BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, BCAC, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
31 July 2311
CBO Analysis
We have reached the All-Star Break in the new CBO schedule. All teams have now played 100 games with 30 more to go on their 2311 season. There are things we know, and there are things we still have yet to discover about the teams and the overall outlook. Lots of teams are good, but only five teams in the CBO have 60 or more wins at this point. Here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Starlight Killers (121.8, o)
2) Oberland T-51s (118.4, ++)
3) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (114.4, -)
4) University Point Deathclaws (112.6, ++)
5) Roxbury Rad Sox (111.6, -)
6) Nahant Celtics (110.8, +)
7) Egret Ninjas (109.4, -)
8) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (104.8, -)
9) Vault 81 Dwellers (99.8, +)
10) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (94.2, +)
11) Quincy Gunners (93.6, ++)
12) Salem Witch Hats (92.6, o)
13) FHE Yao Guai (92.4, --)
14) Spectacle Island Reapers (91.0, -)
15) Atom Cats (89.2, o)
16) Bunker Hill 75ers (87.8, -)
17) Diamond City Swatters (87.8, +)
18) County Crossing Bloodbugs (86.8, ++)
19) The Slog Ghouls (86.6, -)
20) Lexington Synths (81.6, --)
21) Goodneighbor Hancocks (77.2, +)
22) Concord Radstags (76.8, ++)
23) Malden Grognaks (75.4, --)
24) Easy Town Assaultrons (73.0, +)
25) Cambridge Coursers (65.6, -)
26) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (63.8, --)
27) Southie Brews (54.4, o)
28) Glowing Sea Radscorpions (45.6, o)
If the playoffs started today, these would be the seedings:
NCA
1. Starlight
2. Nordhagen Beach
3. Nahant
4. Fort Hagen
5. Sunshine Tidings
6. Salem
SCA
1. University Point (3-1 vs Roxbury)
2. Roxbury
3. FHE (3-2 vs Egret, 5-3 vs Oberland)
4. Egret (6-2 vs Oberland)
5. Oberland
6. Vault 81
Brotherhood League
The BL is the sole league with two teams with 60 or more wins in Nordhagen Beach and Nahant. The rest of the league trails by 11 games or more, meaning that the Party Boys and Celtics are fighting it out for 1st place in the league and possibly the 3rd seed for the runner-up. Salem is the other team with the best possibility to earn a wildcard spot, but The Slog and County Crossing are not out of the race.
We are slightly favoring Nahant to take the BL. While the team has some gaps in depth, the Celtics have also shown that they have built a solid young team that can outpace most other teams. Nahant is 3rd in runs scored (533) and 2nd in runs allowed (424). 3B Diamond Ball (.334/24/76) is the team leader on offense, and he is well supported by the 1, 2, and 4 hitters: RF Gene Leftswipe (.278/14/48/44 SB), LF Grandson Quarles (.312/14/54), and 1B Bulleye Shooterson (.315/21/63) who was just acquire from Jamaica Plain. SPs Zack Million (12-7, 2.25) and Cohort Williams (14-8, 3.79) have dominated atop the rotation.
Institute League
Starlight has a 10-game lead on Fort Hagen, meaning that the Killers are likeliest to win the IL. The Silver Shroud, Sunshine Tidings, and Bunker Hill are all in the race, with Lexington on the fringe but needing a few long winning streaks to end the season.
The Killers have the CBO's best record and appear currently to be the favorite to win it all. In the NCA, they are tied for 1st in runs scored (544) and 1st in runs allowed (403), including an impressive 1st in Starters ERA (3.59). That low ERA is because everyone of the starters has an ERA below 4.00: Digger Vadim (13-3, 3.17), Shaak Ti (11-9, 3.42), Whokill Poole (11-5, 3.94), and Jerry Weisman (11-5, 3.45). On offense, Starlight has a lot of talent, but LF Glenn Higinbotham (.286/24/60/43 SB) has been the best player all-around.
Minutemen League
With a 12-game lead, University Point has a Magic # of 19 heading into the break. Spectacle Island is the next-best team, but they are .500 and just not as good as the top five teams in the Railroad League. Currently on a six-game losing streak and in 6th place, Jamaica Plain has already thrown in the towel by trading away Shooterson for prospects.
The Deathclaws have surged enough to currently hold the #1 spot in the SCA thanks to their season series victory over Roxbury. The Claws are 1st in runs scored (585), something they usually do, and 2nd in runs allowed. As the SCA's current favorite, the Claws know that their offense can be deadly. 1B Barker Cocoa (.375/21/72) is NOT the SCA nor team MVP, at least by our guess. That distinction goes to LF Chris Hirshfield (.325/30/92) who is lighting up teams, including having a walk-off home run this past week. SPs Tony Bertha (10-5, 3.52) and Joey Dimes (12-5, 3.63) have pitched well.
Railroad League
If the playoffs started today, the RL would have 5 of the 6 playoff teams. Roxbury has built a four-game lead thanks to FHE's current six-game losing streak. That Yao Guai losing streak has opened up the race for 2nd place in the RL with FHE, Egret, and Oberland all tied at 58-42. The Yao Guai leads the season series over both of those teams. Vault 81 went 4-6 in its last 10 to fall two games back of that pack, being surpasses by the T-51s on a six-game winning streak.
