BOTA Reboot 1.0

[Dr. K]

My previous thread has some serious problems in the game file specifically regarding the draft. There were too many issues to continue, so I will unfortunately have to restart. This time I have added a couple of significant changes including a single combined draft between the three leagues and a custom schedule that only took me several hours to create. Each team will have two 3-game series each week, and every team has Tuesday off (full disclosure I was wanting it to be Monday, but after the amount of time I spent trying to get the custom schedule to work, Tuesday's is fine).

BOTA is comprised of 3 separate promotion/relegation leagues with 10 teams each. The 2 top/bottom teams will be promoted/relegated. Instead of simming through 50 years, I have decided to start from the scratch. My goal for this thread is to work on my writing and to enjoy taking my time through an OOTP save.

So I introduce to you, the Leon Bravos.

[Dr. K]

I've decided to try a different format, covering weekly recaps instead of the game by game.

Week 1 snapshot
Record last week: 3-3 (Overall: 3-3)
Run Differential: +5 (Overall: +5)
Standings: 4th, 1GB

Game Recaps
Game 1: LOS 4 - LEO 13, Henry crushes the stars
Game 2: LOS 13 - LEO 6, Rough outing for the pitching staff
Game 3: LOS 6 - LEO 11, Henry dominates again
Game 4: LEO 2 - PHI 3, Bravos couldn’t overcome a 3 run 1st
Game 5: LEO 1 - PHI 4, Leon bats quiet in lowest scoring affair this year
Game 6: LEO 7 - PHI 5, Bats alive again with 3 homers

News and Notes

Berry Henry, the Bravos Right Fielder was selected as the PBOTA Player of the Week. This marks the first award earned by a Leon player, and he deserves it for the hot start this year. Over the first week he racked up 10 hits on 18 at-bats, hit 2 home runs and 5 RBI.

The Bravos held their breath during game 2 when CF Julio Martinez pulled up in pain after sliding into second base. He came out of the game, but after further evaluation it was determined to be nothing more than a sore back. He didn’t miss any playing time.

Highlights

In addition to Henry’s hot start, the Bravos have benefitted from several players starting the season out crushing the ball. The team has 6 players who have a wRC+ of at least 163, including two over 200 (Henry and Martinez). Obviously, this is such a small sample that it is hard to put stock in it, but we will still enjoy it for now.

Lowlights

As I suspected, pitching will be the challenge for this team. The starting rotation has had a really rough start with a collective 6.15 ERA placing them at 8th in PBOTA. The bullpen hasn’t done much better with a 4.15 ERA and sitting at 5th.

The Bravos starting catcher, Joaquin Garcia has had a rough first week at the plate, which to some extent is to be expected, but he went 2 for 14 with 2 singles.

Looking Ahead

The Bravos continue their road trip visiting Tijuana and Chicago. They will face the twister’s ace in game 9, Edgar Zapien, which will prove to be a difficult matchup.

Game 8: At Tijuana Twisters (Shirley)
Game 9: At Tijuana Twisters (Barrett)
Game 10: At Tijuana Twisters (Brutus)
Game 11: At Chicago Blaze (Cruz)
Game 12: At Chicago Blaze (Melgoza)
Game 13: At Chicago Blaze (Shirley)

[Dr. K]

Week 2 snapshot
Record last week: 4-2 (Overall: 7-5)
Run Differential: +10 (Overall: +15)
Standings: 5th, 1GB

Game Recaps
Game 7: LEO 1 - TIJ 7 Quiet offense, rough bullpen
Game 8: LEO 10 - TIJ 4 Leclerc leads the way with 2 bombs
Game 9: LEO 9 - TIJ 7 (12) The Bravos steal a win in first extra innings game
Game 10: LEO 7 - CHI 7 Three Bravos dingers bring a win
Game 11: LEO 3 - CHI 1 Offense doesn’t stand up to pitching, close loss
Game 12: LEO 10 - CHI 1 Shirley dominates, offense crushes

News and Notes
Jaylen Brutus suffered an injury in game 9, and was later diagnosed with a sore shoulder. The team doctors have suggested that he sits out, so he has been sent to the 15-day IL, with hopes of returning in a few weeks. It was a bad day for the Leon arms as bullpen ace Chris Teague is dealing with a sore forearm. Out of an abundance of caution, he has also been sent to the IL.

