[Magus978]

Here it comes...the big 9 team recap. Stand by.

New York Patriots (G307, OL): 34-20, 1st in NC West. I needed the pitching to be better this week to make another promotion push. Well, I got what I wanted. I also got the return of longtime Patriots closer Gene Garber (84 OVR) after selling Rob Dibble for 5k. Feel like I can have a closer again with Garber back home. Now if only Jim Gilliam (.217 in 143 at bats) could remember how to hit again...

Brooklyn Dynasty (P429, $): 24-28, last in NC Central. Had a feeling this would be a tougher season, as all our odd-numbered weeks at this level have been stinkers. Pitching's been rotten, especially last week's hero Paul Splittorff (4-5, 5.14). Everyone else isn't much better. There isn't a lot keeping them afloat right now, and this could very well get worse before it gets better.

Connor Joe Appreciation Society (S292, Meme): 27-25, 1st in NC Central. We are not a good team. The thing keeping the meme alive is its starting pitching, 1st in the conference in ERA (3.73). As for the meme himself, Connor Joe might have been a half-season wonder. At .237, 2 HR, and 24 RBI, as well as a -3.5 ZR, he's making a mess of everything. However, as the team mascot, he has a lifetime contract and nothing can be done about that.

Blitzkrieg Boppers (P414, OL): 34-21, 1st in AC Central. Playing similar competition that Brooklyn played against last week, the Boppers are showing that they might have a future at this level. Fueled by solid pitching (4.08 team ERA) and a decent offense, the Boppers may be setting the foundation for a playoff appearance as a newly-promoted team.

New York Mets (S314, OL): 23-32, last in AC Central. Things have gone from bad to worse for the Amazin's, as they are dancing perilously close to relegation. It's easy to see why too, their offense has been abysmal. Production has been hard to come by from Roberto Alomar and Gregg Jefferies, and if this continues, the Mets will be hard pressed to avoid dropping right back to bronze, where they probably still belong.

Metuchen Mariners (D363, Pack Only): 28-27, last in NC West. It's hard to be a consistent winner when your ace is 1-7. It also hurts when said ace is Warren Spahn, and he's getting barely 2 runs per game in support. That has to change, but how is it going to change when the packs are against you? Easy answer...it's not. Metuchen are in no danger of fluking their way into the playoffs anytime soon, and may crawl towards the drop zone if this keeps up.

Raleigh Rage (S330): 30-24, T-1st in AC East. There's not much to say about the Rage that hasn't already been said. They're trying to brute force their way through the lower levels, but it turns out they don't quite have the talent to do that. Their pitching has been a mess, and it's probably going to stay that way.

St. John's Silver Sox (I198, Pack Only): 41-15, 1st in AC West. This may be the week that the Silver Sox finally escape Iron. Carlos Rodon's no-hitter during today's sims was a huge boon. Unfortunately, the packs acquired from the points got us absolutely nothing, like usual. This pack-only team will only go as far as RNGjesus will take them, and apparently RNGjesus refuses to get out of the garage with all the bad luck they've had.

Steelport Saints (S314, OL): 27-28, 3rd in AC West. When pulled last week, I said that this team will go as far as Lefty Grove (100 OVR) will carry them. So far, he's carried them right into a ditch. Despite a 6-4, 3.48 mark, Grove has not been the big difference maker that was expected. Sounds like you need more than just one elite pitcher to successfully compete, because the rest of the staff has been downright appalling.