BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, BCAC, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
7 September 2311
NCA Wildcard Round
#6 Sunshine Tidings Chemists (68-62) vs #3 Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (76-54)
Season Series
Nordhagen Beach 4, Sunshine Tidings 0
April 29-30 @ST: NB 7-2, NB 8-4
July 5-6 @NB: NB 5-1, NB 5-3
Analysis
This series will mark a tale of two teams always in the playoffs but how much of a difference in playoff success each team has had. This marks the third time the Sunshine Tidings Chemists and Nordhagen Beach Party Boys will meet in the playoffs. In the two previous matchups, both Association Semifinals matchups with the Chemists as the #2 seed and Party Boys as the #3 seed, the Boys swept each in three games.
For Sunshine Tidings, this season marks their ninth-straight playoff trip. In each of the eight years prior, however, the Chemists have won only one playoff series: a 2306 Association Semifinal victory over Easy Town as the #2 seed. They went on to be swept by #1 County Crossing in the NCA Championship Series.
Nordhagen Beach has now made the playoffs in all 14 seasons of the full CBO. The Party Boys are currently the two-time defending champions, have won four championships overall, and stand at 4-2 all-time in the Sole Survivor Series (actually 4-3, but the CBO has quit using the first two seasons in official statistics).
During the regular season, the Boys treated Sunshine Tidings as they have in the playoffs, sweeping both of the home-away series to go 4-0 on the season. RF Jonathan Angelou particularly loved playing the Chemists, hitting 3 of his 25 on the season against them.
The Chemists will have a hard time in the playoffs winning shootouts. They were 8th in the NCA in runs scored (665) with the help of the home run (201) where they were tops. However, the 11th-best OBP (.337) meant that too many of those homers were solo shots. LF Family Sam Partridge (.316/45/112), a candidate for the Nuka-Hitter Award, is the unquestioned leader on offense. He is supposed by two other sluggers in front of him: 1B Dusty Brownell (.235/22/47) and 3B Ross Merchantman (.233/31/86). RF B.J. Perez (.309/6/41) is out for the playoffs, meaning 34-year old Ricky Ticky Laughy (.156/3/12) will play in his stead.
On the mound, Sunshine Tidings was much better, finishing 4th in runs allowed (605), 5th in Starters ERA (4.33), and 6th in Bullpen ERA (4.58). The playoff starters will be Doug Creep (14-8, 4.08) and veterans Sheng Kawolski (12-11, 4.95) and Eugene Gym (12-7, 3.41). In the bullpen, Cush Baker (31 SV, 3.45) had a decent season and will get some help from RP Loan Khong (6-2, 3.56) and acquired SP/RP Tiger Fanne (7-18, 4.19).
Nordhagen Beach saw a season where they did not conquer the NCA statistically in any category. On offense, the Boys finished tied for 3rd in runs scored (696), thanks in part to being 3rd in OPS (.814) and home runs (191). Young 3B Jacob Tarberry (.340/35/105) has taken over the offensive reigns from a team with one of the oldest lineups in the CBO. The top seven hitters all hit at least 16 home runs with the next three behind Tarberry being CF Maxx Murtagh (.279/27/55), Angelou (.237/25/86), and 1B Mountainside Rockhand (.336/20/88).
Pitching finished the season with a whimper in 2311, struggling to outmatch teams late in the season. That led to the Party Boys finishing 7th in runs allowed (628), Starters ERA (4.48), and Bullpen ERA (4.66). Ace SP Beachboy Nut (15-5, 2.76) was his usual dominant self, but the rest of the pitchers were not. The other two starters will be struggling Deedee Martinson (10-10, 4.72) and Ugio Church (12-10, 4.76). SP Hard John Horvath (8-5, 5.95) moves to the bullpen. Ted Iam (28 SV, 3.59) took over the closer role when David "AntAgonist" Kidd (6-6, 5.32) got off to a poor start. It was suggested by pitching coach Trevor Bayless that Kidd's filming schedule in the offseason kept him off the practice field. RP Jordan Sykes (2-3, 2.80) had the best season overall from the bullpen, pitching 61.0 innings.
