The Outpost League

[ifspuds]

The final Team Preview post... look for more offseason news, new player draft and Opening Day of the 2016 season in the upcoming days!



Pitchers

Carlin Bonner (age 30, 3.5 stars, 6/8/6 vs. 5/8/7)
15-11, 3.22 ERA, 243 IP, 191 K, 1.14 WHIP

Bonner is unquestionably talented and he's been awfully consistent in his two seasons of Bay League play. The Generals know what they're getting out of their ace, and it's mostly good. He is prone to the longball, giving up 23 homers last season, but he doesn't walk very many, so they tend to be solo shots. It's a little surprising that he has that dent in his armor: the Generals' home park is not very conducive to the 4-bagger.

Mike Woollum (age 28, 3 stars, 5/8/7 vs. 5/8/7)
7-9, 3.38 ERA, 149 IP, 102 K, 1.13 WHIP

Woollum's another talented arm. He's crafty, but needs a good defense behind him, since he's always around the plate and hitters generally put the ball in play against him. When he's on, he's very good: 2.80 ERA in 100 IP in 2014. With some good luck this season, he could move into the upper echelon of Bay League pitchers.

Mike "Juggie" Hawkins (age 27, 3 stars, 8/6/7 vs. 8/6/7)
7-10, 4.12 ERA, 150.2 IP, 137 K, 1.28 WHIP

Hawkins is something of a mystery: he has as much talent as any pitcher in the Bay League, but his numbers haven't borne that out. He was a workhorse in 2014, pitching nearly 250 innings and striking out a ridiculous 280 batters, but his ERA was a disappointing 3.72. Surely 2015 would be better? Unfortunately, no. He started 11 fewer games due to ineffectiveness, and limped to the finish of the season with even more disappointing numbers. For a player selected 4th overall in the initial dispersal draft of the league, Hawkins should be better than this.

Robb Keyes (age 28, 2.5 stars, 4/9/8 vs. 4/9/7)
1-0, 2.00 ERA, 9 IP (1 G/1 GS), 4 K, 1.00 WHIP

Keyes made one start last season and pitched very well. He's got incredible control, and while he didn't get much work last season, expect to see more of him this year, especially if one of the starters goes down.

Greg Field (age 37, 4 stars, 4/7/5 vs. 4/7/5)
2-0, 2.08 ERA, 13 IP, 5 K, 1.00 WHIP

The Generals bullpen gets surprisingly little work, considering how poorly the team as a whole has performed. Field's one of only two pitchers outside of the top 3 in the rotation that tossed more than 10 innings last season. It's hard to say how good he is: he just doesn't pitch enough to tell.

Tom Mohr (age 32, 5 stars, 5/7/6 vs. 4/7/6)
0-1, 2.00 ERA, 9 IP, 5 K, 1.67 WHIP

Like Field, what do you expect out of Mohr? His ERA is good enough, but it was compiled in 9 games and 9 innings. More indicative is the fact that he gave up 14 hits in those 9 innings and 6 runs, only 2 of which were earned.

Matt Abrams (age 31, 5 stars, 6/6/7 vs. 7/6/7)
0-0, 1.75 ERA, 25.2 IP, 23 K, 0.94 WHIP

Abrams had a terrific season out of the pen in 2015, completely the opposite of an 0-4, 5.30 campaign in 2014. It all depends on how many hits he gives up. When they put the bat on the ball it seems to find a hole.

[ifspuds]

First-Year Players Sign Up For Bay League
Outpost News Service

Is your favorite Bay League team languishing in the bottom half of the standings with no hope of climbing out of their hole any time soon? Are you looking for the sort of hope that players like Allison's Walter Sebring -- a star in his very first season -- bring to a team? The Outpost News Service is proud to bring you the following discussion between our Bay League experts Frank Mayes, Mary Anderson and Jose Alcala. The preseason tryout schedule has just ended, and between these three, they have seen every player declaring eligibility for Bay League play. Want to know if your team's in the running for a top talent? Read on, fans.

Frank Mayes: The Tifton Generals have the first selection this year, and have a tough choice ahead of them.

Jose Alcala: Agreed. Their team's strength is very clearly in pitching, and their top prospect, Ahmad Reese, is already wondering how he's going to squeeze into a rotation of Bonner, Hawkins and Woollum, especially when Bonner's the oldest at 30 years old. The top player available is pretty clearly the 17-year old pitcher from Pelish, Tyrus Fuchs...

Mary Anderson: ...I don't think you can say "pretty clearly", Jose. We both saw Steven Underwood at the Elliott Springs regional tryout, and that kid can do it all. There are a lot of great first basemen in the league right now, but I think Underwood can keep up with any of them, given some time.

