BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
4 June 2317
Glowing Sea Leaps Ahead, NCA Jumbled Up Top
We are more than 50 games into the season, All-Star voting has begun, and June will start to determine if teams are buyers or sellers heading into July. Glowing Sea, 9-1 in their last 10, now holds a three-game advantage on the CBO's second-best record. That happens to be Railroad League rival, Oberland. Diamond City, also of the RL, is tied with three other teams for the 3rd-best record in the CBO. Two of those teams are tied for the NCA's top record, Easy Town and Nahant. Here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Glowing Sea Radscorpions (127.1, o)
2) Lexington Synths (113.8, ++)
3) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (109.4, +)
4) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (107.8, ++)
5) Oberland T-51s (107.4, --)
6) Easy Town Assaultrons (105.4, +)
7) Diamond City Swatters (103.4, -)
8) Nahant Celtics (102.4, ++)
9) Atom Cats (102.2, -)
10) The Slog Ghouls (97.8, --)
11) Starlight Killers (94.8, ++)
12) Southie Brews (94.6, --)
13) Egret Ninjas (92.2, ++)
14) FHE Yao Guai (91.8, -)
15) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (89.8, --)
16) Quincy Granites (89.2, -)
17) Vault 81 Dwellers (89.2, ++)
18) Malden Grognaks (85.2, --)
19) Roxbury Rad Sox (83.8, ++)
20) Goodneighbor Hancocks (81.4, --)
21) Concord Radstags (80.2, --)
22) Spectacle Island Reapers (77.2, --)
23) Cambridge Coursers (72.2, --)
24) University Point Deathclaws (72.2, --)
25) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (71.6, o)
26) Bunker Hill 75ers (64.5, +)
27) County Crossing Bloodbugs (60.5, -)
28) Salem Witch Hats (54.9, -)
Brotherhood League
As mentioned in the intro, the Assaultrons and Celtics are tied for 1st, with The Slog just a game back in the race to the #1 seed. Just a game under .500, Malden is also in the playoff race. Nordhagen Beach, County Crossing, and Salem are clumped at the bottom and all in contention to hold the #1 draft pick. The Witch Hats currently hold that position.
The Party Boys are far from their days of glory, though they are a talented young team that may need to be patient instead of selling off assets. With the bottom ranking in runs scored (206) among other offensive categories, it is apparent that the Boys need bats. Oi! RF Slammin' Sammy Holloway (.284/7/30) is the star, but Nordhagen Beach could use even more long balls from him. Pitching has struggled, uincluding ranking 11th in runs allowed (277), thanks in part to the worst Bullpen ERA (6.01). Starters Ugio Church (4-4, 3.87) and Mister Burns (4-3, 3.42) have pitched decently.
Institute League
Like the tie in the BL, the IL is also tied and jumbled up top. Fort Hagen and Lexington are both in the lead, one game back of the NCA's top record. Two games back, tied for 3rd, are Starlight and Sunshine Tidings at a game above .500. Cambridge and Concord are tied for 5th, while Bunker Hill is five back of those two teams.
The Synths are on a seven-game winning streak and tied with the Radscorpions for the best 10-game record of 9-1. Lexington is getting it done by being up top in runs allowed (214), along with the 2nd-best Starters ERA (3.83). SP/RP Lyle Pine (3-0, 1.13) has stepped up recently with Kennett Kentucky (2-4, 5.30) moving into the bullpen. SP Deedee Martinson (4-6, 3.34) needs more run support.
Minutemen League
Jamaica Plain is in 1st and tied for the CBO's 3rd-best record at 29-22. Atom, which had a miserable start to the season, is now two games back and tied with Quincy for 2nd place. Southie is a half-game back of those two teams for 4th. Spectacle Island, Goodneighbor, and University Point bring up the rear.
At 8-2 in their last 10, the Red Rockets are now looking to be a team that has figured things out. They have done it by scoring runs in bunches, currently 1st in runs scored (286). The only other offensive category they are #1 in is home runs (62). Three players have contributed to those runs and homers: 3B Tre' Morgueman (.324/12/35), 2B Brandon Larsonist (.296/11/30), and LF Ken Debate (.272/10/32). Tristan Martell (7-2, 3.93) has benn the best pitcher.
Railroad League
As mentioned, the Scorpions, T-51s, and Swatters hold the top three spots. From 4th-7th, there is a two-game difference with FHE in 4th, Egret and Vault 81 tied for 5th, and Roxbury in 7th.