In corresponding moves, the Leon Bravos promoted Damian Arreola and Kyle Cihak who will be joining the bullpen. This is Cihak’s first time in the majors.

For the second week in a row, a Leon Bravos player has snagged the player of the week honors. This week it is left fielder Nabil Leclerc who went 9 for 20 with 4 homeruns and 9 RBI.

Highlights

Leclerc has been a highlight leading the Bravos offense with 6 homers, contributing to the teams 25 which leads the league. 9 out of 13 players have at least 1 homer, which makes sense with the amount of power that is on the roster.

The Bravos’ ace, [b[Rogelio Shirley[/b] has gotten better and better at every start and delivered his first gem of an outing in game 12. He delivered a 7 3 1 1 0 6 performance, his first quality start of the year.

Lowlights

While the pitching has improved in week 2, the injuries to Brutus and Teague are certainly concerning. The organizational depth will be tested right away.

Looking Ahead


Game 14: vs. Puebla Pantera (Barrett)
Game 15: vs. Puebla Pantera (Garcia, first start)
Game 16: vs. Puebla Pantera (Cruz)
Game 17: vs. Toronto Express (Melgoza)
Game 18: vs. Toronto Express (Shirley)
Game 19: vs. Toronto Express (Barrett)

[Dr. K]

Week 3 snapshot
Record last week: 1-5 (Overall: 8-10 )
Run Differential: -19 (Overall: -4)
Standings: 7th, 3GB

Game Recaps
Game 14:PAN 11 - LEO 5 Barrett blown up, team can’t recover
Game 15:PAN 7 - LEO 4 Garcia has rough outing
Game 16:PAN 9 - LEO 11 Pitching struggles but offense overcomes
Game 17:TOR 12 - LEO 5 Pitching is hurting
Game 18:TOR 11 - LEO 7 Henry’s 6 RBI not enough
Game 19:TOR 14 - LEO 13 (10) Leon drops in extras

News and Notes

This is the sort of slide that I thought would be happening at some point soon. The team has aa powerhouse offense, but their pitching is just abysmal. Even looking at the games that they win, it’s often times because of a double digit game from the offense. Looking at the preseason predictions (yikes) we’re projected to finish at the bottom of the league by a pretty wide margin with a 40-68 record, resulting in relegation to BOTA the 2nd league. I will definitely begin to look into some trades to bring in some pitching, but at the same time it’s not worth it to mortgage the future just to stay in the premiere league.

The Leon Braves claimed Porter Kempton from the San Antonio Condors, a SuBOTA team. They hope that he can help patch up the bullpen struggles, although with how poor the rotation is he may see some time as a starter.

In a corresponding move, Kyle Cihak optioned down to AAA. He had 2 rough days giving himself an ERA of 12.6.

Another player got a player of the week award, starting to wonder if it’s just the Bravo of the week. Jamar Seals hit .400 with 7 RBI, 1 homerun and 9 runs.

Highlights

A couple of Bullpen arms had a week with no earned runs including de Leon, Fleming and Fogg. The offense continues to be strong with 6 thoroughly above average batters.

Lowlights

Oof, where to start. A really rough week, it’s never fun to go 1-5, but what is more discouraging is that I don’t see it getting any better with these players. I may try to get some more quality arms, but I don’t think it’ll be cheap, and thus not worth it. We’ll keep trucking along and hope that the offense can carry us.

