BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
16 August 2315
CBO Analysis
We are now down to the final stretch of games, with two weeks and 13 per team left to play. Three teams--Starlight, Egret, and Goodneighbor--have been eliminated from contention, while no teams have yet to clinch a spot. That could change as early as tomorrow with Lexington having a Magic # of 2 to clinch a spot. Other teams will have to wait at least a few days with Vault 81 the closest in clinching a spot in the SCA, nine games up on Oberland as the current 7th seed. We will break down the playoff race in each league along with discussing who we think will meet in the Sole Survivor Series. Here are the current team power rankings for the Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Vault 81 Dwellers (115.6, +)
2) Salem Witch Hats (107.2, ++)
3) Lexington Synths (106.6, -)
4) Atom Cats (105.6, +)
5) Diamond City Swatters (103.8, -)
6) Quincy Gunners (101.5, ++)
7) University Point Deathclaws (101.2, --)
8) Glowing Sea Radscorpions (99.5, +)
9) Malden Grognaks (96.4, ++)
10) Roxbury Rad Sox (96.3, ++)
11) Bunker Hill 75ers (95.8, o)
12) Easy Town Assaultrons (95.8, --)
13) FHE Yao Guai (93.2, ++)
14) Concord Radstags (92.3, --)
15) Southie Brews (91.7, +)
16) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (88.7, -)
17) Spectacle Island Reapers (86.5, ++)
18) Oberland T-51s (85.8, --)
19) The Slog Ghouls (84.3, --)
20) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (84.2, -)
21) Cambridge Coursers (81.6, --)
22) Nahant Celtics (78.9, ++)
23) Egret Ninjas (76.4, -)
24) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (75.9, o)
25) Goodneighbor Hancocks (72.4, +)
26) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (71.5, --)
27) County Crossing Bloodbugs (66.4, --)
28) Starlight Killers (64.7, o)
Brotherhood League
Salem had a long stretch of being cold and seeing their BL lead dwindle, but at 6-4 in their last 10, the Witch Hats now have a comfortable seven-game lead, tied for the CBO's largest league lead. Malden and Easy Town are both over .500 and likely will see their names on the Playoff Tree when the regular season ends. The Slog is currently tied with Concord for the 6th playoff spot at 58-59, while all of Nahant, Nordhagen Beach, and County Crossing are probably out.
In the battle for the 3rd or 4th spot in the NCA, both the Grognaks and Assaultrons can consider themselves to be in a safe place for now unless both the Ghouls and Radstags get hot. However, both Malden and the Trons have only four games remaining at home.
The Grognaks have three-straight three-game road series at Quincy, Nordhagen Beach, and County Crossing before hosting the Party Boys and The Slog. Easy Town visits Atom, the Ghouls, and Goodneighbor before hosting The Slog and County Crossing in two-game sets. Advantage: Malden.
The Hats are one back of Lexington for the #1 overall seed. They have two-straight road series at University Point and Nahant, before having their last seven at home against the Boys, the Celtics, and Starlight. Prediction: #1 seed.
The Slog's chase for the 6th spot may be tough with seven of their remaining games coming against playoff teams from the BL. The Ghouls visit Spectacle Island, host the Trons, visit Nahant, and then finish at both Easy Town and the Grognaks. Prediction: 6-7 finish, 7th seed.
Institute League
Lexington maintains the NCA's top seed for now despite being less hot after their 10-game winning streak finished. The Synths are still tied for the CBO's top record with Vault 81, which is probably the CBO's second-hottest team. With a seven-game lead over Bunker Hill, Lexington is probably going to cruise to the IL title for the second-straight season. After the 75ers, Concord, Cambridge, Fort Hagen, Sunshine Tidings, and Starlight make up the rest of the pack. Only the Stags have a shot.
For the Synths, we are picking them to finish as the #2 seed, though we still have them winning the title in 2315. Part of that reason is a nine-game road stretch at Oberland, Cambridge, and the 75ers before costing the Coursers and Chemists to finish the season.
Bunker Hill is likely to finish as the #3 seed with a road trip to FHE, a visit from the Deathclaws, home series against the Synths and Bloodbugs, and then a visit to Concord.
