (.398/2/13), LF Edgar Virus (.396/4/19), and RF Mike Munchkin (.382/3/19).
Dark has been the opposite in their success, currently last in runs scored (97) but 2nd in runs allowed (88). While they do have one player batting over .400, LF Denn Verr (.406/1/11), the team is hitting only .297 overall. The most successful starting pitcher so far has been Bighair Harrington (4-0, 2.57) along with help from SPs Franklin William Kidd (2-1, 3.79) and Josh Reliford (2-1, 3.09) for the 2nd-best Starters ERA (3.59) in the league.
When Due Crymes stepped up to the plate in May he did it with confidence, and today he was honored with the Nuka World League Batter of the Month award.
The young Victory second baseman posted a .462 batting average with 1 home run, 12 RBIs and scored 26 runs. Crymes also worked pitchers for 2 walks to post a .471 on-base percentage.
The Nuka World League scribes have selected May's Pitcher of the Month and have awarded the honor to Steven Nebraska of Grape. He was outstanding on the hill last month and has the numbers to prove it -- a 4-2 record.
The Painted Ghouls star performer made 7 starts with a 1.86 ERA and surrendered 46 hits in 58 innings. He struck out 42 and walked 8.
Rich Texan earned May's Rookie of the Month honors in the Nuka World League for last month's performance. The boyish Orange shortstop might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.
Texan hit .290 with 2 home runs, 7 RBIs and 10 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.
In the Amusement Park League, the Safari Adventure Gazelles and Dry Rock Gulch Convicts are the leaders.
Petit Frenchman put together a good May to earn the Amusement Park League Batter of the Month prize. A virtual unknown, he made the most of his chance to prove to Bradberton officials that he belongs on the big league roster.
The Disciples right fielder posted a .423 batting average with 12 home runs, 30 RBIs and 32 runs scored.
Urb Meyer doesn't think about his career all that much. He doesn't fixate on yesterday and he doesn't worry about next season -- he has learned to worry only about today.
That attitude, coupled with no saves in 6 relief appearances netted the 28-year-old reliever May's Amusement Park League Pitcher of the Month trophy earlier today.
The Nuka Town reliever pitched 23.1 innings, struck out 23 and walked 7 on the way to a 3-0 mark and a 1.54 ERA.
There are two divisional ties in the NWLRL. In the North Bradberton, the Nuka Jolly Elves and Wixon Cola Kings are both 17-12. In the South Bradberton, the Junkyard Space Cadets and Nuka Plant Electrics are knotted up at 15-14.
Hot-hitting first baseman Clyde Rawhide of the Electrics really pounded NWL Rookie League pitchers in May, winning the Batter of the Month award.
He hit .374 with 8 home runs, 27 RBIs, 19 runs scored and 15 walks to finish with a .462 on-base percentage.
May was a magical month for Cameron White of Red Rocket. He held the NWL Rookie League hitters spellbound, conjuring up a 3-1 mark and a 2.15 ERA.
White also chalked up 7 starts, 37.2 innings and 39 strikeouts.
For this outstanding performance he was rewarded with the Pitcher of the Month trophy.
There are just two weeks remaining in the Bradberton Boys League, now expanded to 16 teams. In the West Division, the Wixon Shovels have a one-game lead over both the Starport Nuka Hubologists and Mad Mulligan Travelers. In the East Division, the Holyoke Mech Dragons have a three-game over the Hadley Falls Reactors, which have won 10 straight.
Commodore Kaestner made his presence known as one of the best young stars in the Bradberton Boys League this past month.
The South Bradberton Tycoons left fielder shined through the month of May and has won the Batter of the Month award.
The 17-year-old hit .317 with 12 home runs, 29 RBIs and 25 runs scored.
Palevius Lex certainly found a groove in May. The King Cola starter posted 5 wins last month to easily claim the Bradberton Boys League Pitcher of the Month.
During the month Lex was 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA. He made 7 starts, tossed 36 innings and had 33 strikeouts.
Vim! View
Veracious, Vivacious, Vainglorious Vision of the Vim! Leagues
by Vikky Vail
1 June 2309
Eden Meadows, Far Harbor Control Divisions in Vim! League
After our first month of play, both the Eden Meadows Anglers and Far Harbor Ghoul Whales have gained early control of the Fog and Harbor divisions, respectively.
The Anglers, which have never won the Fog Division, thus never made the playoffs, are 1.5 games up on Dalton Farm. Eden Meadows is 4th in runs scored (119) and 2nd in runs allowed (110). Team leaders in hitting include 3B Hawk Callaway (.400/0/12), 1B Kaden Ellison (.400/1/9), and LF Gyro Olly (.290/5/20). Their top pitcher is ace SP Steady Mike Holmes (4-2, 2.91).
