BNN Weekly Report
News from the CBO, Minors, College, and Youth Leagues
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
9 August 2309
CBO Analysis
We have now completed the third quarter with each team having played 90 games. Three of the leagues look all but clinched with 30 games to go and Magic #s in the low-20s. However, there are still plenty of playoff spots still up for grabs in each association. Let's look at the current seedings.
NCA
1. Starlight
2. Nordhagen Beach
3. County Crossing
4. Bunker Hill
5. Sunshine Tidings
Nordhagen Beach took over control of the Brotherhood League and now sits in the 2nd slot with County Crossing just two back. Sunshine Tidings also worked their way into the playoff picture after going 6-4, while The Slog could only manage a 4-6 mark, dropping them a game back of the Chemists.
SCA
1t. Oberland
1t. University Point
3. Jamaica Plain
4. Egret
5. Roxbury
Oberland and University Point have played four times this season with each team winning two games. That puts them into a first-place tie for now while the rest of the SCA is far behind. In the 3-5 spots, all three are jumbled and Quincy and Vault 81 are just three and five games back of the 5th spot.
Here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) University Point Deathclaws (135.0, +) - The Deathclaws have been on a tear despite their injury woes--minus SP Tony Bertha (16-2, 4.19), CF Aesed Hayjen (.378/27/57), and RF Tomas Jones (.350/11/37)--going 8-2 in their last 10, tied for the best mark in that span. The Claws swept FHE, won two over Goodneighbor, split at Egret, and then swept Atom.
2) Oberland T-51s (131.0, -) - Oberland is now tied with University Point for the best CBO record after going 7-3 in thelr last 10. The T-51s swept the Cats on the road, won two over the Ninjas, swept the Hancocks, and lost two at the Yao Guai.
3) Starlight Killers (127.0, o) - The Killers still own the NCA's best record and now have a nine-game lead in the Institute League thanks to an 8-2 record in the past two weeks. Starlight swept County Crossing, won two at Lexington, swept Nahant, and then won two over the Synths.
4) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (115.0, o) - The Party Boys are back on top of the Brotherhood League after going 8-2 in their last 10. The Boys swept Lexington on the road, beat The Slog twice, swept Concord, and then won two at the Bloodbugs.
5) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (108.0, ++) - The Red Rockets surged back up the rankings despite a losing streak that made them 4-6 in the past two weeks. However, the Rockets have now won four straight. They got swept at home by Egret, got swept at Quincy, split at Vault 81, and then swept the Gunners at home.
6) Bunker Hill 75ers (107.0, ++)
7) County Crossing Bloodbugs (105.0, o)
8) Egret Ninjas (105.0, -)
9) Roxbury Rad Sox (103.0, -)
10) Quincy Gunners (97.0, --)
11) Vault 81 Dwellers (97.0, ++)
12) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (96.0, --)
13) Salem Witch Hats (95.0, o)
14) The Slog Ghouls (95.0, -)
15) Nahant Celtics (85.0, o)
16) Spectacle Island Reapers (81.0, o)
17) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (71.0, +)
18) Concord Radstags (68.0, ++)
19) Atom Cats (62.0, -)
20) Easy Town Assaultrons (60.0, o)
21) Diamond City Swatters (57.0, -)
22) Goodneighbor Hancocks (53.0, o)
23) Lexington Synths (51.0, o)
24) FHE Yao Guai (51.0, o)
Brotherhood League
With the series victory over County Crossing, Nordhagen Beach has now taken control in the BL over the struggling Bloodbugs. The Slog and Salem also struggled to win games in the last stretch, giving the Boys an eight-game lead over the 3rd place teams, meaning their playoff-clinching Magic # is 23.
When we look at the Bloodbugs, we are becoming more convinced that they are more pretender than contender. And yet, they are just two games back of being the 2nd seed in the NCA. The Bugs are 6th in runs scored (438) and 4th in runs allowed (390). For their starters, only one player, SP Bobby Carvajal (11-3, 3.94), has an ERA below 4.00. Both CF Any Why (.321/24/63) and RF Babs Rooth (.316/24/70) have good, not great, seasons. None of the starters in the batting lineup are batting below .250, yet County Crossing is 5th in average (.273).
Institute League
Starlight keeps pulling away in this league, making us think they are indeed the best team in the NCA and perhaps the CBO. In the meantime, Bunker Hill and Sunshine Tidings stay relatively close to each other, with the 75ers maintaining a four-game advantage as they are trying for the 3rd seed.