Looking Ahead

Bravos are heading on a Canadian road trip next week

Game 20: at Calgary Huileurs
Game 21: at Calgary Huileurs
Game 22: at Calgary Huileurs
Game 23: at Montreal Fire
Game 24: at Montreal Fire
Game 25: at Montreal Fire

[Dr. K]

Week 4 snapshot
Record last week:2-4 (Overall:10-14 )
Run Differential:-11 (Overall: -30)
Standings: 8, 6GB

Game Recaps
Game 19: Win 3-2 at Calgary, Mike Bell’s 9th inning heroics brings a win
Game 20: Loss 3-20 at Calgary, Cruz struggled to start and it got worse
Game 21: Loss 5-6 at Calgary, Lee and Fogg blow an early lead
Game 22: Loss 3-13 at Montreal, Pitching continues to implode
Game 23: Loss 4-6 at Montreal, Teague blows the game
Game 24: Win 5-2 at Montreal, Bullpen learns how to throw

News and Notes

The Leon Bravos claim Bobby Valenti from the Los Angeles Stars, he appeared in one game pitching 3.1 innings and giving up 3 Earned runs. I’m hoping that he will be able to give us some quality innings this season.

The Brooklyn Bats have begun to inquire about right fielder Mike Bell offering a quality catcher and an intriguing 18 year old prospect 2B. While this trade wasn’t enough for me to want to move Bell, I’m predicting it’ll happen this season. Bell is the only player signed to a long term contract with a 6 year, $14 mil per year. The potential issue is that he has an opt out close if we get relegated, which at this point looks likely. Might be worth moving him at some point, especially with a very capable Josh Schmidt in the wings.

Chris Teague came off of the IL and proceeded to get blown up in his first game back, luckily for his ERA it was all inherited runners so he’s still sitting at 1.80.

Highlights

After a month of games, there are a number of Bravos on the Batting Leaderboard:

Henry & Leclerc tied for 2nd in homers (8)
Seals is 2nd in batting average (.408)
Leclerc leads the league in RBI (28)
Henry leads in Slugging percentage (.747)

Lowlights

Pitching.

Looking Ahead

3 game series vs. Cancun Matadors (12-12, 6th)
3 game series at Tijuana Twisters (10-14, 9th)

[Dr. K]

Week 5 snapshot
Record last week:2-4 (Overall:12-18 )
Run Differential:-14 (Overall:-44)
Standings: 9th, 8GB

Game Recaps
Game 24: Loss 1-11 vs. Cancun, pitching gets shelled
Game 25: Loss 0-6 vs. Cancun, Melgoza gives up 6, offense only produces 2 hits
Game 26: Win 6-2 vs. Cancun, Bravos take advantage of a good Shirley start
Game 27: Loss 4-5 at Tijuana, close game dropped by Lee
Game 28: Loss 5-7 at Tijuana, Garcia’s 5 ER too much to overcome
Game 29: Win 5-4 at Tijuana, Cruz and Bell heroes in close win

News and Notes

There have been more trade rumors about teams inquiring about Mike Bell, including the New York Bucks. The Bravos would benefit greatly from gaining some prospects, especially some pitching.

After this week’s games, the Bravos optioned Miguel Cruz to AAA. He started 6 games, pitched 24 innings and posted a 9.85 ERA. The team is hoping he can work out a few mechanical issues in the minors. In a corresponding move the team selected the contract of Mike Bixler, the 26 year old southpaw who will be making his major league debut this week.

Highlights

Shirley and Garcia’s ERA has dropped into the 6s, which is an improvement. It’s kind of sad that two starters in the 6s is a highlight, but that’s just the state of the pitching right now.

The offense continues to dominate with 6 players posting a wRC+ over 100, lead by Berry Henry with a 156.

Lowlights

Starters ERA is sitting at 7.49, good enough for last place in BOTA. Looking at the AAA roster, I think it’ll be time to start giving some of those arms a chance in the bigs.