JA: Underwood's got talent, I won't argue that point. What I was going to say was that while Fuchs has a huge arm, the Generals almost have to go with Underwood to help solve some of their hitting woes.

FM: Are we forgetting about Tim Bohm? I've talked to some Bay League managers who are pretty high on this kid. He may not hit for the gaudy average that Underwood might, but he's got good power and an unbelievable amount of plate discipline.

MA: Bohm's a good player, and will probably go to Elliott Springs with the 3rd pick, but he's not much of a defensive player, and Underwood's got a much higher ceiling.

JA: I agree with Mary.

MA: When was the last time you said that, Jose?

JA: Don't get used to it! I'd have to project the first three picks as Underwood, Fuchs to Gentry Hills at #2, and Bohm at #3.

FM: I think that's reasonable. But after that it becomes a crap shoot. Deepvale's up at #4. You'd have to think they'll go pitching, which probably means Chezley Harris. I don't think he'll be a star, but he's young enough that he could pick up another pitch in the city leagues and turn into something.

MA: It's Harris or Arlie Hammick, who doesn't have the control Harris does but already has that pitch Harris needs to learn.

JA: The Spelunkers are said to be looking pretty closely at 3B Mekeli Masters and C Charles Dye at #5. I'd go with Masters, myself. With a bit of help in the lineup, Allison could challenge for the title, and Masters is 23 years old and not far from the Bay League.

FM: The Greens at #6? Pitching or hitting?

MA: Flip a coin.

JA: They've got a couple young pitchers coming up. I think they go with whichever of Masters or Dye the Spelunkers don't select.

MA: Why are you so high on Charles Dye? He couldn't throw me out on a steal and I'm 54 years old.

JA: Because he's something that's always hard to find: a catcher that can hit a little bit.

FM: I'm going to have to go with Mary here, Jose. Dye's not all that special. Even harder to find is a shortstop who can hit, so I'm projecting Seth Maybin at #6.

JA: We'll agree to disagree on that count, and move on. The Marsein Knights come in at #7 and have to go with pitching. They're already a top-notch offensive team, and I think they take either Harris or Hammick, whichever one is left.

MA: A reasonable expectation. So who do the Whales take with the final pick in the first round?

FM: I think they go hitting. The only halfway decent hitter we haven't talked about yet is CF Josh Perry. He's got a bit of speed and can play center or right, and has some pop in his bat.

MA: I've heard mention of Garrick Rivera, but I saw him in Gentry Hills and the kid swings at pitches that haven't even been thrown yet. Perry's a good guess. Jason Driggers isn't quite as good a hitter -- and I use the term "good" loosely -- as Perry, but he's a great gloveman in center.

JA: I'm with Frank. Perry's the choice here.

(...the discussion continues on with a discussion of the 2nd and succeeding rounds)

[ifspuds]

Bay League Draft Results Announced
Outpost News Service

The 2016 Bay League player draft was held earlier today in Silver Beach, home of the 2015 Bay League champion Whales, and eight young men of the Outposts have the distinction of being selected in the first round and the expectations that come along with it.

Meet this year's top picks:

1. Tifton Generals: 1B Steven Underwood. Underwood is a rangy kid from the village of Stone Park, just outside of Gentry Hills. Playing in the low city leagues last season, he showed talent well beyond his 18 years, and most league observers expected the offense-poor Generals to call his name. Team officials think he'll challenge Walter Sebring, last season's Top Rookie, for Batter of the Year honors someday after Ace Gervin hangs up his first baseman's mitt.

2. Gentry Hills Scouts: SP Tyrus Fuchs. While the Scouts were holding out some hope that local boy Underwood might slip to them, they're thrilled to get the 17-year old Fuchs, who is the most talented young pitcher to yet come into the league. He's got all the skills, he just needs some time to harness them. Together with 22-year old Jon Britton already with the Scouts, Gentry Hills has the makings of an outstanding rotation.

3. Elliott Springs Tornadoes: LF Tim Bohm. Bohm's greatest skill is his eye. He's got the plate discipline of a player ten years his senior, and has a sixth sense for pitches he knows he can hammer. A dead pull hitter, when he swings, he swings hard. He's going to be a top contributor someday, especially if he can learn to take the ball the other way, the only thing that's limiting him right now.

4. Deepvale Ferrymen: 3B Mekeli Masters. Masters is 23 years old, a former college player back on Earth and a recent arrival in the Outposts. The Ferrymen have Roy Lockwood at third base, but at 33, might not have too many more years left. The Ferrymen hope Masters can progress quickly, shifting Lockwood to shortstop. Masters isn't outstanding at any one thing, but has no holes in his offensive game.

