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BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
19 June 2316
CBO Analysis
We are right at the midway point of the season with most teams having played 63 of their 130 games. That gives us a good idea where teams stand and what playoff outlooks may be, so we will post both power rankings and playoffs standings this update. Here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Vault 81 Dwellers (130.1, o)
2) Malden Grognaks (126.2, +)
3) The Slog Ghouls (112.1, ++)
4) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (110.7, ++)
5) Glowing Sea Radscorpions (109.7, -)
6) Diamond City Swatters (109.5, --)
7) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (106.7, -)
8) Oberland T-51s (102.3, ++)
9) Cambridge Coursers (102.1, -)
10) Bunker Hill 75ers (98.2, --)
11) Atom Cats (96.8, o)
12) Spectacle Island Reapers (95.4, ++)
13) Quincy Gunners (94.2, --)
14) Goodneighbor Hancocks (92.3, --)
15) Lexington Synths (88.4, -)
16) Easy Town Assaultrons (85.4, --)
17) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (83.7, ++)
18) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (81.9, +)
19) Salem Witch Hats (80.8, ++)
20) University Point Deathclaws (80.7, --)
21) County Crossing Bloodbugs (77.9, ++)
22) Roxbury Rad Sox (77.9, +)
23) Nahant Celtics (77.8, --)
24) Concord Radstags (74.8, --)
25) Egret Ninjas (72.3, +)
26) FHE Yao Guai (65.7, +)
27) Southie Brews (47.8, -)
28) Starlight Killers (39.1, o)
NCA:
1. Malden
2. Fort Hagen
3. Nordhagen Beach
4. Cambridge (2-0 series vs The Slog)
5. The Slog
6. Bunker Hill
SCA:
1. Vault 81
2. Quincy
3. Diamond City
4. Glowing Sea
5. Atom
6t. Oberland and Goodneighbor (tied 1-1 in season series)
Brotherhood League
With a five-game winning streak and a 7-3 mark in their last 10, Malden has built their BL lead to four games. Nordhagen Beach is tied for the NCA's second-best record with Fort Hagen. The Slog, on a six-game winning streak, is in 3rd and Easy Town rounds out the teams above .500. Salem, Nahant, and County Crossing are all below .500.
The Bloodbugs were used to winning, making the playoffs 11 times from 2301-2313 and winning the Sole Survivor Series in 2306. Ten years after that title, the Bugs have now missed the playoffs two straight seasons and look to make it three straight. Hitting is not the problem with County Crossign currently 7th in runs scored (263). Legendary 1B Babs Rooth (.288/12/35) has been dominant as of late. SS Robert Ai (.309/3/19) has also stepped up his game to take over the SS role. LF Frak Meng (.305/8/26) has also taken advantage of more playing time. Both CF Lakeview Malone (.292/11/32) and CF Thrift Iraheta (.297/0/23) are injured, leaving Easy Rider Powell (.091/0/0) to fill in. On the mound, the Bloodbugs are 14th in runs allowed (305), the only team to have allowed more than 300 runs. SP Whip Lashley (7-3, 1.85) has been great, while the rest of the rotation has struggled. CL Jupiter Jones (10 SV, 2.97) seems to be the only good option out of the bullpen.
Institute League
As mentioned above, the Silver Shroud hold the IL's best record, tied with the Boys for 2nd in the association. Cambridge, Bunker Hill, and Lexington round out the above .500 teams, meaning eight teams in the NCA are above .500. Sunshine Tidings, Concord, and Starlight are all below .500. The Killers are still killing themselves, possessing just a .206 winning percentage, still on pace to break the CBO record.
The Coursers have come alive in 2316 in a season where three of the expansion teams from 2310 look to be playoff worthy. Only the ML's Southie team seems to be out of the running. For Cambridge, they are looking to be legitimate contenders for the rest of the season. They are 2nd in runs scored (288). Three and four hitters, CF Pro Jabonete (.360/17/50) and LF Bubbler Mayhem (.380/11/43), are the stars on offense. Jabonete leads the CBO in homers and leads the NCA in RBI. The Coursers are 5th in runs allowed (229), which includes the 4th-best Starters ERA (2.96). Ace Scooter Yaghmour (10-1, 1.85) has dominated and currently leads the CBO in four categories (Ks, K/BB, BB/9, and Win%). Rookie Bullets Barnes (6-6, 2.93) has helped as the second starter. The bullpen has not been great, so some improvements there would help Cambridge in their title pursuits. CL Monte Ward (12 SV, 3.49) has been serviceable.