Looking Ahead

3 game series at Los Angeles Stars (11-19, 10th)
3 game series vs Chicago (16-14, 4th)

[Dr. K]

Week 6 snapshot
Record last week:3-3 (Overall:15-21)
Run Differential: +0 (Overall: -44)
Standings: 8th, 10GB

Game Recaps
Game 30: Loss 0-1 at Los Angeles, Bixler strong in pitchers duel but offense couldn’t score
Game 31: Win 8-7 at Los Angeles, Bullpen tried to blow it with 6 runs in the last two frames
Game 32: Loss 6-7 at Los Angeles, Bullpen succeeds at blowing it
Game 33: Loss 2-3 vs. Chicago, 9th inning rally not enough
Game 34: Win 5-4 vs. Chicago, Brutus injury but bullpen holds on
Game 35: Win 5-4 vs. Chicago, walk off come from behind win, Leclerc is the hero

News and Notes

Busy week for the Bravos, with lots of stuff happening including Jaylen Brutus coming off a quick injured list stint for some sore shoulders. The rotation needs stability badly so I chose to put him back in the minors in lieu of a rehab assignment, which was huge mistake. In his first game back after a month off, he ruptured a tendon on his finger and he will be out for 3 months, which is effectively the rest of the season.

I fired my scout after seeing that he highly favors ability and hired Barry Rawlings who has comparable ratings but highly favors tools. I am also hoping that he is somehow tied in with the company that makes baseballs to help give us an edge, but you can’t ask something like that in an interview. Or so my lawyer has told me.

My 37 year old backup catcher has decided to complain about not getting enough playing time… He really proved me wrong in game 35...

Highlights

Game 35’s win was pretty spectacular with the Bravos entering the bottom of the 9th losing 2-4. The team fought back with the following sequence:
Marin: Hit by pitch
Schmid: Single
Jones: Ground out (advanced runners)
Painter: Strikes out (nice)
Seals: Single (2 RBI, tie game)
Leclerc: Walk off double

Lowlights

Losing Brutus really hurts as he was somewhat competent, which if better than most of our arms.

Looking Ahead

Starting to do some scouting for the draft, which is very exciting. There are some quality players coming up.

3 vs. Puebla (14-22, 10th)
3 vs. Toronto (25-11, 1st)

[Dr. K]

Week 7 snapshot
Record last week:5-1! (Overall: 20-22)
Run Differential: +17(Overall: -27)
Standings: 7th, 6GB

Game Recaps
Game 36: Win 4-3 (11) vs. Puebla, Mike Bell walk off homer in the 11th
Game 37: Win 8-5 vs. Puebla, The Bravos put up 8 in the 3rd inning
Game 38: Win 13-6 vs. Puebla, 13 runs on 3 homers
Game 39: Win 15-10 vs. Toronto, offense overcomes poor pitching
Game 40: Win 11-5 vs. Toronto, Bell hits two dingers
Game 41: Loss 9-14 (13) vs. Toronto, The Express bullpen outlasts the Bravos

News and Notes

Wow, what a crazy week for the Bravos! I had hoped that they would be able to sweep the Puebla Pantera, as they are currently sitting at the bottom of the league. Following the sweep I had hoped to get one of three from the first place Toronto Express, but getting two out of three was even better! The summary of this week is simple: the pitching was still awful, but our explosive offense overcame it, including 3 games in the double digits.

Mike Bell came away with another player of the week including 4 homers, 12 RBI and 9 runs scored.

Our backup center fielder, Gene Jones is upset about his playing time, which is totally understandable. He is a quality player who is not getting much playing time. This week I will begin to explore some trades to see if I can move some of my batter depth for some decent pitching.

Highlights

Mike Bell’s walk off homer in game 36 was awesome, and gave the team the momentum to continue on a win streak, ending at 7 which is the longest in the teams short history.

Lowlights

Chris Teague has another nagging injury again, which is his third so far this season. He is a terrifyingly good reliever, but I am worried this will become a trend.

