BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
6 May 2312
CBO Analysis
The CBO season has now powered its way into the second month of the season, and we are already excited about all the great accomplishments so far. University Point's Barker Cocoa, already cemented as the CBO's greatest player is the first player to join the 500 Club of home run hitters. In the past two weeks, two no-hitters means that the CBO has matched its best season, 2299, for no-hitters when Mike Cartrette of Fort Hagen, Sheng Kawolski of Oberland, and Tommy Beach of Nordhagen Beach (first and only perfect game) all did it. So far this season, Salem's Jaa Thirtysix and FHE's Baker Dozen and Kennett Kentucky have done it. Dozen and Kentucky become just the second team pair to do it, joining Clubhouse Treelover and Heaven Fontenot of Goodneighbor in 2311. It is particularly impressive for Dozen and Kentucky accomplishing the feat within a week of each other.
Now, here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Salem Witch Hats (124.7, ++)
2) Vault 81 Dwellers (120.7, o)
3) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (118.7, -)
4) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (117.7, ++)
5) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (117.7, -)
6) Starlight Killers (101.8, ++)
7) Diamond City Swatters (100.9, --)
8) Goodneighbor Hancocks (100.9, +)
9) Cambridge Coursers (100.8, ++)
10) Southie Brews (98.8, -)
11) County Crossing Bloodbugs (97.8, -)
12) Egret Ninjas (97.0, ++)
13) Easy Town Assaultrons (95.8, -)
14) Oberland T-51s (95.8, o)
15) Bunker Hill 75ers (93.8, --)
16) The Slog Ghouls (91.8, --)
17) Concord Radstags (86.2, ++)
18) FHE Yao Guai (81.1, ++)
19) Roxbury Rad Sox (79.2, --)
20) University Point Deathclaws (78.2, +)
21) Quincy Gunners (74.1, -)
22) Glowing Sea Radscorpions (73.1, -)
23) Nahant Celtics (71.1, -)
24) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (70.3, +)
25) Malden Grognaks (61.3, ++)
26) Atom Cats (60.3, --)
27) Spectacle Island Reapers (59.3, --)
28) Lexington Synths (52.4, -)
Brotherhood League
The BL has five teams above .500, though three of those teams are just 14-12. While we predicted the demise of Nordhagen Beach, they have been the CBO's hottest team the past two weeks, including matching Egret for the best in their last 10 at 8-2. Salem is currently ahead of the Party Boys, though just by a game, in what could be an interesting season-long race. Last season's league champion, the Nahant Celtics, are stuck in 6th place right now. The Celtics have been suffering bad luck this season, including the big news of losing ace SP Lonely Gale (1-2, 1.61) for his career.
At 17-9, the Witch Hats are currently tied for the CBO's best record with Fort Hagen and Vault 81, and they are atop the Power Rankings. The Hats are the best team in the NCA in runs scored (156) and 6th for runs allowed (121). With 51 home runs, Salem also leads the NCA, with the entire lineup contributing to that number. The top three hitters--LF Dan Erb (.295/8/22), 2B Peter Pan Calvillo (.398/9/21), and 1B Brian DeLong (.299/9/22)--lead the team in homers. Calvillo has been especially impressive, including winning the NCA Hitter of the Month award. In just his third season with the CBO club after being an 8th-round pick in the 2306 Draft, Calvillo has emerged as perhaps the best 2B in the CBO.
Institute League
PAM may have been a season early in her prediction of Fort Hagen as the best team in the CBO. The Silver Shroud has certainly shown glimpses of that ability and have the largest league lead of three games. Three teams are tied for 2nd place: Starlight, Bunker Hill, and Cambridge(!). Sunshine Tidings, which had made the playoffs the past nine seasons, is mired in 6th place.
For the Shroud, the sky is the limit in their pursuit for their first Sole Survivor Series victory. Fort Hagen is 2nd in runs scored (153) and runs allowed (115). The lineup has proven to be well-balanced overall with most of the lineup hitting between .250 and .333. LF/SP Admiral Kelm (.325/7/23) has been the best overall hitter so far. SP Elastic Man Haley, the NCA's Pitcher of the Month, is 5-0 with a 2.45 ERA.