Minutemen League
No team has stood out, though both University Point and the Brews have struggled as of late, dropping them both down the games back ladder. Quincy holds a half-game lead over Atom with both Goodneighbor and Spectacle Island right on their heels. The Deathclaws are just four games back at three games below .500, so any team can still claim the ML. Jamaica Plain and Southie take up the last two slots in the standings.
The Cats are a good team, but the wins are not coming at the rate they would like. Atom is 5th in runs scored in the SCA (255). 1B McMack Bingham (.301/7/33) leads the team in the Triple Crown categories. Both LF Gremlin T. Squearfish (.268/4/32) and 2B Lee Mayhew (.243/5/15) have seen significant drops in their production in 2316. On the mound, the Cats are also 5th in runs allowed (232). Ace Josh Brown (9-4, 1.97) has had a great year, but the rest of the rotation, including K-9 Creep (8-8, 3.92), has struggled. CL Dylan Davies (11 SV, 6.20) needs to be replaced in that role.
Railroad League
Tied with the Ghouls and Oberland for the CBO-best 8-2 record during their previous ten games, Vault 81 is now four up on Diamond City for 1st place. Glowing Sea is one game back of the Swatters, while the T-51s are now three games above .500 and tied for the last playoff slot with the Hancocks. Roxbury, Egret, and FHE are all probably needing to turn their attention to 2317 at this point.
The Ninjas should be in a different position on offense. As the 11th-ranked scoring team (229), Egret should be among the worst in statistical categories. Instead, their only low rankings are in stolen bases (14th with 8) and base running (13th with -10.5). They are 3rd in OBP (.330) and 2nd in home runs (51), so something is awry. RF Deez Phantom (.382/8/30) has been excellent. 1B Dynamo Barnes (.326/10/31) has also contributed to the team. The pitching is not good, ranked tied for 12th in runs allowed (279). Ace Sheldon Mayoral (7-3, 2.12) has been good. Fourth-starter, Eddie Housey (1-5, 3.09), gets almost no run support. In the bullpen, CL Outie Lett (10 SV, 4.05) could be better.
CBO Standings
CBO Players of the Week
June 12 - In the twilight of his career, 37-year-old Babs Rooth of County Crossing recaptured some of the old magic last week and came away with the North Charles Association Player of the Week Award.
"I've been playing since I was a kid," Rooth told reporters, "but you're never too old to feel the thrill of success."
Rooth outpaced the rest of the league's hitters last week, reeling off 11 hits in 20 at-bats, 4 home runs, and 7 RBIs to stake his claim to the award.
This season, Rooth is swinging the bat at a .294 pace. He has hit 10 home runs and scored 28 times, while driving in 30. His on-base percentage is .365 and he has played in 56 games.
It's always a thrill for fans of the team and students of the game alike when a superstar in the making shows what he's got. Griffin Herring, the Spectacle Island Reapers 23-year-old first baseman, put himself in the spotlight last week making him the clear-cut choice for South Charles Association Player of the Week honors.
He ripped 7 hits in 21 at-bats, compiling a .333 average with 4 home runs and 7 RBIs.
This season, Herring is batting .246 with 9 home runs.
June 19 - When it came to hitting the baseball, Jack of Diamonds Cordero had few peers in the North Charles Association this past week.
The talented second baseman for Malden tagged opposing pitchers for a .407 average and was voted the Player of the Week Award. Included in his stats were 11 hits in 27 at-bats, 3 homers, 8 runs scored and 7 RBIs.
This year, Cordero has collected a .339 batting average to date with 75 hits in 221 at-bats, 39 RBIs, 9 home runs and scored 45 times. He has played in 59 games.