Looking Ahead

3 games at Philadelphia Buzz (21-21, 5th)
3 games at Cancun Matadors (25-17, 2nd)

[Dr. K]

Week 8 snapshot
Record last week:2-4 (Overall:22-26)
Run Differential:-17 (Overall: -44)
Standings: 8th, 7GB

Game Recaps
Game 42: Loss 4-22 at Philadelphia Buzz, Pitching gives up most in team history
Game 43: Win 7-2 at Philadelphia, Edington rakes
Game 44: Loss 9-10(10) at Philadelphia, Teague with rare blown save
Game 45: Loss 3-11 at Cancun, same as usual pitching struggles
Game 46: Loss 4-5 at Cancun, good game all around, just not quite enough
Game 47: Win 7-1 at Cancun, Barrett pitches gem as offense delivers

News and Notes

Pretty quiet week in terms of news and notes, but it has been the same story as this season. What am I going to do about the pitching? At this point, the lineup is fantastic and has depth, but on the bench and in AAA. Pitching on the other hand is rough, so I’m trying to decide if I should give up some depth, perhaps get rid of some over performing vets and replace them with the young up and comers? At this point in the save I sort of want to use the hand I’ve been dealt, rather than totally blowing it up. We’ll see how long that lasts...

Highlights

Keith Barrett pitched his best game of the season thus far with a stat line 6 5 1 1 0 8, and got his third win.

Lowlights

Giving up 22 to Philadelphia was downright embarrassing, despite the fact that they are a solid offensive team.

Looking Ahead

Draft is coming up in a couple of weeks

Canadian roadtrip
3 game series versus Calgary Huileurs
3 game series versus Montreal Fire

[Dr. K]

Week 9 snapshot
Record last week:3-3 (Overall:25-29)
Run Differential:-4 (Overall: -48)
Standings: 8th, 7GB

Game Recaps
Game 48: Loss 5-7 at Calgary, late rally not enough
Game 49: Win 8-7(12) at Calgary, walk-off from Jamar Seals
Game 50: Loss 3-7 at Calgary, Fell behind early had no chance
Game 51: Win 6-4 at Montreal, win with late surge
Game 52: Win 4-3 at Montreal, Barrett with another gem
Game 53: Loss 5-7, Garcia gets shelled in another loss

News and Notes

Jamar Seals hit streak comes to an end at 20, which I believe is most in team history.

I have received a few trade offers for quality starters who are throwing around 3.50 ERA but they are looking for 2 of my top prospects, definitely not worth it at this point.

Ryan Edington wins rookie of the month honors while hitting 366, with 5 homers and 20 RBIs

Chris Teague is out for 4-5 weeks with Shoulder Tendonitis. I would be utterly shocked if he isn’t labeled at least fragile after this season. He has had 4 day-to-day injuries and now this longer term injury.

Highlights

Jamar Seals’ walk off single in the bottom of the 12 in game 49 was pretty awesome to see.

Lowlights

The same old, same old. Our offense continues to perform posting top half of the league numbers while pitching is sitting at the bottom of the league. I would bet that our pitching staff is doing poorer than a good chunk of the rest of the lower leagues as well.

Looking Ahead

The next 6 games are versus the teams directly ahead of us in the standings, giving us a chance to make up some ground.

3 game series vs. Tijuana (5th, 26-28)
3 game series vs. Los Angeles (6th (26-28)

[Dr. K]

Week 10 snapshot
Record last week:3-3 (Overall:28-32 )
Run Differential:+0 (Overall:-48 )
Standings: 8th, 8GB

Game Recaps
Game 54: Win 7-3 vs. Tijuana
Game 55: Win 4-0 vs. Tijuana, Shirley delivers complete game gem
Game 56: Loss 4-7 vs. Tijuana
Game 57: Loss 2-11 vs. Los Angeles, Glidden gets dominated in major league debut
Game 58: Win 11-5 vs. Los Angeles, Bell dominates in win
Game 59: Loss 6-8 vs. Los Angeles, Bravos unable to overcome Bixler’s poor start

News and Notes

The Leon Bravos demoted Kyle Cihak to AAA and in a corresponding move promoted Ronnie Glidden who will make his major league debut

Jimmy Giroux has had a couple of incredible games including a 3 home run game which included going 5 for 6. He is absolutely dominating in AA with a 171 wRC+ and 2.5 WAR in only 43 games. Looking to promote him to AAA here soon, and probably have him play right field. His range is at a 65, which is a little lower than I would like for a true center fielder. With that being said, he could be a fantastic corner outfielder and backup center fielder.