Far Harbor, the champions of the NWL's inaugural season in 2301 and four-time Harbor Division champions, lead by an impressive seven games over Acadia. First in both runs scored (156) and runs allowed (95), the 18-6 Ghoul Whales have dominated so far in 2309. Three top hitters are 2B Jarod Sebiess (.415/8/29), RF Oppo Rancisis (.370/4/16), and LF Putt Putt Moreno (.418/1/7).
Grand Hotel Atoms fans believe they've got a talented young star in Gladder Questseeker.
He did nothing to dissuade that notion in May, as he hit .398 with 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and 24 runs scored.
The end result was the first baseman being named the Vim! League Batter of the Month.
Steady Mike Holmes of the Eden Meadows Anglers outdistanced his peers on the mound this month. He fashioned a fine 4-2 won-lost mark and 2.91 ERA in 7 starts to get the Vim! League Pitcher of the Month honors.
Holmes had a very impressive May, finishing with 36 strikeouts in 58.2 innings and holding opposing hitters to a .284 average.
Eden Meadows's Dex Labb collected 29 hits to snare the Vim! League Rookie of the Month for May.
He batted .315 with 2 home runs, 6 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
The 20-year-old is barely old enough to shave, but he could definitely contend for Rookie of the Year if he keeps up this pace.
The MDIL divisions are led by the Nucleus Radchickens and Eagle's Cover Harpooners.
Even though he is a newcomer to Mount Desert Island League, Vince Eller put up some good numbers in May and earned the MDIL Batter of the Month award.
He was one of Oceanarium's offensive leaders with a .385 average in 23 games. He also racked up 18 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 22 runs scored.
The Mount Desert Island League Pitcher of the Month honor has been given to Jeff Crawler of Brooke's Head for a superlative month.
"I actually never wanted to be a pitcher," Crawler told reporters when asked who he credits for his pitching ability. "I was an outfielder until high school and on the third day of tryouts my coach came up and said, 'Son you couldn't hit a lick even if we put it on a tee for ya.' Well, that ticked me off, so I decided if I couldn't hit I wanted to make sure no one else could either and so here I am."
It all turned out for the best as the Brooke's Head starter notched a 4-1 record with a 2.63 ERA last month. He made 5 starts and struck out 29 in 41 innings.
In the Vim! Rookie League, the Vim Factory Pops and Huntress Island Ug-Qualtoths are division leaders.
Kitteredge's Purl Jamme had a productive May and topped it off by winning the Batter of the Month citation from the VIM! Rookie League.
The 19-year-old first baseman stood out at the plate with a .383 batting average, 9 home runs, 26 RBIs and 31 runs scored.
Clooky Liatti was firing on all cylinders in the month of May with 4 wins as he steamrolled all VIM! Rookie League opposition on his way to the Pitcher of the Month award.
During the month Liatti was 4-1 with a 4.05 ERA. He made 6 starts, tossed 33.1 innings and had 29 strikeouts.
The Maine Youth Leagues season is winding down. In the Mount Desert Island Four, the Beaver Creek Bowlers have a five-game lead. In the Great Diamond Island League, the Sunset Park Anglers and Echo Point Glowers are tied.
Cliff's Edge Wolves fans may just have witnessed a star player blossoming before their eyes in May.
Kyle Keitt put up a remarkable month at the age of 15 and has been named the Mount Desert Island Four Batter of the Month.
For the month, Keitt hit .264 with 7 home runs, 19 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
It's perhaps an award he'll win many more times through his career, as at age 17 Ziggy Zombiekiller has a lot of baseball ahead of him.
But for now the young Sunset Park Anglers star can enjoy the numbers he put up in May, which have garnered him the nod as the Great Diamond Island League Batter of the Month.
His breakout month featured a .286 average with 9 home runs, 30 RBIs and 16 runs scored.
In May, Hawk Dawson tore through the Mount Desert Island Four like a seasoned veteran -- quite impressive for a player only 16 years old.
The young Cliff's Edge starter posted a 4-0 mark and an ERA of 2.84 to earn the Pitcher of the Month award. In 44.1 innings he collected 52 strikeouts while limiting the opposition to a .205 average.
Fumblefoot Appling took a much-deserved turn in the spotlight earlier today as he accepted the Great Diamond Island League Pitcher of the Month award for May.
The 16-year-old Fort Knights starter is a relative newcomer to the league, but nonetheless racked up an impressive 3-1 won-lost record in 7 starts. This month he fanned 55 batters in 47.2 innings and compiled a 1.70 ERA.