Quincy fans have something to crow about today as Quincy left fielder Alchemist Hall nabbed the South Charles Association Player of the Week Award for his performance over the last seven days.
"I know there are times when it's hard to lay off pitches. Everyone goes through stretches when he's too eager to put the ball in play. You know, though, I feel like this past week I was able to get in the right frame of mind and just let things come naturally," said Hall.
He posted a .500 average (12-for-24) this past week with no home runs, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs scored.
Hall is currently hitting .292 with 5 home runsand 21 RBIs, while scoring 25 runs.
CBO Noteworthy News
June 8 - Nahant's Ajani Peacock entered the record books today as he collected hit number 2000 at Lucky Charms Bowl.
"I am proud of this. Not too many players reach this level. You have to be around quite a few years and you have to get a lot of hits," Peacock said after the game.
On his milestone day he went 3 for 4 as the Celtics won 6-2 over the Nordhagen Beach Party Boys.
In his career, Peacock has hit .297 with 2002 hits, 325 doubles, 113 triples and 157 home runs. His totals also include 852 RBIs and 1196 runs scored.
June 19 - A press conference announcing the firing of Ray Pratt has been set for today by the Southie Brews.
When pressed for reasons behind the decision to fire Pratt, Southie GM Straus said, "We spoke in my office for an hour and decided that it was time to make a change. Unfortunately, his philosophy was no longer working in the clubhouse and a new voice was necessary for us to continue moving in the right direction."
A replacement is expected to be named to the media soon.
CCBL Awards
Hitter - At the age of 19, Biddy Juhan of the Revere College Riders could very well have his best years ahead of him.
It's a startling thought when you consider the year he had in 2316 was good enough to win the left fielder the Commonwealth Collegiate Baseball League Top Collegiate Hitter Award.
"See the ball, hit the ball," he said. "That's my basic approach."
The top hitter put up a .435 batting average this year, as well as a .500 on-base percentage. He played 56 games and racked up 97 hits, 18 doubles, 3 triples, 12 home runs, 56 RBIs and 44 runs scored.
He received 23 first place votes out of a possible 68. Johnboy Zikmund of the Brown Bears finished second in voting with 7 first place votes, while Alika Morilla of the UConn Yankees finished third with 17 first place votes.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Biddy Juhan - Revere College Riders - 23 - 654
Johnboy Zikmund - Brown Bears - 7 - 622
Alika Morilla - UConn Yankees - 17 - 587
Derek Cureall - Winthrop College Guardians - 18 - 563
Ryanab Costello - Vermont Tech Maples - 3 - 404
McGrath Maguire - Coastal University Clams - 0 - 334
Guy Reynolds - UMass Minutemen - 0 - 285
Kai Smith - Sturbridge Mighty Men - 0 - 182
Axe Dillworth - Yale Bulldogs - 0 - 133
Luis Josey - Commonwealth University Terriers - 0 - 76
Chili Timmons - Sturbridge Mighty Men - 0 - 72
Louie Louie Burrell - Coastal University Clams - 0 - 46
David Hog II - Northeastern Huskies - 0 - 40
Kicks Stannard - Commonwealth University Terriers - 0 - 6
Maxwell Lorenzano - Providence College Friars - 0 - 4
Jiminy Christmas - Yale Bulldogs - 0 - 3
Runner Dickerson - Greenfield College Greenies - 0 - 1
Starter - Arcade Anderson had a terrific 2316 season in the Commonwealth Collegiate Baseball League. The Northeastern pitching stalwart received the most votes and has been proclaimed this year's Top Collegiate Pitcher Award winner.
The Huskies ace starred with an impressive 7-1 record. In 14 starts, he gave up 65 base hits and struck out 130 in 91 innings with a 0.59 ERA. Opposing teams hit .198 against him.