The Chemists are still relying on their offense to keep them in games since the pitching is struggling, including being tied for 9th for runs allowed (447). The offense is 4th in runs scored (464) with big-time power numbers for the top home run team (155): 1B Dusty Brownell (.303/36/65), 3B Ross Merchantman (.269/32/75), and RF Baktu DaWell (.298/25/50).
Minutemen League
Like most of the other leagues, it is hard to imagine that University Point will fall from the mountaintop. The Deathclaws hold the second-largest league lead, with that number not being larger thanks to Jamaica Plain's sweep of Quincy. At the same time, the Gunners' losses have reduced the Deathclaws' Magic # for clinching a playoff spot to 16.
The Gunners are still a good team, but they cannot afford to have many more poor series in the final six weeks of the regular season. Quincy is 3rd in runs scored (464) and tied for 6th in runs allowed (425), meaning they have many tight games. Franchise player 3B Ben Pettinato (.294/24/85) continues to have a huge impact in his 14th season with the Gunners. RF Baywatch Fischler (.353/15/47) is out until maybe the end of the month, which does cut into offensive production. SP Village Idiot Recker (11-8, 3.70) is having his best season in his second year after moving from bullpen to starter.
Railroad League
Many of us thought Roxbury would give Oberland a run for their money, but it has turned out to be Egret who is battling the Rad Sox for 2nd place. It is evident that the Sox are no longer the dominant team they once were, so battling for a playoff spot is the big factor this season. Vault 81 is still in the running, too, but they need to win all or the vast majority of their remaining 12 series to earn a spot.
For the Ninjas, they remain as quiet a good team as the CBO has seen. They could quietly slip out of the playoff race or dominate their way to the Sole Survivor Series. On the season, Egret is 5th in runs scored (446) and 1st in runs allowed (354). We may have mentioned this before, but the Ninjas' starters look as though they could help them win it all in 2309 with a 3.64 team ERA. Both Tup Mallory (10-3, 3.07) and Admiral Kelm (14-6, 3.64) have been great on the mound and getting the run support necessary to win games.
CBO Standings
CBO Players of the Week
August 2 - Swinging a hot stick last week, Family Sam Partridge picked up the North Charles Association Player of the Week Award today.
The 20-year-old left fielder for Lexington lashed 13 hits in 20 at-bats as he put together a .650 average with 2 home runs. Partridge also drove in 5 runs, scored 6 times and compiled a .696 OBP.
Thus far this season Partridge has hit .283 with 13 home runs, 39 RBIs and scored 36 times.
His solid numbers speak for themselves. That's why Figgie Legendsport of the Atom Cats was named the South Charles Association Player of the Week.
For the week Legendsport batted .529 (9-for-17) with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs.
For the season Legendsport is batting .355 with 107 hits and 21 home runs. He has scored 57 times and batted in 59.
August 9 - This week's standout performer in the North Charles Association was first baseman Casey Roux of the County Crossing Bloodbugs.
He belted out a .524 average and was voted the Player of the Week. Over the last week Roux collected 11 hits in 21 at-bats and 4 home runs, drove in 6 runs and scored 7 times.
So far this year Roux has 19 home runs and a .271 batting average.
All week long nobody could get Stu Gains out in the South Charles Association and that is the prime reason he was voted the Player of the Week.
The Vault 81 center fielder took home the trophy by blasting 8 hits in 19 at-bats for a .421 batting average, driving in 10 runs and scoring 8 times.
Looking at his season stats, Gains has compiled a .310 batting average and a .408 on-base percentage, while hitting 28 home runs and driving in 85 runs.
CBO Draft Outlook
The OSA has released its first look at the 2309 Rookie Draft. Of course, they have yet to include the four expansion teams from Malden, Cambridge, South Boston, and Vault 95. Really, the first mocks are showing how OSA scouts think the CBO scouts will rank players.
That means, the #1 expected pick is 1B Juu Racetrack of the Littleton Beasts who is considered a draft-eligible 16-year-old. The Beasts joined the Commonwealth Youth League this season, so only Racetrack's 2309 stats count. In 76 games, Racetrack batted .350 with 20 home runs and 57 RBI. He is considered to be a high-contact prospect with the power to drive quite a few hits over the fence. While he can play either corner infield position, Racetrack is likely to be a 1B in the majors.
CF Erasmus Hansen of South Charles Bank is predicted to be the second player taken. Hansen is a speedy outfielder capable of playing anywhere in the outfield and play it well. He finished his career with the Moonies with a .309 batting average, 67 home runs, and 233 RBI. He also scored 195 runs and stole 25 bases in 31 attempts. Scouts think he will be a good all-around player and may quickly move up the minor league ranks as his potential becomes productivity.