Minutemen League
This league is now our topsy-turvy league when compared to 2311 results. Just two days ago, there was a three-way tie for 1st among Jamaica Plain, Goodneighbor, and Southie (!). Two days later, those teams went 2-0, 1-1, and 0-2, respectively for a two-game difference from 1st through 3rd. University Point is sitting in 4th at two games below .500 and Spectacle Island has the SCA's worst record at 9-17.
Jamaica Plain had been perennial playoff participants for 9 of 10 years from 2300-2309. In 2310, they barely missed the playoffs, and then in 2311, they fell off the cliff to 6th place and their worst winning percentage since the full CBO began in 2298. The Red Rockets are a talented team, so bad luck was probably the reason for such a poor 2311 season. This season, the Rockets are 8th in the SCA in runs scored (126) but 2nd in runs allowed (89) including the 2nd-best Starters ERA (2.99). All four starters have an ERA at 3.50 or below: Derek Green (1-0. 2.43), Chris Deathclaw (2-3, 2.93), Frank Heart (2-2, 3.50), and D.P. Clark (3-1, 3.12).
Railroad League
Like the Institute League, the Railroad League has seen one team seeming to be above the others through early returns in Vault 81. Diamond City and Oberland are the only other teams above .500. Defenidng CBO champions, the Roxbury Rad Sox, have shown some signs of decline, currently sitting in 5th place at 12-14, just one game better than the two teams at the bottom, FHE and Glowing Sea.
The Dwellers have sporadically sampled with greatness over the years. Their best season was 2306 when Vault 81 finished 77-43 and the SCA's best record. However, they fell in seven games in the SCA Championship Series to Roxbury that season. This season, Vault 81 is again finding their groove, looking to be the SCA's best team from early returns. The Dwellers are 5th in runs scored (132) and 4th in runs allowed (118), showing that they are not dominating the statistics but still finding ways to win. Part of that success is in the Dwellers' domination in one-run games (10-1). Interestingly, that one loss was also in their only extra-inning game, an 8-7 loss to Salem. Harry Byrd (.352/5/19) leads the offense, while Scruffy Taguchi (3-1, 3.67) has been the best pitcher.
CBO Standings
CBO Players of the Week
April 29 - Peter Pan Calvillo has the tools to stick in this league for many years. The 23-year-old shortstop of the Salem Witch Hats had a hot bat in the North Charles Association over the past seven days and won the Player of the Week honors.
Calvillo batted .483 with 14 hits in 29 at-bats, 5 home runs and 10 RBIs.
To date, Calvillo has collected 35 hits for a .422 average. He has posted 7 home runs, scored 22 runs and driven in 17 runs.
A veteran of baseball wars, Shane Stabb knows how to stay with a stroke that's working for him. The 35-year-old third baseman for the Cats batted .458 last week on his way to the South Charles Association Player of the Week award.
His noteworthy week also featured 11 hits in 24 at-bats, 2 home runs, 9 RBIs and 4 runs scored.
Thus far this year, Stabb is batting .408 with 3 home runs, 15 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
May 6 - A veteran of baseball wars, Zeldolph Violet knows how to stay with a stroke that's working for him. The 35-year-old first baseman for the Bloodbugs batted .467 last week on his way to the North Charles Association Player of the Week award.
His noteworthy week also featured 7 hits in 15 at-bats, 5 home runs, 9 RBIs and 6 runs scored.
Violet is hitting .323 for the season with 7 home runs, 15 RBIs and 14 runs scored. He has 20 hits in 62 at-bats and played in 22 games.
A battle-tested Aesed Hayjen declared war on opposing pitchers last week, attacking the ball like the well-schooled veteran he is. Today the 34-year-old University Point right fielder collected the South Charles Association Player of the Week Award.
He wrapped up the week with a .565 average, 13 hits in 23 at-bats, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs and 6 runs scored.
Thus far this year, Hayjen has hit .402 with 5 home runs and 13 RBIs.