He received 58 first place votes out of a possible 68. Finnian Cook of the Vermont Tech Maples finished second in voting with 9 first place votes, while Brandon Sparrow of the Commonwealth University Terriers finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Arcade Anderson - Northeastern Huskies - 58 - 445
Finnian Cook - Vermont Tech Maples - 9 - 239
Brandon Sparrow - Commonwealth University Terriers - 0 - 196
Pattie Harborman - Hartford Hawks - 1 - 131
Malik Watts - Providence College Friars - 0 - 98
Casan Evans - Assumption Greyhounds - 0 - 41
Eye Anson - Franklin Pierce Ravens - 0 - 2
Home Plate Day - UMass Minutemen - 0 - 2
Royal Priyadarshini - Sturbridge Mighty Men - 0 - 2
Reliever - At the age of 20, Gumbo Le Troutstain says he still has a lot to learn about life in Commonwealth Collegiate Baseball League.
But he certainly seems to be a quick study, as the New Hampshire Wildcats reliever was better than all others this year and has captured the 2316 Commonwealth Collegiate Baseball League Top Collegiate Reliever Award.
"I hope to win this a few more times before all is said and done in my career," the
Brockton, Massachusetts native said.
For the season, Le Troutstain had 2 saves in 27 relief appearances, which totaled 31. He fanned 33 betters, while walking 7 and put up a record of 4-1 to go with his 0.87 ERA.
He received 57 first place votes out of a possible 68. Hyand Lowe of the Nahant Marine Institute Aquas finished second in voting with 7 first place votes, while Ralph Laren of the Sturbridge Mighty Men finished third with 4 first place votes.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Gumbo Le Troutstain - New Hampshire Wildcats - 57 - 312
Hyand Lowe - Nahant Marine Institute Aquas - 7 - 195
Ralph Laren - Sturbridge Mighty Men - 4 - 71
Mower Fontaine - Yale Bulldogs - 0 - 15
Yak Buss - College of the Atlantic Black Flies - 0 - 8
Carter Hall - Greenfield College Greenies - 0 - 5
Curt Cote - UConn Yankees - 0 - 4
Josh Mcnatty - Mass Maritime Buccaneers - 0 - 1
Free Jerry Patterson - Providence College Friars - 0 - 1
CYL Awards
NR Hitter - The manager of the Covenant Dandy Boys said he thinks Smoke Seegars is only going to get better as he gets older.
He may only be 15, but it will be hard to top the first baseman's 2316 campaign, as he has been named the winner of the North Region Slugger Supreme Award.
His winning campaign featured a .502 batting average and a .591 on-base percentage this year. In 49 games he piled up 104 hits, 15 doubles, no triples, 28 home runs, 103 RBIs and 86 runs scored.
He received 71 first place votes out of a possible 116. Zarby Zanzibar of the Beerthirty Sippers finished second in voting with 40 first place votes, while Wild Card Fitzgerald of the Covenant Dandy Boys finished third with 3 first place votes.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Smoke Seegars - Covenant Dandy Boys - 71 - 1388
Zarby Zanzibar - Beerthirty Sippers - 40 - 1175
Wild Card Fitzgerald - Covenant Dandy Boys - 3 - 900
Matej Hladky - Needham Radstorm - 2 - 875
Poland White - Beerthirty Sippers - 0 - 601
Boob Willis - Lexington Minuteboys - 0 - 337
Bixy Bickelstein - Lowell Frags - 0 - 332
Owen Burden - Lexington Minuteboys - 0 - 264
Carl Ireland - Lexington Minuteboys - 0 - 245
Quatro Quatro - Far Harbor Dockdwellers - 0 - 154
Cam Hall - Lynn Pier Gamers - 0 - 151
Donut Jankowski - South Charles Bank Moonies - 0 - 151
Eddie One Kohlund - Lexington Minuteboys - 0 - 83
Steven Shin - Boston College Prep Professors - 0 - 36
Radar Razz - Great Diamond Anglers - 0 - 29
Pond LeHockey - Hester Mechanists - 0 - 23
Izzy Gregor - Sudbury Celebs - 0 - 19
Bullet Davis - Beantown Sprouts - 0 - 18
Walker Cress - Plum Island Candymen - 0 - 17
Windstorm Rix - Lexington Minuteboys - 0 - 16
Tissuebaby Glisten - Lowell Frags - 0 - 13
Whitey Martin - Covenant Dandy Boys - 0 - 5
Creenan Taylor - Georgetown Scholars - 0 - 5
Hawk Plimpton - Saugus Launchers - 0 - 4
Clam Krasnicki - Saugus Launchers - 0 - 3
SR Hitter - Anatoli Knyazev, the talented Freeplat left fielder, certainly made his name known among South Region hurlers this season. He hammered them for 91 hits, 22 doubles, 3 triples, 21 home runs, 79 RBIs and scored 83 times. That kind of output made him the choice for South Region Slugger Supreme Award for 2316.
