BNN Report
News from the CBO, MML, BMU, GBRL, and Youth Leagues
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
2 September 2307
The September Super Post, Part 2
CBO Prospects in the Minors
MML Analysis
The MML season is complete and now four teams will compete for the 2307 Massachusetts Minor Series.
Abernathy Adamantium (70-38, BH) vs Everett Mutant Hounds (69-39, V81)
Glowing Sea Radscorpions (57-51, Atom) vs Boston Common Lead Bellies (75-33, Sal)
MML Players of the Month
LL Hitter - Justin Sauerkraut may be much younger than other hitters in the Legends League, but he performed like a seasoned veteran in August to win the Batter of the Month award.
The 23-year-old Burlington right fielder hit .500 with 14 home runs, 37 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
Sauerkraut is hitting .423 this year with 25 home runs and 64 RBIs. He also has an OBP of .471, 16 walks and scored 47 times.
SL Hitter - At only 25 years of age, Josh Green could very well have many more months like this last one during his career.
That would be great news for fans of the Glowing Sea Radscorpions, as August was one to remember for the left fielder and he has captured the Stars League Batter of the Month award.
On the month he hit .448 with 7 home runs, 16 RBIs and 24 runs scored.
Green on the season is hitting .316 with 29 home runs. His stats include 78 RBIs and 90 runs scored.
LL Pitcher - When Gooseberry Fullwallet takes the hill, he usually takes command of the game -- at least that's the way it was in August. The outcome was usually a Everett victory. His fine 5-0 performance earned him the Legends League Pitcher of the Month trophy.
The talented Mutant Hounds hurler made 6 starts, worked 46 innings, permitted 34 base hits, and struck out 39 while putting up a 2.74 ERA.
In season stats Fullwallet shows a 19-7 record in 29 games, 221.1 innings, 168 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA.
SL Pitcher - Danny Machart really tore up the Stars League this past month. He went 5-0 in August and won the Pitcher of the Month award.
In 5 starts he struck out 49 in 36.1 innings with a 3.47 ERA.
This year Machart has worked 200 innings with 276 strikeouts en route to a 19-3 record and 3.06 ERA.
BMU Analysis
Four teams remain in the fight for the 2307 Boston Minor Series.
Brockton Irish (56-32, Nah) vs Mystic Pines Raybathers (60-28, Obe)
Plymouth Pilgrims (52-37, Egr) vs Mass Pike Radroaches (54-34, Slog)
BMU Players of the Month
CA Hitter - For a rookie just breaking in, Devin Ghoul certainly put together a successful month. It was good enough to win the CA Batter of the Month award for August.
The 19-year-old center fielder for the Covenant Refractors hit .438 with 12 home runs, 32 RBIs and 27 runs scored.
For the year Ghoul is hitting .335 with 19 home runs. His stats include 58 RBI and 59 runs scored.
MA Hitter - Trey Lickrock has a lot going for him. The Worcester right fielder just broke into the majors this year and now the Massachusetts Association has just picked him as its top hitter for August.
In 20 games last month this outstanding rookie batted .461 with 7 home runs, 23 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
So far this year in 66 games Lickrock is hitting .416 with 20 home runs, 64 RBIs and 62 runs scored.
CA Pitcher - The Covenant Refractors owe Edwin Mass a lot for his performance this past month. One of the league's most dominant starters in August, Mass tore up the opposition with a fine 4-0 mark on his way to the Commonwealth Association Pitcher of the Month award.
"When you're pitching this well," analyzed Mass, "it's a lot easier to come to the park. I don't judge my performance by the stats, I judge it -- the team judges it -- by the score of the game. I could say I'm tossing electric stuff right now and that would go over big. But if I toss that same stuff -- exact same pitch selection and location -- and they bang me around tomorrow, I was awful. That's the way baseball is."
It was Mass who did the banging in August as he tossed up 14 strikeouts in 36.2 innings, holding opponents to a .285 average and posting a 2.95 ERA.
This season, Mass has fashioned a 7-4 mark and 3.29 ERA in 109.1 innings. Opposing clubs are batting .286 against him and he has logged 54 strikeouts.
MA Pitcher - Last month's cream of the crop on the mound was Kent Rothschild of the Mayoral Shelter Tricentennials. He captured the Massachusetts Association Pitcher of the Month award for his outstanding performance in August.
Rothschild started 5 games, threw 32.2 innings, yielded 24 hits and logged a 4-0 record. He put down 32 batters on strikes, walked 9 and compiled a 1.93 ERA. Opposing teams batted .202 against him.
So far this year Rothschild has 4 wins and no losses and a 2.87 ERA.
GBRL Analysis
The regular season is complete with a couple of thrilling divisional races at the end. As the season completed, though, only four teams could move to the playoffs.
Tenpines Bluff Manta Men (47-42, JP) vs Corvega Flamers (53-35, Slog)
Poseidon Energy Mongrels (66-22, V81) vs Watertown Armorers (63-25, FHE)
GBRL Players of the Month
NL Hitter - Kilometers Davis put together a good August to earn the North League Batter of the Month prize. A virtual unknown, he made the most of his chance to prove to Corvega officials that he belongs on the big league roster.
The Flamers first baseman posted a .352 batting average with 11 home runs, 25 RBIs and 21 runs scored.
Davis is presently hitting at a .294 pace with 13 home runs, 31 RBIs and has scored 33 times.
SL Hitter - Watertown Armorers fans believe they've got a talented young star in Syd Thriftstore.
He did nothing to dissuade that notion in August, as he hit .438 with 13 home runs, 36 RBIs and 27 runs scored.
The end result was the first baseman being named the South League Batter of the Month.
For the year Thriftstore is batting .433 with 52 hits and 19 home runs. He has scored 41 times and driven in 51.
NL Pitcher - In August when the Union Hope manager wrote the name "Williams" on the lineup card, he knew he had a good shot at winning. Start after start in the month, Alex Williams took the hill, took charge and usually got the win.
He dominated with a 4-0 mark and 1.62 ERA in 5 starts. The gifted Lifegivers star pitched 39 innings, fanned 46 and held opposing teams to a .221 average.
For his outstanding mound performance Williams was named the NL Pitcher of the Month by the baseball writers.
To date this season, Williams has registered 5 starts, 4-0 won-lost mark, 1.62 ERA, 39 IP, 46 strikeouts and 10 walks. Opposing teams have hit .221 against him.
SL Pitcher - The South League named the winner of the Pitcher of the Month Award.
It went to Steven Themet of Watertown Armorers, who impressed the voters with a glittering 6-0 record in August.
The Watertown star hurler made 6 starts, allowed 36 hits in 43 innings, struck out 53 and had a 3.98 ERA.
To date this season Themet has compiled a 12-3 record with a 4.54 ERA in 17 starts.
BYDL Playoffs
It was a hard-fought battle for both teams to make it this far. But as the saying goes, "to the victors go the spoils." For the victorious Spectacle Island Specters, that meant the Boston Youth Development League Boston Youth Series trophy.
The Specters took a 6-4 victory over the Kendall Hospital Yahoos at Spectacle Island Ballpark, winning their 3rd championship after taking the series 3-2.
"We've got grit," said Specters center fielder Rusty Raider, who was named MVP of the series. "We know how to win when we have to."
The new titleholders completed the regular season with a first-place finish in the South Region Crispus Attucks Division and a 49-28 record.