The Yao Guai are an anomaly at a game above .500. FHE is 12th in runs scored (229) and 11th in runs allowed (260), seeming to indicate they should be much worse record-wise. In association play, the Yao Guai are 17-15, even better than their 9-10 mark against the NCA. Anomaly. 2B Blue Dahlia (.272/8/30) has been the offense's top player, while RP Ryan Roberson (5-0, 2.25) is contributing to close wins.
CBO Standings
CBO Players of the Week
May 28 - One of the league's most exciting young players, Bill Barnes of the Easy Town Assaultrons earned himself North Charles Association Player of the Week honors with a standout performance in last week's games.
For the week the 24-year-old catcher had a lofty .533 average (8-for-15), collecting 4 home runs, 5 RBIs and 7 runs scored.
So far this season, Barnes has gotten 42 hits in 123 at-bats for a .341 batting average with 8 home runs. His stats include 25 RBIs and 21 runs scored. He has played in 35 games.
It was an extraordinary week for Will Hell of the Quincy Granites. First he goes on a hot hitting streak, batting .480, then he is voted the Player of the Week in the South Charles Association. Last week Hell went 12-for-25, racked up 2 home runs and 4 RBIs and scored 5 runs. It was a heck of a week for the Quincy second baseman.
To date, Hell has collected 54 hits for a .321 average. He has posted 11 home runs, scored 29 runs and driven in 29 runs.
June 4 - It was an extraordinary week for Kasumi Goto of the Bunker Hill 75ers. First he goes on a hot hitting streak, batting .684, then he is voted the Player of the Week in the North Charles Association. Last week Goto went 13-for-19, racked up 3 home runs and 9 RBIs and scored 4 runs. It was a heck of a week for the Bunker Hill right fielder.
Currently Goto is hitting .317 and has collected 8 home runs, 32 RBIs and scored 18 times, while playing in 47 games.
Lee Mayhew has the tools to stick in this league for many years. The 23-year-old second baseman of the Atom Cats had a hot bat in the South Charles Association over the past seven days and won the Player of the Week honors.
Mayhew batted .440 with 11 hits in 25 at-bats, 4 home runs and 12 RBIs.
For the year, Mayhew has hit at a .373 clip with 34 RBIs, 8 home runs and 48 runs scored.
CBO Noteworthy News
May 25 - Diamond City and Starlight have made a swap. Players involved in the transaction are the Swatters 21-year old minor league CF DJ Shark and the Killers 24-year old 3B Hey Dentra Venski, 20-year old minor league LF Iron Elf Crist, 23-year old minor league LHP Tats McCoy, and 22-year old minor league RHP Berserker Haynes.
In 28 games this year, Venski has posted a .260 average and put up these numbers: 5 home runs, 11 RBIs and 14 runs scored.
May 31 - "I've made up my mind to leave baseball," Earthbound Bussey said. "It's time to move into the second phase of my life."
The Oberland right fielder announced his retirement today at a press conference, saying it would be his last season.
Looking at his all-time stats, Bussey has a career .281 average with 2318 hits, 388 doubles, 67 triples, 189 home runs and 818 RBIs to date. He has scored 1409 runs, walked 1094 times and stolen 562 bases.
May 31 - The Salem Witch Hats and David Daly have parted ways. It was announced today by club officials that David Daly had been dismissed as the team's manager.
Witch Hats GM Arias told reporters that "certain goals were mutually agreed upon this season and, in our estimation, they have not been reached. Our team has not made the progress we were promised."
Daly told BNN that he is "proud of what has been accomplished in my tenure as the Witch Hats manager. We have a better club now than when I first got here. I'm just sorry it ended this way."
June 1 - In a move that surprised few, the Salem Witch Hats have dismissed general manager Kelly Arias.
Arias's job security has been in doubt for some time, as the Witch Hats have lost games, whiffed on key draft picks and not been able to engineer a turnaround through free agency.
Arias seemed ready to move on, and even before today's announcement few observers expected him to stick around into next season.
"I will cherish my time in Salem," Arias said. "I'm sorry it had to end this way but it is clear the relationship was not working."
June 4 - "Vote Early and Vote Often!"
While that may not be true for elections, that's the message coming out of the Commonwealth Baseball Organization offices for the upcoming All-Star game, scheduled for Tuesday, July 31st , 2317. The ballots have been released, and everyone can cast your ballot up until a few days before the game, when the final rosters will be released.