Highlights

Rogelio Shirley delivered an incredible game against Tijuana. He ended with a stat line of 9 4 0 0 1 6 on 105 pitches.

In game 58 against los Angeles Mike Bell went 3 for 3, with 3 doubles, 1 walk, and 6 RBI.

Lowlights

Ronnie Glidden had a horrendous major league debut and was sent to the bullpen.

Looking Ahead

3 game series vs. Calgary
3 game series at Montreal

[Dr. K]

2020 Amateur draft

The draft order for this draft has been randomized to ensure fairness across the leagues. In future drafts the teams with the lowest record will go earlier, regardless of league.

1OA Calgary selects SP Brandon Jamison who by all accounts looks to be a stud pitcher coming out of college. He has a 4 pitch mix with the potential for a nasty curveball.

2OA Pittsburgh selects CF James Grover the promising center fielder from LSU. I’m bummed to see Grover go here at number two, I’ve had my eye on him all year. He will be an incredible defensive center fielder with plus plus speed and (if he develops) a competent to above average bat.

3OA Ecatepec selects SS Kyle Bosserman the college junior out of UT Arlington. He appears to be a promising shortstop of the future, although OSA is much higher on him than my scout.

5OA Leon selects SP Mike Bossinger out of JuCO. Bossinger was the safe pick of the draft, bringing in a starting pitcher who has some upside but more importantly, a high floor.


Remaining Bravos draft:

2nd Round Bravos select SP Eddie Blackburn out of high school. To accompany the Bossinger pick, here is a lottery ticket pick with the 18 year old pitcher from New York. If he develops he could become a devastating control pitcher with a plus plus circle change.

3rd Round Bravos select CF Josh Mickley out of high school. The 19 year old will likely end up being a corner outfielder, but he has impressive arm strength and potentially above average power.

4th Round Bravos select CF Bill Brooks out of high school. I was debating between Mickley and Brooks for my 3rd round pick, excited to snatch him up here.

5th Round Bravos select SS Bobby Averill out of the University of San Diego. Averill is an excellent defensive shortstop, I’m just hoping that his bat develops to be close to average.

6th Round Bravos select SP Chris Carroll out of East LA College. He has a 5 pitch mix, but would need some serious development to make the majors.

7th Round Bravos select C Mike Redmond out of Canada. The 17 year old has some decent potential, but at this point will likely be a minor league player.

8th Round Bravos select CF Raul Osario as a high schooler

I feel pretty good about the first 5 or 6 rounds of the draft bringing in a few great SP and some high upside CF and SS.

[Dr. K]

Week 11 snapshot
Record last week:2-4 (Overall: 30-36)
Run Differential: -11(Overall: -55)
Standings: 8th, 10GB, 4 above relegation

News and Notes

The Leon Bravos trade C David Taube to the Brooklyn Bats in exchange for SP Jon Blackburn. Taube is the 53rd prospect in PBOTA, but frankly he isn’t a player that I value. He is overachieving on offense, but he is a horrendous catcher. He doesn’t have another solid position, so he would be a below average DH. Blackburn will give us some stability in our rotation.

In a corresponding move Ronnie Glidden is demoted to AAA, Domingo Garcia is sent to the Bullpen, and Blackburn enters the rotation.

Jimmy Giroux gets a well deserved promotion to AAA, he will start at RF.

Bobby Valenti was diagnosed with bicep tendinitis and will be out for 6 days, so I moved him to the 15 day IL to be cautious. Kyle Cihak was recalled, we’ll see if he can turn it around in the majors.