CBO Noteworthy News
April 22 - "I wasn't trying to hit a homer. I just wanted to make contact."
That's what Barker Cocoa told reporters after he made league history at Valentine Detective Agency Field. The prolific slugger belted home run #500 in the University Point Deathclaws 7-3 victory over the Starlight Killers.
The standout first baseman collected 2 hits in 5 at-bats with 3 runs batted in and 2 runs scored.
"I guess this puts me in baseball's elite," said Cocoa. "I don't feel any different. I probably should, but I don't. Still, it is a nice achievement. I did get a little excited, didn't I?"
In his career, Cocoa is hitting .359 with a total of 501 home runs.
April 26 - The day has come for Lonely Gale to call it a career. The Nahant starting pitcher, because of a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, has been out of action for a while. Now, he has decided to retire from baseball. He made it official in a brief appearance to reporters. "I was told I've got an outside shot at playing again," he said. "But I've decided to pursue other options at this time." Best of luck to Gale. The team will surely miss him.
The 22-year-old Gale was the overall 22nd pick by Easy Town in the 2307 Rookie Draft. He was considered the Celtics' ace entering the 2312 season. Assuming he does not make a comeback, in three seasons, Gale has an 8-5 record with a 3.16 ERA.
April 29 - Excitement reigned at Atomatoys Stadium at Roxbury as FHE Yao Guai hurler Baker Dozen tossed a baseball rarity -- a no-hitter.
After defeating the Roxbury Rad Sox, 13-0, he was swamped by reporters in the clubhouse for postgame comments.
"I'm just glad to be here," Dozen said. "Today I just went right at the Rad Sox as hard as I could, as long as I could."
Dozen, who finished 5th in the SCA in ERA with 3.27 last year, chalked up 6 strikeouts and allowed 7 walks in his superb performance.
"I don't think they could have stopped him with a howitzer today," said FHE manager Dan Ferreri.
This year, Dozen has compiled a 2-1 record with a 3.00 ERA.
May 3 - FHE Yao Guai starter Kennett Kentucky came up big at BosCom Circle with an exceptional 3-0 win against the Diamond City Swatters. Not only did he whip them, but Kentucky held them hitless, too.
"My arm was a bit sore in warmups," confessed Kentucky. "Sometimes you go out there and you're not feeling all that hot. You get into the game and all of a sudden in the seventh inning you look up and see the scoreboard and think to yourself, 'Oh, my goodness, I have a no-hitter!' You're so focused on what you're doing, it just happens."
In the course of the no-hitter, Kentucky collected 7 strikeouts and surrendered 1 walk -- a day good enough to get his name in the history books.
This season, Kentucky has compiled a 2-2 record with a 2.87 ERA.
CBO Transactions
Monday, May 6th , 2312
Nahant Celtics: Released CF Cornelius Humperdink IV.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Activated CF Boryslaw Skiba from the injured list.
Concord Radstags: Signed RF Mike Carrasco.
Concord Radstags: Released RF Ryan Stephenson.
Sunday, May 5th , 2312
FHE Yao Guai: Activated SP Munyeb Funyun from the injured list.
Lexington Synths: Signed SS Shi Tyuknot.
Saturday, May 4th , 2312
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Released CF Xavier Brown.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Signed LF Ulfric Stormcloak.
Friday, May 3rd , 2312
County Crossing Bloodbugs: Released LF Trev Valentine.
Roxbury Rad Sox: Activated SP Urm Rehfeldt from the injured list.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Signed LF Alex Hopp.
Glowing Sea Radscorpions: Signed SP Kristian Frederiksen.
Concord Radstags: Signed RF Jukebox Irgnir.
Oberland T-51s: Signed RP Bill Jones.
Oberland T-51s: Signed SP Ben McEntire.
Oberland T-51s: Signed SP Dillon Young.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Released LF Three Richardson-Bethson.
Oberland T-51s: Released SP Dillon Young.
Glowing Sea Radscorpions: Released SP Kristian Frederiksen.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Chad Jefferson.
Thursday, May 2nd , 2312
University Point Deathclaws: Released RP Jayden Fleming.