5. Allison Spelunkers: SP Chezley Harris. Harris doesn't throw hard, but he knows what to do with his pitches. The left-hander has great control and keeps the ball down, and could team with Kyle Richardson and top prospect Tony Jones to make a formidable rotation someday.

6. Lorris Greens: SP Arlie Hammick. The 18-year old Hammick is a raw talent, and some have suggested that the Greens are taking a risk drafting him in the first round, but their manager Jerry Lee thinks he's got a chance to be something pretty special with some seasoning. He throws hard, and is a big, strong kid with the potential to be a real innings eater.

7. Marsein Knights: CF Jason Driggers. A quick-footed defensive center fielder, not many expected Driggers to be taken this high, but when Harris and Hammick -- players projected to possibly last to the pitching-poor Knights -- went with the #5 and #6 pick, the Knights nabbed the 23-year old outfielder. He's not very selective at the plate, but he has a nice line drive swing that ought to produce a lot of extra base hits.

8. Silver Beach Whales: CF Ben McAfee. If Driggers was a surprise, McAfee was a shock. While he's a capable defender and he is likely to steal a lot of bases, he's not much of a hitter and may never get on base enough to take advantage of his speed. The Whales think they can teach him, though, and if they're right, he might be a diamond in the rough.

[Big Six]

Great draft preview and summary, Jeff! I always enjoy recruiting and drafting when I'm playing sports management simulations; I like following players over the entire course of their careers.

I'm a little surprised the Spelunkers didn't draft Seth Maybin, since their shortstops aren't exactly youthful. I'm glad Chezley Harris was still on the board when Allison's turn came around, though. Harris reminds me of Donovan Wagner of the Steelers, who doesn't dazzle anybody with his stuff but has a Most Outstanding Pitcher award in his trophy case.

How old is Harris? Will he need a lot of seasoning in the city leagues?

Looking forward to another Outpost League season.

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by Big Six

I'm a little surprised the Spelunkers didn't draft Seth Maybin, since their shortstops aren't exactly youthful. I'm glad Chezley Harris was still on the board when Allison's turn came around, though. Harris reminds me of Donovan Wagner of the Steelers, who doesn't dazzle anybody with his stuff but has a Most Outstanding Pitcher award in his trophy case.

How old is Harris? Will he need a lot of seasoning in the city leagues?

Seth Maybin (3/4/2/3/1 vs. 5/6/4/5/5 talents, 4 range at SS) ended up going 11th overall (3rd pick in the second round) to Elliott Springs. After the first three picks, the players were all pretty much equal. I think Mekeli Masters (4th to Deepvale) was the class of the remaining players, but Maybin's not too far back. Shortstop is a weak position in the Bay League, so I expected him to go higher too, as you can see in my draft "preview".

Chezley Harris (2/6/5 vs. 4/8/7 talents) is 18 years old and will start at what in OOTP 6.12 is AA. I call it the midlevel city league, but that's just semantics, of course. I think he's going to turn out pretty good, honestly. He's got good endurance (8) and he's a good fielder. He projects out as a solid 3rd starter (most Bay League teams only start 3 pitchers due to lots of off-days in the drawn-out 70 game schedule) and probably has a couple of seasons in the city leagues before he hits the big time.

[ifspuds]

The Bay League and its dynasty thread will be taking a short hiatus, as I'm getting ready to move. Once I'm in the new house, the utilities are set up and I get a bit of time, the thread will be back. Ideally, that will be in OOTP2006, so I can actually set up the league the way I had envisioned it from the start. We'll see.

Annual Preseason Bay League Meetings
Offices of Benjamin Chin, City of Deepvale, The Outposts

Benjamin Chin, the owner of the Deepvale Ferrymen, was worried.

As the host to the now-annual league meetings, a certain responsibility rested on his narrow shoulders. Hospitality, organization, and the inevitable pissing on the fires that would be starting as soon as Baxter and Hernandez showed up. Or Marsein's Eichhorn and Elliott Springs' Distefano. Or... well, there were rivalries throughout the league. Which might be why they were all coming here. He didn't seem to have enemies yet. Deepvale stood as neutral ground.