Highlights

Despite the loss, Jon Blackburn had a fantastic debut in a Leon uniform. He posted a statline of 6 5 1 1 3 5. I am hopeful that he can be a solid part of the rotation for this year and eventually a back end of the rotation piece as the team continues to improve.

Lowlights

It’s a bummer to lose a couple of close games this week, 2 by 1 run, but at least we have stayed above the relegation line.

Looking Ahead

3 games vs. Philadelphia Buzz (32-34, 6th)
3 games at Toronto Express (37-29, 3rd)

[Dr. K]

Week 12-13 snapshot
Record last week:3-9 (Overall: 33-45)
Run Differential: -29(Overall: -84)
Standings: 8th, 16GB, Tied for relegation

News and Notes

Blockbuster trade with the Guadalajara Ardillas of BOTA

Several thoughts behind this trade. Mike Bell has been underperforming this year and he is by far the highest on the payroll and he is under contract for the next 6 years at $14 mil a year. The outfield has also been crowded for talent. Also it’s important to note that Bell has an opt out if we get relegated, which is a definite possibility. Keith Barrett has great ratings but has been a disappointment this year with a 6.74 ERA. Jose Melgoza started in the majors but has fallen all the way to AA, time to cut loose.

Leon sends
RF Mike Bell
SP Keith Barrett
SP Jose Melgoza

Guadalajara sends
SP Christian Bresciani
CF Josh Fields
RP Eric Henninger
RP Dan Contreras

Christian Bresciani provides another young starter in the rotation at 26 years old. He has fantastic ratings and great stats. Josh Fields was a top 100 prospect in BOTA, but he is lower in PBOTA. He is really just a flier at this point. Henninger is a fantastic reliever with great stats and ratings. Contreras is a bit more of a risk with okay ratings but great statistics.

Should hopefully be a worthwhile trade, dumping some salary and dead weight and picking up some good talent.

Looking Ahead
3 games at Puebla Pantera (31-47, 10th)
3 games vs. Tijuana (39-39, 5th)

[Dr. K]

Week 14 snapshot
Record last week: 3-3(Overall: 36-48)
Run Differential:+3 (Overall: -81)
Standings: 8th, 16GB, Tied above relegation

News and Notes

Bullpen ace Chris Teague came off the IL and is headed to a rehab assignment in AAA. Hoping to have his stability back, but unfortunately he is now fragile.

Jon Blackburn is out for a few weeks with shoulder tendinitis.

Highlights

Some really great offensive performances including an 11-0 thumping of Puebla Pantera and a nice football score of 14-7 against Tijuana.

Lowlights

It was pretty disappointing to only get 1 win from Puebla even as they’re sitting last in the league. We have been hovering right at the edge of relegation for the last several weeks, tied with the Chicago Blaze but with the tiebreaker for the moment. Speaking of the Blaze...

Looking Ahead

3 games at Chicago Blaze (36-48, 9th)
3 games at Toronto Express (47-37, 4th)

It will be really important to get some wins versus Chicago to give us a cushion to avoid relegation!

[Dr. K]

Week 15 snapshot
Record last week: 3-3(Overall: 39-51)
Run Differential: (Overall: )
Standings: 9th, 17GB, 1 below relegation

News and Notes

For the first time this season the Leon Bravos are sitting below the relegation line, 1 game behind both the Chicago Blaze and the Los Angeles Stars. Dropping 2 to the Blaze was enough to fall behind. With 3 weeks left to play in the season we’ll see if we can turn it on and avoid dropping to BOTA.

Chris Teague appeared in 3 games in his rehab start and has been recalled to the majors.

Highlights

Despite Blackburn being on the IL, [b]Bresciani has really come through so far for the Bravos. He is sitting at a 3.78 ERA over his first 3 starts in the red uniform, and has slotted in nicely at the 2 spot in the rotation.

