[Elendil]

June 2017 (cont.)
But things only went worse from there for the beleaguered Upper Valley franchise. Their absolute nadir might have come when they were swept at home by the best team in the league, the Old Orchard Beach Surge, by scores of 9-1, 16-4, and 12-4.


But the franchise didn't give up trying to win. The GWL's trade deadline was June 30, before the halfway point of the season, and it came and went without any trades at all.

The Nighthawks weren't throwing in the towel; in fact, they used what free cash they had to sign more players to one-year contracts, most notably shortstop Alexi "Mighty Mouse" Amarista, who had been released by the Rockies after slashing .210/.246/.323 in 65 PA. Amarista made an immediate impact, helping the Nighthawks take two of three in the final series of the month in Nashua.

The Surge of the Surge
At the other end of the baseball spectrum lay the wealthy team from Maine, the Old Orchard Beach Surge. OOB wasn't wealthy because of the size of their market, at least not at first, but because they had savvily managed to sign several quality young players in the preseason and sell them to MLB clubs later.


By the end of June, the Surge stood at 28-11, good for a .718 winning percentage and a four-game lead in the East Division.


But they didn't stand still. Instead of trading for talent, they bought it. Outfielder Angel "Crazy Horse" Pagan, 35 years old and a standout for the MLB Giants last year (.277/.331/.418, 543 PA), though no longer so spry in center, signed on at a $14,200 per annum rate. He hit .364 in his first five games with the club.


Second baseman Adam Rosales, 34, was another major signing for the club. He'd hit .255/.320/.500 in 104 PA for the MLB A's before having been released. He signed for a per-year rate of $29,800. However, his early impact was limited, as he went just 7-for-28 with a homer, a walk, and nine strikeouts in his first six games with the Maine club.

July 1 Standings

Team	W	L	WPct	GB	R	RA
Old Orchard Beach Surge	28	11	.718	-	255	146
Seacoast Humpbacks	24	15	.615	4	221	186
Bangor Barons	21	18	.538	7	207	215
Concord Wild	21	18	.538	7	182	167

Team	W	L	WPct	GB	R	RA
Nashua Silver Knights	20	19	.513	-	188	166
Plattsburgh Redbirds	18	21	.462	2	191	179
Rutland Marblebreakers	13	26	.333	7	176	266
Upper Valley Nighthawks	11	28	.282	9	175	270

[to be continued...]