He reviewed the day's agenda in his head. The Greens' Patrick Murphy had raised a proposal to extend the schedule from 70 to 96 games. There was a significant level of support among the other owners for the change, and Chin didn't expect a lot of argument. The big issue would be the threat of a rival league headed by Valerma and Haystack. He shook his head. He'd warned John Baxter that leaving both cities out would eventually lead to trouble, but Baxter insisted that Marsein would help the league most in the end. There was word that the town of Pelish on the far west coast was considering throwing their support to the plains cities in this rival league. So Baxter's intent -- spreading the popularity of the league across the entire Outposts -- was working, but it was about to backfire. Chin planned to propose starting a minor league system, affiliating each of the rival league cities with a Bay League team. Murphy was dead set against it and probably had at least two others on his side. The hard line position would kill the Bay League and baseball in the Outposts. Of that, Chin had no doubt, and he'd be damned if he was going to watch Ace Gervin go back to building boats in some icebound North Reach harbor.

There were four other owners that needed convincing. It was time to take advantage of not having any enemies.

[Dark Horse]

[ifspuds]

Welcome back to the Outpost League, faithful readers (and any new readers along for the ride). As I try and find time to convert the Outpost League into OOTP2006, I hope you'll enjoy a series of news articles and Outpost history pieces in place of Opening Day 2016...

Second Baseball League Not Likely Says Haystack Mayor
Outpost News Service

The mayor of the city of Haystack said today that initial plans to form a second baseball league among several smaller municipalities in the Outposts have been shelved for now. "Several members of the group exploring the possibility of a second baseball league have come to the conclusion that such an endeavor is, as of now, infeasible," said Grant in the weekly Haystack city council meeting. "While we still feel strongly that there is great passion for baseball in cities such as Haystack, there are simply more significant and pressing matters to concern ourselves with."

An unnamed source in the mayor's office stated that the leaders of the league effort had been in contact with several officials from the Bay League, including league president John Baxter and Silver Beach mining magnate Michael Hernandez. Rumors have been floated that the Bay League paid key players in the rival league's formation in order to keep progress from continuing. Baxter denies any involvement in today's announcement. "We are not in the business of trying to hold a monopoly on baseball in the Outposts. It is clear that our citizenry greatly enjoys the game, and we hope that more and more cities can become a part of the Bay League in time," said Baxter. "That time, unfortunately, is not now."

Civic leaders in Valerma and Pelish have expressed their disappointment -- and, in some cases -- frustration with the decision. "The Bay League can plead innocent all it likes," said Valerma councilor James Buck, "but look at the facts -- they hold all the cards and most of the money. They can do whatever they like." City leagues will continue as before, and all towns involved in exploring the new league are accepting players. For more information, contact the local sports bureau in your area.

[Dark Horse]

[Dark Horse]

i'm guessing you're waiting on v2006 to be stable.

i hope you continue this.

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

i'm guessing you're waiting on v2006 to be stable.

i hope you continue this.

Hey, a bump! No one's ever bumped a thread of mine.

More that I just haven't had the writing bug lately. Part of it is waiting for v2006 to be stable, part of it was waiting for some parts for my "better" computer since 2K6 runs like molasses in January on my laptop, but most of it is just lack of inspiration to write lately.

I'll definitely be continuing, however. I'm putting together a few storylines to follow through the upcoming several seasons to help me through the slow inspiration times.

[ifspuds]

Chris Tucker grabbed a shop rag from nearby and wiped grease from his hands. He looked down and chuckled to himself. Chances were he was putting more grease on his hands than he was taking off. He'd been digging around inside the old farm truck all morning, and the shop rag was bearing the brunt.

He rubbed his forehead with the back of his arm and leaned back against the workbench. It sounded like a bad country song from back on Earth, but it was true: his wife had left him, his favorite truck had broken down and he'd just lost his job. Well, he admitted to himself, the job had sort of lost him. Chris Tucker, former sometime second baseman for the Silver Beach Minnows, the top city league in Silver Beach, home to the 2015 Bay League champion Whales. He "retired" after last season, at the age of 34, and came back to the village of Fenosse, the ragged collection of houses and struggling farms he called home. Thought he'd get the farm running again, or at least back to the leaning stumble it had before he picked up his well-worn glove and tried to give baseball a shot.

Trouble was, he was going to be doing it alone. Halfway through the 2015 season, on a swing between Silver Beach and Deepvale, when he'd normally come home for a few days straight, he got a letter from Karen, telling him not to bother, because she wouldn't be there. Part of him went through the predictable range of reactions: shock, rage, sadness. But the bigger part of him knew it was coming. He'd never been one to stay in one place very long, and his four-year marriage was about the longest he'd stuck with anything. So while he wasn't too broken up about being on his own, running a farm by himself, especially in the Outposts where machinery worked on its own unpredictable schedule, wasn't going to be easy.

A smile peeked onto his oil-smeared face. He'd have liked to stay on in Silver Beach. It was a great place to spend your summers, the closest thing to a vacation destination the Outposts had, but when it was obvious that his single plate appearance in 2014 wasn't even going to grow into a backup position with the Whales, it was hard to justify sticking around. Restless he might be, but he had his pride too.