For the Radstags, they do not have it easy but may be better off in scheduling than The Slog. After visiting Roxbury for three, the Stags host Sunshine Tidings, visit Egret and the Chemists, and then host the 75ers to close the season. Prediction: 8-5, 6th seed.
Minutemen League
After going 3-7 in their past 10, the Claws are scratching the surface of falling from the potential 1-seed to the 3-seed. Atom has been hot for a while and now trails by just one game heading into the final two weeks. Quincy is still very much in serious playoff contention, while all of Southie, Jamaica Plain, and the Reapers just do not have what it takes to get over the ,500 hump. The Hancocks are eliminated.
The biggest battle will be between the Claws and Cats. Both have tough slates to finish with their remaining opponents having .512 and .513 winning percentages, respectively. University Point has a series against Salem, visits Bunker Hill for three, hosts Spectacle Island, visits Diamond City, and then visits Goodneighbor. Atom has a home series against the Assaultrons, travels to Southie, hosts the Gunners and then the Brews, and then travels to Roxbury. Prediction: UP 8-5, Atom 9-4. Since the Claws won the season series, 7-3, University Point then would host the tiebreaker game. We think the Cats take that one and clinches the #2 seed. We also think that Atom represents the SCA in the Sole Survivor Series. The Deathclaws would fall to the #3 seed.
In the battle for the 4th seed, Quincy has held their own and currently hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Radscorpions. Where the Gunners may struggle to maintain that spot comes from the second-toughest remaining schedule of the current 4th-8th seeds, a .506 opponents remaining record. Oberland has it toughest with a .560 remaining opponents' record! For the Gunners to clinch at least the 6th seed, then, they just need to hold off Roxbury. Quincy's last five series are hosting Malden and the Reapers, visiting Atom and Spectacle Island, and then hosting Southie. Prediction: 6-7, 6th seed.
Railroad League
Vault 81 has now vaulted itself up to a tie for the CBO's top record, something we really did not expect to see in 2315. With a 7-3 run in their last 10, only Diamond City has been hotter in the CBO. With a six-game lead over Glowing Sea, the Dwellers are likely to clinch their third-straight RL title by this week or next. The Radscorpions currently sit in as the 4th seed, tied with the Gunners, with the Swatters as the 6th seed. The T-51s and Roxbury are right on their heels, while the Yao Guai and Ninjas are out of it. FHE is still technically alive but cannot make up the games needed with the jumble around the 6th spot.
The Dwellers do not have the easiest final schedule, but we think they will do enough against Sunshine Tidings, at Oberland and the Swatters, and then home series against the T-51s and Scorpions to clinch the #1 seed.
Other than their final visit to Vault 81, Glowing Sea has the easiest remaining schedule and have our pick to clinch the 4-seed. They host the Silver Shroud, travel to Egret and the Yao Guai, and then host the Ninjas before they go to the Dwellers.
While Diamond City has been the CBO's hottest team, including going 8-2 in their last 10, we think they fall just short of the Radscorpions and finish as the 5th seed. The Swatters host the Killers, travel to County Crossing, host the Dwellers and Claws in five-straight home games, and then finish at Egret.
CBO Standings
CBO Pennant Chase
CBO Players of the Week
August 9 - One of the league's most exciting young players, Mike Fountaineau of the Concord Radstags earned himself North Charles Association Player of the Week honors with a standout performance in last week's games.
For the week the 22-year-old third baseman had a lofty .500 average (12-for-24), collecting 3 home runs, 14 RBIs and 7 runs scored.
Currently Fountaineau is batting .248 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs.
When it came to hitting the baseball, Alloy Jordan was in a class by himself in the South Charles Association this past week. Nobody did it better.
The outstanding left fielder for Glowing Sea tagged opposing pitchers for a .417 average and was voted the Player of the Week Award. Included in his stats were 10 hits in 24 at-bats, 2 homers, 8 runs scored and 5 RBIs.
Looking at his stats this year, Jordan has compiled a .276 batting average, while hitting 11 home runs and driving in 51 runs. He has played in 106 games and scored 67 runs.