It has not yet been determined where the expansion teams will draft. There have been proposals of the four teams picking at the bottom of Round 1 and then the top of every other round. There have also been talks of choosing at the top in every round or immediately before 2309 playoff teams.
Complete OSA initial mock minus expansion teams:
CBO Transactions
Monday, August 9th , 2309
University Point Deathclaws: Placed SP Tony Bertha on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/08/2309.
Nordhagen Beach Party Boys: Placed LF Young Goodman on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/08/2309.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Third Rail Stadium in Boston Commons is now open. The Hancocks will play its next home series on August 13-15 against Spectacle Island there.
Sunday, August 8th , 2309
Easy Town Assaultrons: Placed LF Sean Samuels on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/05/2309.
Salem Witch Hats: Activated SP Jaa Thirtysix from the injured list.
Saturday, August 7th , 2309
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Bill Charisma.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 3B Do-Good Wilkerson.
Friday, August 6th , 2309
Easy Town Assaultrons: Placed 1B Lannie Tykeson on the 60-day injured list.
Thursday, August 5th , 2309
Vault 81 Dwellers: Activated LF Mace Pageturner from the injured list.
Vault 81 Dwellers: Released SS Eric Frost.
Salem Witch Hats: Placed RF Brian DeLong on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/04/2309.
Diamond City Swatters: Activated CF Kevin Phelps from the injured list.
Lexington Synths: Activated 1B Will Ashfire from the restricted list.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Placed RP Jamie Collins on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/03/2309.
FHE Yao Guai: Released RP Orlie Dumbbell.
Nahant Celtics: Signed C Raheem Murphy.
Nahant Celtics: Signed C Tom Watts.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed RP Josh Hollander.
Wednesday, August 4th , 2309
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Activated CF Missile Crews from the injured list.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Sent CF Missile Crews to Triple A Foxborough for injury rehab.
Tuesday, August 3rd , 2309
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Placed 2B Rollie Leroyson on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/31/2309.
Monday, August 2nd , 2309
University Point Deathclaws: Placed CF Aesed Hayjen on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/01/2309.
The Slog Ghouls: Placed 3B Zap McCabe on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 08/01/2309.
Sunday, August 1st , 2309
Starlight Killers: Placed SP Digger Vadim on the restricted list.
Lexington Synths: Placed 1B Will Ashfire on the restricted list.
Saturday, July 31st , 2309
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Placed RF Gargoyle Falcone on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/30/2309.
The County Crossing Bloodbugs traded 18-year old minor league LHP Spanky Sutherland and a 3rd round draft pick to the Atom Cats, getting 30-year old 1B Casey Roux in return.
The Spectacle Island Reapers traded 32-year old C Ayag Mour and 20-year old minor league 1B Bug Eyes Sann to the Roxbury Rad Sox, getting 22-year old minor league 1B Scott Back and 30-year old C Biddy Swenson in return.
The Quincy Gunners traded 19-year old minor league LHP Dew Ober and 22-year old LHP Junkyard Gourd to the Spectacle Island Reapers, getting 24-year old SS Pipewrench Mathis in return.
Friday, July 30th , 2309
Spectacle Island Reapers: Signed SP Manny Madrid.
Thursday, July 29th , 2309
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Placed 3B Artist Moody on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/26/2309.
Diamond City Swatters: Placed CF Kevin Phelps on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/28/2309.
The Roxbury Rad Sox traded 26-year old 1B Kasey Wisdom to the Sunshine Tidings Chemists, getting 23-year old RHP Kamal Similton in return.
The Bunker Hill 75ers traded 19-year old minor league RF Owl Hardeman to the Spectacle Island Reapers, getting 26-year old RHP Ghost Kyudalson in return.
Wednesday, July 28th , 2309
University Point Deathclaws: RF Tomas Jones returns from his rehab assignment.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Activated RF Dan Squirrel from the injured list.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Sent RF Dan Squirrel to Triple A Clifton for injury rehab.
Tuesday, July 27th , 2309
Quincy Gunners: Placed RF Baywatch Fischler on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/24/2309.
FHE Yao Guai: Released RP Tummy Urchin.
FHE Yao Guai: Released RP Clavicus Vile.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released 1B Moon Maid.
BCAC Playoffs
The 2309 season has completed with the Harvard Crimson and Mass Bay Beacons facing off in the second College Series. The teams have played just one game in the seven-game series with the Crimson winning a pitcher's duel, 1-0, to take a 1-0 series advantage.