Prediction
Despite some recent struggles by Nordhagen Beach, including going 13-17 in August/September, Sunshine Tidings appears to be their tonic. Everything points to the Party Boys having every advantage, so we expect this series to be short and sweet for the Boys. Nordhagen Beach 2, Sunshine Tidings 0
#5 Salem Witch Hats (71-59) vs #4 Fort Hagen Silver Shroud
Season Series
Fort Hagen 3, Salem 1
June 22-23 @FtH: FtH 6-5, FtH 8-2
August 14-15 @Sal: FtH 14-5, Sal 3-2
Analysis
While both franchises have had much different success in their histories, both are tied in one key statistic: no Sole Survivor Series championships. Each team is locked and loaded this season, but they will have to fight out of a wildcard position to reach the coveted prize. This series marks the first time that the Salem Witch Hats and Fort Hagen Silver Shroud will meet in the playoffs.
For Salem, this is just their second trip to the playoffs in franchise history. Their one other trip came in 2308 as the #1 overall seed. However, the Hats dropped the Association Semifinal Round series, 3-2, to #5 Starlight that season.
Fort Hagen had been playoff regulars, but had to go through a rebuild. That means the Silver Shroud are making their first trip in seven years after having made it seven-straight seasons. In three of the seven years in the playoffs, the Shroud reached the Sole Survivor Series three times but lost all three series.
The regular season matchup favored the Shroud, winning three of four. Salem's lone win was a one-run game, so overall Fort Hagen dominated. That one-run game came a day after the Silver Shroud blasted the Hats, 14-5, in Salem. SP Elastic Man Haley particularly liked pitching against the Witch Hats, going 2-0 with a 1.84 in 14.2 innings pitched.
Salem was decent, not great, on offense. The Witch Hats finished 6th in runs scored (668) with their best categories being finishing 5th in OPS (.354) and home runs (176). RF Brian DeLong (.318/31/95) fell one percentage point shy of winning the team Triple Crown, being bested only by 2B Peter Pan Calvillo (.319/18/58). Two other players matched Calvillo's home run totals: 1B Dan Erb (.260/18/51) and LF Castor Puzzlemaker (.309/18/64).
The Hats were much better at pitching, finishing 3rd in runs allowed (600) and Bullpen ERA (4.45) and 4th in Starters ERA (4.30). The three playoff starters are a pretty good rotation: Pokey Chatman (13-9, 3.70), Jaa Thirtysix (13-9, 3.77), and Bry McBourbon (14-9, 4.18). The bullpen is somewhat of a mixed bag with RP Ray Rowe-Varone (6-3, 3.54) having success. CL Four Davies (31 SV, 4.20) could struggle to get outs at times.
Fort Hagen found most of its success on offense. The Silver Shroud were 2nd in runs scored (698) with the top of the NCA statistics in Average (.284), OPS (.819), and wOBA (.358). No single player stood out from the other on the team, but we would call C Sleve McDichael (.332/20/72) the best if we had to. SS Brennan Colt-45 (.311/19/70), RF Foo Fieterz (.290/26/75), and 2B Jeet November (.309/18/75) all had good seasons.
The Shroud finished 5th in runs allowed (608) to go along with finishing 3rd in Starters ERA (4.14) and 8th in Bullpen ERA (4.82). While not as dominant as we thought they might be, rookie SPs Haley (16-7, 3.98) and La'Ray Kalel (12-12, 3.90) pitched pretty well. SP Nien Nunb (16-10, 4.37) is the third starter. Another rookie, CL Victor Numbclaw (26 SV, 4.59), struggled some in the bullpen, so the Silver Shroud will turn to Sarthis Idren (0 SV, 3.34) in the playoffs. Veteran 30-year-old RP Godot Beckett (2-1, 3.12) had a good year.
Prediction
We have gone back and forth on this prediction. We know PAM had Fort Hagen as the top team coming into the season, but they proved early on that they were not that team. Well, not in the regular season. Salem is a team that has never been able to put it all together, having some slumps during the regular season. However, they did pull it together in August/September, going 19-11 in that span. In the end, we are going to take the Hats to take this one. Salem 2, Fort Hagen 1