August 16 - Matt Paydirt demonstrated his potential to be a star in the game last week and today he took home the North Charles Association Player of the Week Award.
The Nahant first baseman wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers last week, pounding them for a .577 average (15-for-26) with 4 home runs and 9 RBIs on his way to claiming the honor.
So far this season, Paydirt is hitting .312 with 19 home runs.
It was an extraordinary week for Donovan Mackey of the Spectacle Island Reapers. First he goes on a hot hitting streak, batting .632, then he is voted the Player of the Week in the South Charles Association. Last week Mackey went 12-for-19, racked up no home runs and 6 RBIs and scored 3 runs. It was a heck of a week for the Spectacle Island third baseman.
So far this year, Mackey is batting .351 with 19 home runs and 74 RBIs.
CBO Noteworthy News
August 3 - History was made today at Vim! Park of Salem -- Jaa Thirtysix won game #150 to seal his name in the league record books. The Salem ace downed the County Crossing Bloodbugs 4-0 to gain entrance into the elite 150 Club.
"I was wound up at first. I think I threw too hard," remarked Thirtysix, "I had to calm down and go out there and pitch... not just throw. I think I got better as the game wore on. I started to think less about 150 wins and more about doing what I had to do."
His career record is 150 victories and 127 defeats. Thirtysix also has struck out 1883 batters and compiled a 3.87 ERA.
August 7 - The speculation as to who will be the number one pick can now officially begin. Earlier today, the Commonwealth Baseball Organization published its list of players eligible for the annual rookie draft. For the next thirty days, scouts will be busy studying this untested talent in order to come up with a list of names to recommend that their clubs pursue. But just who those picks will be won't be known until the draft is conducted next month.
A section on the potential draftees has been added to the Transaction section of the BNN site, which will be available for 90 days before the draft takes place.
The early favorites to be high picks are the following:
1. Cajun Darri, 17 year-old 2B out of high-school.
2. Ash Ledbetter, 16 year-old 2B out of high-school.
3. Spud Sewell, 20 year-old SS out of college.
4. Haystack Black, 20 year-old 1B out of college.
5. Mike Searocker, 17 year-old LHP out of high-school.
6. D'avery Blueprint, 20 year-old LF out of college.
7. Jag Jouan, 20 year-old 1B out of college.
8. Fab Ringo, 17 year-old 1B out of high-school.
9. O'Day Gabby, 17 year-old 1B out of high-school.
10. Rukiya Simamba, 17 year-old 2B out of high-school.
August 11 - FHE ace Lawdog Whipple solidified his place in league history with his 150th career victory today at Coolest Field in Town. Whipple and the Yao Guai bested Atom 8-5. He checked the Cats on 7 hits in 7 innings and finished the day with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks.
"I've worked hard for this day," Whipple said. "Sometimes I didn't think it would happen. Most of the time it seemed so far off. Now it's here. It's like a dream!"
So far in Whipple's career, the 36-year-old starter has won 150 and lost 139, collecting 1680 strikeouts with a 4.44 ERA. Opponents have hit .265 against him.
August 12 - Party Boys ace Ugio Church reeled in his 200th career victory by beating the Starlight Killers 3-1 at Slocum's Joe Seaside Stadium. In his historic win, he notched 9 strikeouts in 8 innings, yielded 1 run and 11 hits, while surrendering 2 walks.
"I tried to focus on each batter," said Church after the game, "but as the game goes by, I couldn't help but think about the possibility. 200 is a big number. It's an exclusive club and I'm honored to be a member."
Church has posted 200 victories and 140 defeats in his career with a 3.82 ERA. He also has fanned 2100 batters in 3097 innings and given up 3129 hits. He becomes just the seventh player in CBO history with 200 career wins.
CBO Prospect Pipeline
With the minor leagues' regular season concluded, teams in the CBO have the option of calling up a few players this week for a little work at the CBO level. Teams in the pennant chase may not take advantage of the expanded rosters, but some of the teams out of playoff contention may want to get their prospects some major league work. Here is a list of the Top 25 prospects and what they have done at their main minor league level in the 2315 season.
