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BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
5 June 2316
CBO Analysis
Most teams have now played 51 games in the 2316 season. In this 40% mark of the season, we are starting to see patterns of success and failure. There is also a new and surprising king of the hill in the CBO: Malden. At 33-18, the Grognaks possess the CBO’s top record. Here are the current team power rankings for Commonwealth Baseball Organization:
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Malden Grognaks (122.5, o)
2) Vault 81 Dwellers (117.9, o)
3) Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (115.8, ++)
4) Diamond City Swatters (109.8, ++)
5) The Slog Ghouls (104.2, ++)
6) Bunker Hill 75ers (102.4, --)
7) Quincy Gunners (101.4, o)
8) Cambridge Coursers (100.8, +)
9) Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (99.8, --)
10) Glowing Sea Radscorpions (99.4, --)
11) University Point Deathclaws (98.2, ++)
12) Goodneighbor Hancocks (95.8, o)
13) Easy Town Assaultrons (94.2, -)
14) Lexington Synths (93.2, --)
15) Sunshine Tidings Chemists (92.8, ++)
16) Atom Cats (91.2, --)
17) Oberland T-51s (88.2, +)
18) Salem Witch Hats (84.8, ++)
19) Egret Ninjas (81.6, ++)
20) Roxbury Rad Sox (81.2, ++)
21) Spectacle Island Reapers (80.8, -)
22) Nahant Celtics (79.8, --)
23) County Crossing Bloodbugs (78.2, --)
24) Jamaica Plain Red Rockets (75.6, -)
25) Southie Brews (75.6, +)
26) Concord Radstags (73.8, --)
27) FHE Yao Guai (55.4, --)
28) Starlight Killers (17.3, o)
Brotherhood League
As mentioned, the Grognaks are best in the CBO and hold a three-game lead over second-place Nordhagen Beach. Easy Town and The Slog are knotted up in 3rd place, while all of Salem, Nahant, and Country Crossing are bunched together just below .500. All teams in the BL can consider themselves very much in the playoff race at this point of the season.
For the Party Boys, the turnaround back to a contending team may be complete. After being a perpetual playoff team in the first 15 seasons of the CBO (2298-2312), the Boys have now missed the playoffs in three-straight seasons, falling as far as 6th place last season. This season, Nordhagen Beach is nine games above .500 thanks a lot to being 2nd in the NCA in runs allowed (172) with the 3rd-best Starters ERA (2.92) and the best Bullpen ERA (2.82). Thirty-eight-year-old Ugio Church (6-2, 2.04) has been masterful, with great support from Mister Burns (8-2, 2.94) and Denaria Kee (4-5, 3.02) as starters. CL Stagbuck Ewing (12 SV, 0.64) is in contention for the Fallon’s Reliever Award in his second season as the Boys’ closer. Offense is tied for 7th in runs scored (215) with the best offensive ranking being home runs (tied for 5th at 40). The second through fifth hitters are bunched up in statistical production: SS Brass Well (.300/5/30), RF Slammin’ Sammy Holloway (.284/6/30), LF Mork Mendee (.303/5/22), and 1B Jag Jouan (.349/5/16).
Institute League
Despite a four-game losing streak, Fort Hagen is still claiming 1st place in the Institute League. Three teams are right on the Silver Shroud’s tails, in a game distance per team in order: Bunker Hill, Cambridge, and Lexington. Both Sunshine Tidings and Concord are three games below .500 and in the playoff race. Starlight is 8-43 (.157), still on pace to have the CBO’s worst season in its history.
The Chemists were the premier team in the IL from 2303-2311. In that span, Sunshine Tidings made the playoffs every season and won the IL title five-straight times from 2304-2308. Now, they have missed the playoffs four-straight seasons and are looking as though that will happen again in 2316. Currently, the Chemists are 11th in runs scored (206) but rank second in home runs (49). Though not currently qualifying because of limited at-bats, 1B/OF Charles Towner (.446/5/23) has been on fire. He has recently taken over the 1B spot from Eddie Furnace (.254/7/27). C Red Jay Jones (.319/6/18) is still the best hitting catcher in the CBO. RF Blaine Stabb (.262/7/18) is ted with Furnace fore the team lead in homers. On the mound, Sunshine Tidings is 11th in runs allowed (228), showing that statistically they are perhaps overachieving with a 24-27 record. Ace Tiger Fanne (5-5, 2.96) has been pretty good minus run support. Veteran starters Eugene Gym (3-8, 4.78) and Major Tom Brennan (4-5, 4.26) have struggled. In the bullpen, CL Michael Rushmore (6 SV, 1.21) has done well.
Minutemen League
The ML has taken over as the tightest league with nine games separating 1st and 7th. Only one team, 7th-place Southie, has had a good stretch in their last 10 (7-3). Quincy went 5-5, which was good enough to put them 1.6 up on Atom. University Point and Goodneighbor are both above .500, while Spectacle Island, Jamaica Plain, and the Brews are all below .500.
