Here Comes The Paragon Baseball League!

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BNN thinks the Triplets will reassume their traditional position atop the East, with the Stallions, Blues and Rainiers ascendant as well.

1982 LTMs being applied.

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The '68 PBL season kicks off with a bang as The Judge lays down the gavel.

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The season's first no-hitter, courtesy of LA's Clayton Kershaw. it is his second in the PBL, with his previous coming back in '62 against Las Vegas.

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Just the awards and standings given not many games have been played.

Monthly Award Winners

Northeast League

• Batter – Larry Walker (Carolina): 270 / 10 HR / 25 RBI
• Pitcher – Mike Mussina (Virginia): 4-1 / 1.93 / 28 K / 42 IP

Southwest League

• Batter – Barry Bonds (Las Vegas): 400 / 4 HR / 13 RBI
• Pitcher – Fergie Jenkins (Florida): 4-0 / 2.14 / 21 K / 33.2 IP

Weekly Award Winners

• 15th: Frank Robinson (New Jersey) / Cody Bellinger (Kansas City)
• 22nd: George Davis (Carolina) / Barry Bonds (Las Vegas)
• 29th: Darrell Porter (New Jersey) / Billy Hamilton (Atlanta)

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Another no-no, this time by Seattle's John Smoltz against LA.

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Plenty of power on display in the early going this season, with this big game by the Big Cat giving him a PBL-leading 15 homers to this point.

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Indy's title defence has begun strongly, with their 34-17 record the league's best entering June. Kansas City and Las Vegas are also once again looking good.

Monthly Award Winners

Northeast League

• Batter – Ted Williams (Connecticut): 366 / 5 HR / 24 RBI
• Pitcher – Christy Mathewson (Virginia): 5-1 / 1.78 / 20 K / 50.2 IP

Southwest League

• Batter – Johnny Mize (New Orleans): 340 / 12 HR / 26 RBI
• Pitcher – Ray Brown (New Orleans): 4-1 / 1.79 / 33 K / 50.1 IP

Weekly Award Winners

• 6th: Larry Walker (Carolina) / Jim Palmer (Portland)
• 13th: Goose Goslin (Indianapolis) / Bobby Bonds (Los Angeles)
• 20th: Dwight Gooden (New York) / Johnny Mize (New Orleans)
• 27th: Darrell Porter (New Jersey) / Lou Gehrig (Kansas City)

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Unbelievably, with it barely a quarter through, Cole Hamels pitches the third no-hitter of the season. Either Portland or Seattle - and, in this case, both - has been involved in all three.

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He's being used as a backup for the Panthers, stuck behind Billy Herman at 2B and Luis Aparicio at SS, but El Diablo is putting together a fine season and games like this must press his case for an everyday role at some point.




Tough, though, when the competition is in equally fine fettle.

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Another NeL legend shines, as CPB enjoys a 6-hit / 7 ribbie bonanza against the Pirates.

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First-timers

Roy Halladay, Sad Sam Jones, Joe McGinnity, Darrell Porter, Buddy Myer, Johnny Damon, Sandy Koufax, Amos Rusie, Billy Herman, Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Every-timers

Clayton Kershaw, George Cuppy.

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After looking ready to run away with the South Division, a late stumble and some good Atlanta form have brought Kansas City back to the pack a bit. Still, their 7-game lead is the widest, with the North and West looking extremely competitive this year.

Monthly Award Winners

Northeast League

• Batter – Larry Walker (Carolina): 283 / 7 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – Christy Mathewson (Virginia): 5-0 / 1.80 / 22 K / 50 IP

Southwest League

• Batter – Rogers Hornsby (Portland): 376 / 3 HR / 26 RBI
• Pitcher – Dick Redding (Seattle): 4-1 / 2.74 / 36 K / 49.1 IP

Weekly Award Winners

• 3rd: Ted Williams (Connecticut) / Francisco Lindor (Los Angeles)
• 10th: Joe Cronin (Carolina) / Rogers Hornsby (Portland)
• 17th: Ty Cobb (Boston) / Billy Herman (Florida)
• 24th: Turkey Stearnes (Boston) / Cool Papa Bell (Portland)

Top 20s

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John Beckwith takes the 1968 HR Derby from Lou Gehrig.

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The SW squares the ledger in the ASG with a 6-4 win. KC's Bill Dahlen is named MVP.

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Great to see these legends of the game coming into their prime, and Joe Morgan has emerged as one of the league's best the past few years. This season seems set to be another good one for him, and he tears the Lizards apart in this one.

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A bit of a late bloomer, our Mr Tanana, sparsely used early on but now getting more of an opportunity to strut his stuff. Which is precisely what he does here with the PBL's fourth no-hitter of the year.

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All four races are nice and tight entering August and we look set for a grandstand finish to the '68 campaign.

Monthly Award Winners

Northeast League

• Batter – Cristobal Torriente (New Jersey): 314 / 6 HR / 21 RBI
• Pitcher – Ed Walsh (New Jersey): 5-0 / 1.32 / 19 K / 47.2 IP

Southwest League

• Batter – Dan Brouthers (Las Vegas): 424 / 1 HR / 13 RBI
• Pitcher – Pud Galvin (Florida): 4-2 / 1.93 / 21 K / 51.1 IP

Weekly Award Winners

• 1st: George Davis (Carolina) / Ken Griffey jr (Los Angeles)
• 8th: Wade Boggs (Washington) / Joe Morgan (New Orleans)
• 15th: Darrell Porter (New Jersey) / Ray Brown (New Orleans)
• 22nd: Nap Rucker (Carolina) / Robin Yount (Atlanta)
• 29st: Joe Kelley (New York) / Todd Helton (Florida)

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Looks like a race in two for the North between Boston and New Jersey, currently tied on 60-54, meaning every win has even more significance from here on in.

Rafa Palmeiro almost single-handedly gets them past the Grays here.

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In a rather interesting reversal of the trend that had previously been evident in the PBL, after the bats run hot in the early going, the pitchers are now starting to dominate. August has seen a bunch of shutouts including a number of one-hitters.

One thing that hasn't changed is the performance of both the Grays and Canaries. Perennial cellar-dwellers, both have been dreadful again in '68 and look doomed for 100-loss campaigns, as do the surprisingly poor Colonials.

Apart from the South, where a stunning 21-8 month has allowed KC to bust it wide open, the other three divs remain in play as we enter the final stretch.


Monthly Award Winners

Northeast League

• Batter – Buck Leonard (Virginia): 296 / 8 HR / 18 RBI
• Pitcher – Mel Harder (New York): 5-1 / 2.57 / 23 K / 56 IP

Southwest League

• Batter – Ernie Banks (New Orleans): 375 / 10 HR / 32 RBI
• Pitcher – Robin Roberts (Kansas City): 5-1 / 2.38 / 23 K / 45.1 IP

Weekly Award Winners

• 5th: Buck Leonard (Virginia) / Ernie Banks (New Orleans)
• 12th: Reggie Smith (Carolina) / Ernie Banks (New Orleans)
• 19th: Adrian Beltre (Indianapolis) / Cody Bellinger (Kansas City)
• 26th: Dustin Pedroia (New Jersey) / Barry Bonds (Las Vegas)

Top 20s