He received 65 first place votes out of a possible 116. Kujapa Saligrama of the Wellfleet Tarberries finished second in voting with 24 first place votes, while Skipper Beach of the Nauset Beach Lurk Hunters finished third with 25 first place votes.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Anatoli Knyazev - Freeplat Wicked Goods - 65 - 1334
Kujapa Saligrama - Wellfleet Tarberries - 24 - 1111
Skipper Beach - Nauset Beach Lurk Hunters - 25 - 891
Acrobat Magee - Weymouth Locksmiths - 2 - 687
Button Southie - Norwich Cobblers - 0 - 658
Zach Toth Jr. - Collegetown Spirits - 0 - 585
Burma Bond - Chicopee Galaxy - 0 - 505
Runt Vicksburg - Brown Bubblers - 0 - 246
Snoopy Barron - Plymouth Hunters - 0 - 182
Puke Johiya - Freeplat Wicked Goods - 0 - 145
Donegan Downs - Thompson Heights Earthlings - 0 - 85
Clean McLean - Thompson Heights Earthlings - 0 - 84
Zeke Erb - Sandwich Screamers - 0 - 81
Dashiell O'Neal - Freeplat Wicked Goods - 0 - 46
Tubrady Palmer - Coventry Quads - 0 - 41
Rocket Rooth - New Haven Sailors - 0 - 40
Fortunato Cask - Chicopee Galaxy - 0 - 26
Catty Chad McKinney - Old Lyme Lake Monsters - 0 - 23
Beastie Ma - Chicopee Galaxy - 0 - 20
Putt-Putt Dicks - Freeplat Wicked Goods - 0 - 15
Beast Reid - Jamaica Plain Treasures - 0 - 13
Ricardo Nghia - Brockton Claws - 0 - 12
Ryder Bussey - Sandwich Screamers - 0 - 4
G'Day Mate - Attleboro Deejays - 0 - 4
Headcase Stepniewski - New Haven Sailors - 0 - 4
Madman Downs - Norwich Cobblers - 0 - 1
Brick Giblin - Wellfleet Tarberries - 0 - 1
NR Starter - Eagle Eye Hayes is the latest North Region Mound Ace Award winner. The Marblehead starter really shone on the hill time and again and finished 2316 with a sparkling 11-1 record.
In 13 starts, he fanned 112, walked 14 in 98 innings and posted a 2.66 ERA. Hayes held opposing hitters to a .261 batting average.
He received 64 first place votes out of a possible 116. Coke Nut Silivan of the Newburyport Cubs finished second in voting with 52 first place votes, while Sequester Grundelplith M.D. of the Diamond City Newsboys finished third.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Eagle Eye Hayes - Marblehead Mess - 64 - 656
Coke Nut Silivan - Newburyport Cubs - 52 - 620
Sequester Grundelplith M.D. - Diamond City Newsboys - 0 - 205
Stop Sign Welsh - Boston Common Baby Bellies - 0 - 175
Wand Engill - Castle Freedom - 0 - 102
Talley O'Reilly - Rockport Seafarers - 0 - 73
Beren Niece - South Portland Guns - 0 - 47
Lenny Addles - Boston Common Baby Bellies - 0 - 44
Starlight Ball - Salem Werewolves - 0 - 23
Montgomery Santrac - South Charles Bank Moonies - 0 - 20
Trench Lueger - Malden Megabeasts - 0 - 7
SR Starter - Lake Monsters ace Wing Kawolski is the latest South Region Mound Ace Award trophy winner. The Old Lyme star shined on the diamond time and again this year and finished with an outstanding 6-1 record.