"Mr. Tucker?"

The unexpected voice broke his reverie. He turned around to see a young man in khakis and a polo shirt poking his head through the shop door. "C'mon in," he said, tossing the shop rag onto the bench. "I'm guessing you're not here because of the help wanted ad on the local newsfeed."

"No, sir," the visitor replied. He had a measured smile with clean, even teeth and an easy tone of voice. "We've been trying to reach you by videophone for a week with no success--"

"Videophone's busted."

"Which is why I'm here, sir."

"You're here to fix the 'phone?"

Tucker's confusion must have been obvious, because the young man laughed and shook his head. "No, no... I'm here from the Whales, sir. The Silver Beach Whales?"

"What the heck do the Whales want from me? They didn't want me to play when I was under contract, I sure don't think they want me to now," snorted Tucker.

The man shook his head again. "No, sir. Not to play."

"To coach? Jim Latimer finally overdose on antacids?"

"Not to coach either," came the reply. "The club would like to make you the Bay League's first traveling scout, Mr. Tucker."

[Dark Horse]

Nice.

Although, i was really expecting the visitor to be from a team in the new upstart league. But i guess that hasn't happened yet. KUTGW.

[ifspuds]

May 1, 2016

Bay League Standings

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk 
Elliott Springs   5   1  .833    -    W5 
Lorris            5   2  .714  0.5    W2 
Allison           3   2  .600  1.5    L2 
Silver Beach      3   3  .500  2.0    L1 
Marsein           2   3  .400  2.5    W1 
Gentry Hills      2   4  .333  3.0    L1 
Tifton            2   4  .333  3.0    L1 
Deepvale          1   4  .200  3.5    L1

League News
Welcome to the opening of the 2016 season, the third season of the Bay League. With last season's exciting finish, optimism is running high as spring rolls around again and baseball returns to city parks and local stadiums once again. The Tifton Generals and Silver Beach Whales both have new parks to call home, but neither team has played a game at home yet this season, an oddity of the schedule that has officials from Silver Beach lobbing accusations at the league offices. Offices which just happen to be run by John Baxter, the owner of the Tifton Generals. Tension between the two clubs is nothing new, however, and most of it has been ignored by the fans as a whole so far.

The Elliott Springs Tornadoes have jumped out of the gate early, winning five straight after dropping their first game. The big news in Elliott Springs is the brilliant early-season play of enigmatic first baseman Riyad Gomes. Gomes has long been considered one of the biggest potential talents in the game, but he has yet to approach those lofty expectations. In the first month of 2016, however, he's busted out with a .435 average and is slugging .739. His partner in leading the Tornadoes is 29-year old right-hander Matt Willis. Willis had a breakout season in 2015, going 9-4 with a 2.93 ERA before suffering back problems in August that shelved him for the remainder of the season. He's out to prove that last season was no fluke, starting out 2-0 with a sparkling 0.60 ERA. A concern is his usually dependable control, walking 8 batters while striking out 10, a far cry from the 21-77 ratio he posted last year.

The Lorris Greens are just a hair behind, looking to return to their championship form of the inaugural Bay League season. They're led by Frank O'Neil, who has pitched three outstanding ballgames already this season, winning all three with an ERA of just 1.00. The Shepherd, as he's called, has struck out 25 batters and walked 7. There was some concern in the offseason that the 35-year old O'Neil was losing steam, but he looks like a spring chicken so far.

While there were a number of shutouts and 1-run efforts in the first two weeks of the season, the April 24th game between Silver Beach and Gentry Hills stood out among the crowd. The game matched Jimmie Watson for the Whales and Will Brooker for the Scouts. Watson gave up a 2nd inning homer to Tarise Ellis but allowed only 2 other hits and a single walk. But it was Brooker who came away with the 1-0 win, as the 25-year old talent allowed just 2 hits and 2 walks -- and both of those hits were made by the opposing pitcher! Brooker fanned 7 as well, and looks to be cashing in on his promise, something that would help the Scouts' cause tremendously.

The upcoming month features a full slate of games, and should provide the usual amount of drama and excitement. Stay tuned, Bay League fans!

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

The upcoming month features a full slate of games, and should provide the usual amount of drama and excitement. Stay tuned, Bay League fans!

[ifspuds]

I've been having the itch to get back to the Outpost League lately, which required me to move a few files around from my ancient laptop to my newer desktop. I had a little bit of time tonight, so here goes. Somewhere along the way, I lost my earlier files that had the May 1st, 2016 standings posted above. So we'll continue on from the start of the season as if those never happened... hopefully those that used to read my ramblings are still somewhat interested. There'll be more frequent updates than we've had most of this year.