Porter Kempton had a phenomenal run in the minors pitching 7 games with a 1.62 ERA, his stints in the majors have not been pretty. But I’m hoping he can turn it around soon.

Lowlights

Kevin Fleming was responsible for both of the losses against Chicago, each time in pretty dramatic fashion late in the game.

Looking Ahead

The long roadtrip continues with
3 at Puebla Pantera (36-54, 10th)
3 at Calgary Huileurs (51-39, 3rd)

Hopefully we are able to take some wins in Puebla and steal a few in Calgary

[Dr. K]

Week 16 snapshot
Record last week: 3-3(Overall: 42-54)
Run Differential: +4(Overall: -69)
Standings: 9th, 17GB, 1 below relegation

News and Notes

Blackburn suffers a small setback and will be out for 4 more days. Scratch that, now my trainer is saying that recovery time is unclear. We might not get him back this season.

Ronnie Glidden is injured with a diagnosis pending, which is not good.

Chris Teague is day to day with a mild oblique strain, I am shutting him down for the rest of the season.

Highlights

We have surpassed the preseason predictions which had the Bravos winning only 40 games and finishing in last place.

Lowlights

Still sitting in the regulation spot, so we’ll see if we can finish strong.

Looking Ahead
3 games vs. Cancun Matadors (56-40, 2nd)
3 games at. Los Angeles (43-53, 8th)
3 games vs. Philadelphia (46-50, 5th)
3 games vs. Montreal (59-37, 1st

[Dr. K]

Week 17 snapshot
Record last week: 1-5(Overall: 43-59)
Run Differential: -19(Overall: -88)
Standings: 9th, 19GB, 3 below relegation

Relegation Watch

Unfortunately an abysmal week has all but doomed the bravos to relegation, and the schedule isn’t any easier for the final week. Tijuana also has a rough last week, but I’m not sure we’ll be able to put together a good enough week to come back.

Bravos Schedule:
3 games vs. Philadelphia (48-54, 5th)
3 games vs. Montreal (62-40, 1st)

Tijuana Twisters (3 games up on Bravos)
3 games at Cancun (60-42, 2nd)
3 games vs. Calgary (57-54, 3rd)

Day 1
Bravos win, Twisters lose, 2 games back

Day 2
Bravos win, Twisters lose, 1 game back

Day 3
Bravos win, Twisters win, 1 game back

Day 4
Bravos lose, Twisters win, 2 games back

Day 5
Bravos lose, Twisters, 2 games back

The Leon Bravos will officially be relegated to BOTA.

[Dr. K]

Playoffs

Each of the three leagues has a playoff bracket with the top 4 teams in each league, with best of seven series. The champion and runner up will then be entered into the league association playoffs which are also 7 game series.

PBOTA
Montreal Fire defeat Calgary Huileurs 4-1
Toronto Express defeat Cancun Matadors 4-2

Montreal Fire defeat Toronto Express 4-1 to become the very first PBOTA champion!


BOTA
Brooklyn Bats defeat New York Bucks 4-2
Jacksonville Jackals defeat Pittsburgh Rampage 4-3

Brooklyn Bats Sweep Jacksonville 4-0

SuBOTA
Surrey Barracudas defeat Mexico City Coyotes 4-2
Des Moines kernels sweep the Juarez Night Hawks 4-0

Des Moines kernels defeat the Surrey Barracudas 4-0


BOTA Association tournament

Quarter Finals
Toronto Express defeat Surrey Barracudas 4-2
Des Moines kernels defeat Jacksonville Jackals 4-1

Semi finals
Toronto Express defeats Brooklyn Bats 4-1
Des Moines kernels defeat Montreal Fire 4-2

Finals
Des Moines kernels defeat Toronto Express 4-2


The biggest storyline of the playoffs is the SuBOTA Des Moines Kernels sweeping the SuBOTA playoffs and then winning the BOTA Association playoffs. The team definitely got hot at the right moment and took home glory for the state of Iowa after a doldrum 56-52 season.