In 12 starts he tossed 74.2 innings, posted 72 strikeouts and sported a 3.01 ERA. Opposing batters hit .232 when Kawolski was pitching.
He received 90 first place votes out of a possible 116. Hunter Kitchen of the Old Lyme Lake Monsters finished second in voting with 15 first place votes, while Sheridon Carr of the West Quincy Atomatoys finished third with 4 first place votes.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Wing Kawolski - Old Lyme Lake Monsters - 90 - 709
Hunter Kitchen - Old Lyme Lake Monsters - 15 - 423
Sheridon Carr - West Quincy Atomatoys - 4 - 292
Snake Fisher - Attleboro Deejays - 6 - 147
Adie Chase - Harwich Fishheads - 0 - 136
Bubbler Houston - Brown Bubblers - 0 - 63
Gael Walker - Coventry Quads - 0 - 59
Bryce Yaag - Truro Hatchlings - 1 - 54
Kelby Cieslak - Johnston Sluggers - 0 - 44
Cuz Chalk - Truro Hatchlings - 0 - 36
Xavier Islander - Dennis Menaces - 0 - 8
Copay Roach - New Bedford Whales - 0 - 1
NR Reliever - Ian Lorimer was a calming influence out of the Danvers Perception bullpen this season.
His teammates and manager said he had a poised demeanor about him that was typical of someone much older and more experienced. His poise has paid off, as the 15-year-old turned in a sparkling season and has been named the winner of the North Region Shutdown Specialist Award for 2316.
The North Brookfield CDP, Massachusetts native won the award with no saves in 14 relief appearances, 10 strikeouts in 17.1 innings and a record of 2-0 to go with his 0.52 ERA.
He received 58 first place votes out of a possible 116. Alibi Shin of the Derry Farmers finished second in voting with 34 first place votes, while Tack O'Neill of the Boston Harbor Fellows finished third with 8 first place votes.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Ian Lorimer - Danvers Perception - 58 - 394
Alibi Shin - Derry Farmers - 34 - 337
Tack O'Neill - Boston Harbor Fellows - 8 - 148
Quail Camalho - Lowell Frags - 15 - 124
Erol Makal - Hester Mechanists - 1 - 17
Picky Brown - Salem Werewolves - 0 - 14
Wasp Walker - Beerthirty Sippers - 0 - 5
Billy Baird - CIT Academy Yahoos - 0 - 3
Gears Peck - Littleton Beasts - 0 - 2
SR Reliever - At the age of 14, Pop Bernstein says he still has a lot to learn about life in Commonwealth Youth League.
But he certainly seems to be a quick study, as the GSP Venom reliever was better than all others this year and has captured the 2316 South Region Shutdown Specialist Award.
"I hope to win this a few more times before all is said and done in my career," the
Belmont, Massachusetts native said.
For the season, Bernstein had 1 save in 17 relief appearances, which totaled 22. He fanned 20 betters, while walking 6 and put up a record of 3-1 to go with his 1.64 ERA.
He received 111 first place votes out of a possible 116. Freeze Nan of the Hartford Battlecats finished second in voting with 2 first place votes, while Junior Wetworth of the Wellfleet Tarberries finished third with 2 first place votes.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Pop Bernstein - GSP Venom - 111 - 570
Freeze Nan - Hartford Battlecats - 2 - 241
Junior Wetworth - Wellfleet Tarberries - 2 - 75
Jody Hughes - Bay Path Voyagers - 0 - 69
Beezer Twelve Washingbeard - Jamaica Plain Treasures - 1 - 31
Brahm Smothers - New Bedford Whales - 0 - 20
Gern Mut Susanti - North Providence Phantoms - 0 - 14
Big Dumper Doss - East Providence Skulls - 0 - 11
Pto Karyoti - Sandwich Screamers - 0 - 10
Lupe Olivera - Bay Path Voyagers - 0 - 2
Rhett Woodman - Bridgewater Baristas - 0 - 1