For the Rad Sox, is it safe to say that they are back? Well, looking at the statistics, the record does not match the performance. The Sox are 5th in runs scored (546) and 7th in runs allowed (479). Part of the reason their actual record is six games up on their Pythagorean record is that Roxbury is a CBO-best 16-5 in one-run games. So, that means they tend to get blown out in losses and scrape by in wins. That is not a winning formula come playoff time. Lots of the offensive players have similar successes on the season, but C Ayag Mour (.346/13/56) is doing better than most. On the mound, ace SP Nuka Laloosh (12-6, 3.45) is the best starter, while rookie CL Professor Harriel (33 SV, 1.45) has been outstanding in leading the CBO in saves.
CBO Standings
CBO Players of the Week
July 24 - Eugene Jeep has the tools to stick in this league for many years. The 22-year-old first baseman of the Lexington Synths had a hot bat in the North Charles Association over the past seven days and won the Player of the Week honors.
Jeep batted .524 with 11 hits in 21 at-bats, 3 home runs and 9 RBIs.
So far this season, Jeep is hitting .350 with 22 home runs.
Phantom Vargas demonstrated his potential to be a star in the game last week and today he took home the South Charles Association Player of the Week Award.
The Vault 81 catcher wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers last week, pounding them for a .444 average (8-for-18) with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs on his way to claiming the honor.
On the year, Vargas is hitting .318 with 94 hits, 14 home runs, 66 RBIs, .401 OBP and has scored 48 runs.
July 31 - Like a machine, Babs Rooth hit the baseball with brutal efficiency last week, gaining himself the North Charles Association Player of the Week title for that stretch.
The County Crossing Bloodbugs right fielder rapped out a .500 average with 10 hits in 20 at-bats, 5 home runs, 8 runs batted in and 9 runs scored.
This year, Rooth is batting .401 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs.
Earthbound Bussey is respected by most Oberland T-51s fans for his no-frills style of play. The 32-year-old center fielder went about his business with vigor last week to grab the South Charles Association Player of the Week honors.
He compiled a .538 average (14-for-26) with 1 home run, 5 RBIs and 14 runs scored.
Currently Bussey is batting .327 with 6 home runs and 38 RBIs.
CBO Draft Preview
Here are five more prospects whose names we could see called in the 2311 Draft:
1. OF Tallahassee Vice, SR, Taunton Giants - Vice played mostly LF with the Giants, but scouts believe that he can progress into a CF in the pros due to having good speed and range. His best asset on offense is that he has the frame to become a power hitter but could grade out as a good all-around hitter.
2. RF Matt Paydirt, SR Eastham Rads - Paydirt had a stellar senior season for the Rads, batting .332/30/57 to drive up his draft stock. He has a good arm, which means he will probably be a RF in the pros. He has a steady stroke with the bat. While that translates into a lot of line-drive homers at the youth level, he may see his home run numbers dip while his batting average stays high. Regardless, he is expected to be a solid mid-to-late 1st rounder.
3. RF Riot Darton, SR, Marlborough Minigunners - Darton saw his production dip a bit in his senior season, so there are some questions about his progress. Should he trend up again, scouts rate Darton as having one of the best power potentials in the 2311 Draft. That was shown in his sophomore and junior seasons when he hit 28 home runs each year. His defense is just OK, but he is god enough to play either corner OF spot.
4. 2B Brandon Larsonist, SR, Freeplat Wicked Goods - Larsonist is currently projected as a 2B, but he is talented defensively and could slip in at SS or 3B, giving him a good chance to get on the field. He is also a speedster, swiping 13 of 14 attempts this season. While he is not the most talented with the bat in the draft pool, Larsonist could develop into a good all-around hitter. He could even become a leadoff hitter in the right situation.
5. CF Floren Habern, SR Reading Rhinos - In just one season of Reading joining the CYL, Habern showed his gifts off to the league, bating .347/27/62. He is a rangy OF with a good arm, so basically he can play any of the OF positions but projects as a CF due to his tremendous speed. Like Larsonist, Habern is probably bound to be a leadoff hitter, able to hit for average and knock a few out of the park here and there. He is not as gifted as a baserunner, so he needs to work on his stealing skills to get better jumps and fewer false starts.
CBO Transactions
Monday, July 31st , 2311
Salem Witch Hats: Placed RP Joey Toohill on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/28/2311.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Activated LF Ken Debate from the injured list.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Activated SP Freak Mouton from the injured list.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Sent SP Freak Mouton to Triple A Worcester for injury rehab.
Sunday, July 30th , 2311
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Released 3B Chad Cook.
Nordhagen Beach Party Boys: Activated LF Michael Fogcrawler from the injured list.
Nordhagen Beach Party Boys: Sent LF Michael Fogcrawler to Triple A Braintree for injury rehab.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Placed SP Josh Calvit on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/28/2311.
Spectacle Island Reapers: Activated SP Brent Hooker from the injured list.