May 1, 2016

Bay League Standings

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk   L10
Deepvale          5   0 1.000    -    W5   5-0
Gentry Hills      5   1  .833  0.5    W3   5-1
Elliott Springs   3   3  .500  2.5    L1   3-3
Tifton            3   3  .500  2.5    L1   3-3
Allison           2   3  .400  3.0    W1   2-3
Marsein           2   3  .400  3.0    W1   2-3
Silver Beach      2   4  .333  3.5    W1   2-4
Lorris            1   6  .143  5.0    L4   1-6

League News

Welcome to the opening of the 2016 season, the third season of the Bay League. With last season's exciting finish, optimism is running high as spring rolls around again and baseball returns to city parks and local stadiums once again. The Tifton Generals and Silver Beach Whales both have new parks to call home, but neither team has played a game at home yet this season, an oddity of the schedule that has officials from Silver Beach lobbing accusations at the league offices. Offices which just happen to be run by John Baxter, the owner of the Tifton Generals. Tension between the two clubs is nothing new, however, and most of it has been ignored by the fans as a whole so far.

The Deepvale Ferrymen are the big news thus far, storming out to a perfect record over the first few games of the season. Remember, Bay League fans, it's only a 70-game season, so five games can mean quite a bit. Especially when you've got the likes of Ace Gervin pounding the little white ball all around the Bay League. Gervin is off to his usual start, hitting .435 with 3 homers, but the early story is the blazing start of his teammate Mario Goodwin. The 26-year old left fielder has always been something of an enigma to Deepvale fans, flashing moments of brilliance at the plate, but usually failing to deliver with consistency. Goodwin's put it all out there so far, hitting an unbelievable .647. The pessimists will point out that indeed, it is just five games...

As usual in the Bay League, the pitchers aren't exactly taking to the cool spring weather like the hitters are, but some of the Gentry Hills Scouts' early success can be placed directly on the shoulders of youngster Will Brooker, who held Elliott Springs to 1 earned run on 6 hits in a 9-inning gem for his first start, then did that one better against defending champs Silver Beach in his second outing: a 4-hit, no walk, 10 strikeout shutout. Brooker came in to the season with high expectations after posting a 3.00 ERA in 27 innings of intermittent work in 2015, but 18 strikeouts against zero walks defies even the starriest-eyed of optimists.

April is always a tease in the Bay League, when the season starts in mid-month and takes two weeks to get just a handful of games in. The month of May is when the action picks up, and the early season promise can either live on or shatter for hopeful fans. We'll see which it is for the eight Bay League squads as the 2016 season continues.

League Leaders

Batting Average                Stolen Bases
M. Goodwin (DPV)      .647     M. Smiley (TIF)          5
M. Smiley (TIF)       .500     T. Smith (LOR)           5
R. Isenhour (MAR)     .450     E. Ashman (GEN)          3
                               J. Parker (GEN)          3
                               
OPS                            ERA
M. Goodwin (DPV)     1.714     W. Brooker (GEN)      0.50
R. Harrington (GEN)  1.471     C. Bonner (TIF)       2.08
A. Strong (ALL)      1.397     E. Hope (ESP)         2.19
 
Home Runs                      Wins
R. Harrington (GEN)      4     B. Earl (GEN)            3
H. Gervin (DPV)          3     4 Tied with              2
R. Gomes (ESP)           3     
                               
RBI                            Strikeouts
H. Gervin (DPV)         12     B. Earl (GEN)           30
M. Goodwin (DPV)        10     K. Richardson (ALL)     27
R. Harrington (GEN)      9     F. O'Neil (LOR)         27
                               
Runs Scored                   
B. Brown (DPV)           9	
S. Blackwell (DPV)       7
R. Gomes (ESP)           6
R. Harrington (GEN)      6

[Dark Horse]

[ifspuds]

June 1, 2016

Bay League Standings

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk   L10
Gentry Hills     11   7  .611    -    L2   5-5
Deepvale         10   7  .588  0.5    W3   4-6
Allison          10   8  .556  1.0    W1   6-4
Tifton            9   9  .500  2.0    L1   5-5
Elliott Springs   8   9  .471  2.5    L1   5-5
Marsein           8   9  .471  2.5    L2   5-5
Silver Beach      8  10  .444  3.0    W2   5-5
Lorris            6  11  .353  4.5    W1   5-5

League News

Parity returns to the Bay League after the fast starts from the Deepvale Ferrymen and Gentry Hills Scouts and the glacial pace of the one-time champion Lorris Greens. Speaking of one-time champions, it would seem that a Bay League championship does not correlate very strongly to future success. The two teams that have won titles in the short history of the Bay League, the Silver Beach Whales and the aforementioned Greens, are currently occupying the cellar of the 8-team circuit.