Starlight Killers: Begin preparations for honoring Glenn Higinbotham's career with the Killers - announce plans to retire his jersey #12 upon retirement
Wednesday, May 1st , 2312
Concord Radstags: Released RF John Millertime.
Southie Brews: Placed SP Klement Thodberg on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/30/2312.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Released CF Danny Honeycutt.
Atom Cats: Placed CF Candy Kline on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/29/2312.
Lexington Synths: Signed SS Julian Roughneck.
Lexington Synths: Released SS Julian Roughneck.
Tuesday, April 30th , 2312
Concord Radstags: Released RF Dammer McReynolds.
Concord Radstags: Released RF No-No Pinhole.
Oberland T-51s: Signed RP Alex Fonseca.
Oberland T-51s: Signed RP Pritch Diller.
Oberland T-51s: Signed SP Bill Jones.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Jordan Hawkeye.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Davies Lamplighter.
Oberland T-51s: Released SP Bill Jones.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Matt Zukowski.
Monday, April 29th , 2312
Concord Radstags: Activated CF Calixto Corrium from the injured list.
Concord Radstags: Signed RF Skate Kerrigan.
Sunshine Tidings Chemists: Signed RF Avar Javed.
Oberland T-51s: Signed SP Ryan Mania.
Oberland T-51s: Signed SP Mike Mancia.
Oberland T-51s: Signed SP Melvin Lora.
Oberland T-51s: Released SP Downy Drugger.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Pritch Diller.
Sunday, April 28th , 2312
Concord Radstags: Placed RP Brahmin Lover Beardman on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/25/2312.
FHE Yao Guai: Placed SP Munyeb Funyun on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/27/2312.
Concord Radstags: Released RF Clubhouse Pengana.
The University Point Deathclaws traded 33-year old RF Jarrett Metalbox, a 8th round draft pick, and a 6th round draft pick to the Egret Ninjas, getting 27-year old minor league RHP Ed Rare, 21-year old RHP Gilchrist Moore, and a 10th round draft pick in return.
Saturday, April 27th , 2312
Bunker Hill 75ers: Placed 3B Cave Dweller Bourgeois on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/26/2312.
Nahant Celtics: Placed CF Grandson Quarles on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/26/2312.
Easy Town Assaultrons: Placed RF Baktu DaWell on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/26/2312.
Malden Grognaks: Placed 3B Prince Campbell on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/26/2312.
Bunker Hill 75ers: Signed C Ravam Verethi.
Bunker Hill 75ers: Signed C Radvoid V.
Oberland T-51s: Signed SP Dokk Strassi.
Oberland T-51s: Signed RP Habitual Seabolt.
Oberland T-51s: Signed RP Ruben Gonzalez.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Habitual Seabolt.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Ed Gibbs.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Dan Redplate.
Friday, April 26th , 2312
Nahant Celtics: Released SP Lonely Gale.(Career-ending injury)
Thursday, April 25th , 2312
Diamond City Swatters: Activated RP Nucky Ostiguin from the injured list.
Malden Grognaks: Placed RP Edwin Flowerspawn on the 60-day injured list.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Placed CF Boryslaw Skiba on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/24/2312.
The Slog Ghouls: Placed SP Flirt Perez on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/24/2312.
Oberland T-51s: Signed SP Chad Jefferson.
Oberland T-51s: Signed RP Bollie Upchurch.
Oberland T-51s: Signed RP Bryan Saucer.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Feran Sadri.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Ima Gunna Di.
Oberland T-51s: Released RP Josh Copley.
Wednesday, April 24th , 2312
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Placed SS Brandon Larsonist on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/23/2312.
Concord Radstags: Signed RF Ralph DeYoe.
Tuesday, April 23rd , 2312
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Released RP David Nelson.
Lexington Synths: Placed CF Millioncap Go on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 04/21/2312.
Lexington Synths: Signed SS Donk Oh.
Monday, April 22nd, 2312
The Concord Radstags traded 24-year old 3B Lightning Rod Forth to the Sunshine Tidings Chemists, getting 25-year old RHP Loan Khong in return.