Saturday, July 29th , 2311
Diamond City Swatters: Activated CF Vignar Graymane from the 60-day injured list.
Diamond City Swatters: Sent CF Vignar Graymane to Triple A Natick for injury rehab.
Bunker Hill 75ers: Signed C Jadon Herring.
Concord Radstags: Signed RF Colorado Saion.
The Roxbury Rad Sox traded 19-year old minor league 3B Jim Szewczyk, 23-year old RF Cubby France, and 19-year old minor league RHP Quack Quack Ruggiero to the Goodneighbor Hancocks, getting 22-year old RHP Oliver Oil in return.
Friday, July 28th , 2311
Goodneighbor Hancocks: LF Danny Honeycutt returns from his rehab assignment.
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Released CF Nasty Byrd.
Quincy Gunners: Released RF Fun Freddie Nunez.
Nordhagen Beach Party Boys: Activated 2B Jumper Hayes from the injured list.
Nordhagen Beach Party Boys: Sent 2B Jumper Hayes to Triple A Braintree for injury rehab.
Glowing Sea Radscorpions: Placed RF Naga Arakaki on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/27/2311.
Starlight Killers: Signed RF Ferd Mainelander.
Bunker Hill 75ers: Released C Press Earthquake.
The Jamaica Plain Red Rockets traded 29-year old 2B Bulleye Shooterson and 28-year old LHP Glenn Patnode to the Nahant Celtics, getting 22-year old minor league RF Buttons Bunterson and 21-year old minor league 3B Odo Capchange in return.
Thursday, July 27th , 2311
Nahant Celtics: Activated CF Thrifty Iraheta from the injured list.
Nahant Celtics: Sent CF Thrifty Iraheta to Triple A Finch Farm for injury rehab.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released C Coco Caravaneer.
Concord Radstags: Signed RF Pablo Caldera.
Wednesday, July 26th , 2311
Starlight Killers: Activated RF Hurr Lee Reyes from the injured list.
Starlight Killers: Sent RF Hurr Lee Reyes to Triple A Warwick for injury rehab.
Diamond City Swatters: Activated 2B Ray McMillen from the injured list.
Diamond City Swatters: Sent 2B Ray McMillen to Triple A Natick for injury rehab.
Concord Radstags: Signed RF Ello Asty.
The Fort Hagen Silver Shroud traded 18-year old minor league LHP Tarzan Rogers and 32-year old LF Steve Baron to the Easy Town Assaultrons, getting 23-year old minor league 3B Keg Gutterson, 18-year old minor league 1B Pistol Hurricane, and a 10th round draft pick in return.
Tuesday, July 25th , 2311
Bunker Hill 75ers: Placed RF Deerlord Fugivmee on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/24/2311.
Egret Ninjas: Placed 3B Notorious Fugate on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/24/2311.
Quincy Gunners: Placed CF McCrew Gillens on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/22/2311.
Diamond City Swatters: Placed 2B Rayman Tatogrower on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/24/2311.
Diamond City Swatters: Released 1B Justin Applebaum.
Fort Hagen Silver Shroud: Released RP Salacious Greenson.
Monday, July 24th , 2311
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Placed LF Ken Debate on the 7-day injured list, retroactive to 07/23/2311.
Glowing Sea Radscorpions: Activated SP Taki Undertaker from the injured list.
The Roxbury Rad Sox traded 27-year old 1B Matt Stickhouse to the Diamond City Swatters, getting 28-year old 1B Murray Bunts and 40-year old RHP Josh Samm in return.
Sunday, July 23rd , 2311
Bunker Hill 75ers: Released RP High Pockets Muse.
Salem Witch Hats: Activated RP Ray Rowe-Varone from the injured list.
Concord Radstags: Signed RF Aidan Underwood.
Saturday, July 22nd , 2311
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Released SS Cheesewheel Fuller.
Egret Ninjas: Released RP Alex Fonseca.
Bunker Hill 75ers: Activated CF Atai Molec from the injured list.
The Nahant Celtics traded 23-year old minor league RF Pants Krupa to the Jamaica Plain Red Rockets, getting 33-year old SS Jake Doucette in return.
Friday, July 21st , 2311
Vault 81 Dwellers: Activated SS End Yamada from the injured list.
Nahant Celtics: Placed RP Kyle Hein on the 60-day injured list.
Thursday, July 20th , 2311
Cambridge Coursers: SP Jeff Libby returns from his rehab assignment.
Jamaica Plain Red Rockets: Signed 1B Laddy Fastnacht.
Wednesday, July 19th , 2311
FHE Yao Guai: Activated RP Ryan Hartley from the restricted list.
Cambridge Coursers: Activated 2B Plastic Augmon from the restricted list.
Diamond City Swatters: Released C Shake Flick.
Diamond City Swatters: Released SP Plow Alford.
Glowing Sea Radscorpions: Released RP Aldon Blaszczyk.
Tuesday, July 18th , 2311
Goodneighbor Hancocks: Activated CF Missile Crews from the injured list.
FHE Yao Guai: Released 1B Slimeball Ruiz.