But enough about former champions, let's take a look at your current league leaders, the Gentry Hills Scouts. Here's what the Bay League experts around the Outposts had to say about the Scouts before the season started:

The Scouts have some issues to deal with. Their best hitting prospect, (Brandon) Dixon, only plays first base, but not all that well, and he lacks power. Their top home run hitter, (Tarise) Ellis, also plays left and right field with a little bit of skill, but he's a brilliant defensive first baseman, the two-time Top Leather winner at the position. You might think they should trade one of them, but Ellis is the team captain and a terrific influence on the team and Dixon has a world of talent. They could send Dixon down to AAA, but he has absolutely nothing left to prove there, despite being just 19 years old. It's a story that bears watching in 2016.

How have they dealt with the issues surrounding first base? Not particularly gracefully. Dixon has been solely a backup: he has 16 AB in 13 games played, and is hitting just .250. But Ellis has been a black hole in the middle of the offense, hitting 3 homers but batting a meager .200. Where is all the offense coming from? Roland "Gunslinger" Harrington, the 35-year old third baseman, is following up a robust .285/.356/.473 season in 2015 with a nearly Gervin-like 2016: .424/.494/.833. His 8 homers tie him with the Deepvale first baseman for the league lead, and after just 18 games, Harrington is on pace to shatter his career mark of 12. Another surprise is right fielder Sherman Cornell, who didn't exactly inspire confidence in Bay League observers at the start of the season, but is hitting .350 in 60 early at-bats.

If the Scouts are going to be contenders, it will be primarily on the arms they've collected for their pitching staff.

Broderick Earl, the Scouts' ace who led the Bay League in wins with 17 last season, was as sure a thing as you can get in this league. The question mark was Will Brooker, the raw talent who pitched in 5 games in 2015 but flashed strong potential. Earl, for the most part, has delivered: a pair of uncharacteristically poor outings has "inflated" his ERA to 3.20, but he's tied for the league lead with 5 wins and outpaces all Bay League hurlers with 78 strikeouts. Brooker, though, has been nothing short of a revelation. The 25-year old is 4-1 in 7 starts with a 2.44 ERA (2nd in the league), striking out more than a batter an inning and walking just 11 in those 59 innings tossed. With Earl and Brooker getting 16 of the 18 starts between them, it hardly matters that 3rd starter Allen Storey's ERA is somewhere north of 8.

Can these Scouts keep it up? Harrington is talented, and Tarise Ellis is bound to get a little better, but Cornell can't possibly keep up this pace unless he's stolen whatever lightning in a bottle Silver Beach's Josh Sowder had last year on his way to a near-.400 average. The pitching is for real, so the question becomes whether they can keep hitting the ball enough to support those two golden arms.

League Leaders

Batting Average                Stolen Bases
H. Gervin (DPV)       .433     M. Smiley (TIF)          8
M. Smiley (TIF)       .418     T. Smith (LOR)           8
R. Harrington (GEN)   .418     J. Parker (GEN)          6
                               J. Cooper (ALL)          6
                               
OPS                            ERA
H. Gervin (DPV)      1.351     M. Hawkins (TIF)      2.10
R. Harrington (GEN)  1.308     W. Brooker (GEN)      2.44
M. Goodwin (DPV)     1.146     E. Hope (ESP)         3.03
 
Home Runs                      Wins
H. Gervin (DPV)          8     J. Grant (DPV)           5
R. Harrington (GEN)      8     C. Bonner (TIF)          5
R. Gomes (ESP)           7     B. Earl (GEN)            5
                               
RBI                            Strikeouts
H. Gervin (DPV)         23     B. Earl (GEN)           78
R. Harrington (GEN)     21     K. Richardson (ALL)     69
M. Goodwin (DPV)        20     E. Hope (ESP)           66
                               
Runs Scored                   
E. Daniels (TIF)        18	
H. Gervin (DPV)         16
R. Gomes (ESP)          16

[Big Six]

Allison needs to make their move pretty quickly here! The Outpost League season is short, so it's not easy to come back from a mediocre start.

[ifspuds]

I think this season is doomed to failure. Something odd happened, and I lost my players.dat file after the May sim. Luckily for me, I back up the league before I start a new sim, so at least I only have to go back to May 1st rather than start the 2016 season for a third time. So in any case, Big Six, yes, the Spelunkers have to make a move quickly. Unfortunately, in the resim, they sunk even farther behind. The pitching has been dismal: even Kyle Richardson is struggling, with a 4.68 ERA. Hard to blame the guy: he's pitching with a strained tricep.