The Gunners are doing what it takes to battle for the ML title in 2316, which would mark their second title in three seasons. Quincy is also in the position to make the playoffs for three-straight seasons for the first time in franchise history. On offense, the Gunners are 7th in runs scored (192). 2B Will Hell (.302/11/33) is the team MVP, leading in the Triple Crown categories for the team. On the mound, Quincy is 2nd in runs allowed (169), including being 2nd in Starters ERA (2.94) and 4th in Bullpen ERA (2.94). Ace Make Money (7-2, 1.85) is in early contention for Vim! Pitcher of the Year and won May’s Pitcher of the Month. College Luckyman (7-5, 2.77) has also pitched well. CL Professor Harriel (14 SV, 1.23) is among the most successful closers in the league, currently second in the SCA in saves.
Railroad League
Every team but one, FHE, went somewhere between 4-6 and 6-4 in their last 10, keeping the RL mostly the same in positioning from the last update. Vault 81 is 32-19, tops in the SCA and just a game back of the Grognaks for the best record. Diamond City trails by two, and Glowing Sea trails by three. The rest of the league is below .500: Oberland, Roxbury, Egret, and the Yao Guai.
For FHE, currently on a CBO-worst seven-game losing streak and possessing the SCA’s worst record, it is almost time to sell. The Yao Guai seemed to be up and coming just two seasons ago, having made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons in 2313 and 2314. Then, they dropped and just have not been able to find the winning formula. FHE’s offense is its “good” unit, currently tied for 12th in runs scored (181). The only person standing out, though, is CF Missile Crews (.340/4/21/23 SB). Leadoff 2B Slip Knotty (.208/8/23) leads the team in homers. On the mound, the Yao Guai are 14th in runs allowed (237), including having the 13th-bnest Starters ERA (4.32). At the top of the rotation, Baker Dozen (4-6, 3.65) and Lawdog Whipple (4-4, 3.83) are holding the team together, but hardly.
CBO Standings
CBO Players of the Week
May 29 - It was an extraordinary week for Charles Towner of the Sunshine Tidings Chemists. First he goes on a hot hitting streak, batting .632, then he is voted the Player of the Week in the North Charles Association. Last week Towner went 12-for-19, racked up 1 home run and 7 RBIs and scored 5 runs. It was a heck of a week for the Sunshine Tidings left fielder.
Towner is currently hitting at a .444 pace with 3 home runs, 19 RBIs and has scored 14 times.
When it came to hitting the baseball, Nippy Ben Nippolt was in a class by himself in the South Charles Association this past week. Nobody did it better.
The outstanding shortstop for Spectacle Island tagged opposing pitchers for a .571 average and was voted the Player of the Week Award. Included in his stats were 12 hits in 21 at-bats, 1 homers, 5 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
This season, Nippolt has banged out 51 hits in 155 at-bats for a .329 average with 6 home runs. He is getting on base at a .388 pace and his totals also include 23 RBIs and 19 runs scored.
June 5 - Cambridge fans have something to crow about today as Cambridge center fielder Pro Jabonete nabbed the North Charles Association Player of the Week Award for his performance over the last seven days.
"I know there are times when it's hard to lay off pitches. Everyone goes through stretches when he's too eager to put the ball in play. You know, though, I feel like this past week I was able to get in the right frame of mind and just let things come naturally," said Jabonete.
He posted a .476 average (10-for-21) this past week with 5 home runs, 10 RBIs, and 8 runs scored.
So far this season, Jabonete has recorded a .366 batting average with 67 hits, 16 home runs, 42 RBIs, 32 runs scored and a .424 OBP.
Odd Todd Walker 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 Oberland second baseman wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers last week, pounding them for a .440 average (11-for-25) with 5 home runs and 7 RBIs on his way to claiming the honor.
On the year, Walker has hit .312 with 6 home runs, 27 RBIs and scored 42 runs.
CBO Noteworthy News
May 25 - The Vault 81 contest with Jamaica Plain featured a real shining moment: Nick Maris, the Dwellers third baseman, collected career base hit #2000. That his team lost the game, 5-4, took away only a little bit of the luster. Fittingly, the 38-year-old Maris, who went 1-for-2, received a warm ovation from the Red Rockets Stadium crowd.
Looking at his career numbers, Maris has played in 1952 games with a .283 batting average. Among his 2000 hits are 400 doubles, 61 triples and 144 home runs. He has also scored 1125 runs and driven in 839 runs. He is the 17th player to reach 2000 hits in his career. Good Don Duck is the all-time leader with 2506.
May 27 - In a brilliant performance at Red Rockets Stadium, Jamaica Plain pitcher Derek Green entered an elite group by tossing a no-hitter against the FHE Yao Guai.
In the effort, he fanned 5 and walked 4, leading the Red Rockets to victory, 6-0.
"I was getting my off-speed stuff over so they couldn't sit on the fastball," Green said in the clubhouse after the game. "My guys made some nice plays behind me and cut off several hits, too."
In 11 starts this season, Green has recorded 4 wins and absorbed 3 losses. He has pitched 63 innings, allowed 54 hits, struck out 33 and has a 3.43 ERA.
The no-hitter by Green is the 23rd in CBO history and his second. Green joins Jaa Thirtysix (Salem) as the only pitchers with two no-hitters. Green last threw a no-hitter against Vault 81, on April 21, 2307.
June 5 - "Vote Early and Vote Often!"
While that may not be true for elections, that's the message coming out of the Commonwealth Baseball Organization offices for the upcoming All-Star game, scheduled for Tuesday, August 1st , 2316. The ballots have been released, and everyone can cast your ballot up until a few days before the game, when the final rosters will be released.