In any case, on to the new June 1st standings...

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk   L10
Deepvale         12   5  .706    -    W1   5-5
Elliott Springs  10   7  .588  2.0    W3   6-4
Gentry Hills     10   8  .556  2.5    L4   5-5
Silver Beach      9   9  .500  3.5    W4   6-4
Marsein           8   9  .471  4.0    L1   5-5
Allison           8  10  .444  4.5    L1   6-4
Tifton            8  10  .444  4.5    W1   4-6
Lorris            5  12  .294  7.0    L2   4-6

League News

Sometimes, to make history, all you have to do is be in the right place at the right time. There are a number of players you might expect to be the first Bay Leaguer to hit for the cycle, those with that rare blend of power and speed, players like Lorris's Tega Smith or Cliff Rock. But Jeremy Johnson? Even the most dedicated of Bay League fanatics would have a hard time even telling you that the 29-year old second baseman plays for the Marsein Knights. Coming into the 2016 season, Johnson had just 4 hits in 37 at-bats, and only one extra-base hit, a homer last season. But on May 3rd, the fates aligned for Johnson. After Marsein third baseman T.J. Ridnour got tossed in the 1st inning for arguing balls and strikes, Johnson took over at the hot corner. And we do mean hot: Johnson went on to collect 5 hits in 5 at-bats in a 19-2 pasting of the Tifton Generals, getting the triple to lead off the 8th inning. He'd bat again in that inning, a 9-run outburst for the Knights, roping his 2nd double of the game, a 2-run laser into the left-center gap. "Was I really the first guy?" Johnson said after the game. "I can't believe it. I mean, that's as many hits as I have in my entire career. I'm a lucky, lucky guy."

In other league news, the Deepvale Ferrymen stretched their undefeated start to 9-0 before the Marsein Knights dropped a 6-0 shutout on them. All-world first baseman Ace Gervin is of course pacing the offense, but the encouraging sign for Deepvale fans is the lights-out pitching of Jason Grant and Bo Dissinger, 4th and 7th respectively in ERA. Grant has to be one of the early favorites for Top Pitcher, tied for the league lead in wins with 5 against just a single loss. He'll have to fight off Gentry Hills's Broderick Earl, though. Earl continues to mow down Bay League hitters, allowing just a .199 opponents' average.

Is this finally the season that Riyad Gomes breaks out? The second place Elliott Springs Tornadoes certainly hope so. Though his average is down from past seasons, Gomes is putting baseballs over the fence at a career-high rate in 2016, leading the league with 8 longballs through the end of May. Consider that Gomes has a career-high of 11 homers and you see the progress he's made. Long considered to have Top Batter-quality talent, Gomes has been a relative disappointment to Tornadoes fans, who thought they had the equivalent of Ace Gervin anchoring their lineup.

Marsein's Mario DeGray is the only thing separating Gervin and Gomes on the OPS leaderboard. The electrifying right fielder is riding a 13-game hitting streak, and is over halfway to Gervin's 23-game record. As usual, the sweet-swinging lefty is doing it in all aspects of the game, hitting for power (5 homers, over halfway to last season's 9), hitting for average (.394 puts him second in the league) and proving impossible to fool at the plate (7 walks against 3 strikeouts in 66 at-bats). The pieces are all there for the Knights to challenge for the Bay League title again, with the top-ranked pitching staff in the league and a quality offense.

League Leaders

Batting Average                Stolen Bases
H. Gervin (DPV)       .431     M. Smiley (TIF)          6
M. DeGray (MAR)       .394     T. Smith (LOR)           6
E. Daniels (TIF)      .375     E. Ashman (GEN)          5
                               M. Richardson (ESP)      5
                               
OPS                            ERA
H. Gervin (DPV)      1.276     W. Brooker (GEN)      1.50
M. DeGray (MAR)      1.156     C. Bonner (TIF)       2.55
R. Gomes (ESP)       1.081     D. Phillips (LOR)     2.63
 
Home Runs                      Wins
R. Gomes (ESP)           8     J. Grant (DPV)           5
R. Harrington (GEN)      6     B. Earl (GEN)            5
M. DeGray (MAR)          5     5 Tied with              4
H. Gervin (DPV)          5
                               
RBI                            Strikeouts
R. Gomes (ESP)          17     D. Odle (SIL)           76
H. Gervin (DPV)         16     B. Earl (GEN)           70
R. Harrington (GEN)     16     E. Hope (ESP)           63
                               
Runs Scored                   
H. Gervin (DPV)         14	
4 Tied with             13