The Outpost League

[Dark Horse]

[ifspuds]

July 1, 2016

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk   L10
Deepvale         19  11  .633    -    L3   5-5
Elliott Springs  18  12  .600  1.0    W1   5-5
Silver Beach     18  12  .600  1.0    L1   7-3
Gentry Hills     15  15  .500  4.0    L1   5-5
Marsein          14  14  .500  4.0    W2   5-5
Allison          13  18  .419  6.5    W3   4-6
Tifton           12  18  .400  7.0    L4   3-7
Lorris           10  19  .345  8.5    W1   5-5

League News

The contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pack as we approach the halfway point of the 2016 season. The biggest mover is last season's champions, the Silver Beach Whales. A 9-3 record in the month of June pushed them to within a game of the Deepvale Ferrymen, who played just .500 ball over the same time period to come back to the crowd. The Elliott Springs Tornadoes are still hanging around as well, and this could very well be a three-team race over the second half. What's powering the Whales this season? Last season's surprise star, Josh Sowder, may not be threatening a .400 average, but after a slow start, he's gotten better with each passing month, hitting .381 in June and .330 for the season with an impressive 18-game hitting streak. Can Sowder challenge the 23-game streak posted last season by Ace Gervin? If Bay League fans are learning one thing, it's to never underestimate Josh Sowder. The Whales don't hit many balls over the fence (7th in homers), but they hit the gaps with the best of them (1st in doubles and triples by a long shot) and they draw the most walks in the league, a good recipe for long rallies and run scoring. They need it, because they have the worst ERA in the league (5.02).

How the mighty have fallen. The Lorris Greens are setting a league-record pace for futility, just two seasons after winning the championship. About the only things this team has going for it are Tega Smith (.321/.402/.491, 11 SB) and Dennis Phillips (2-2, 2.70). The offense is terrible (7th in average and walks, 8th in runs scored) and if it weren't for Phillips, the top ERA would belong to Frank O'Neil (4.33). It's a little hard to believe that once upon a time, every team in the Bay League wanted Cliff Rock playing for them. In 2014, Rock flashed an impressive combination of speed (14 steals, 4 triples) and power (14 HR), drawing enough walks to overcome a pedestrian batting average (.234). Last season saw the bottom fall out of his game, as no amount of power or patience can make up for a .185 average, and his gap power declined precipitously as well (7 doubles in 2015, 18 in 2014). It's gotten worse in 2016, as his walk rate has declined and he's stolen just 2 bases all season after double-digits the last two seasons.

What's wrong in Allison? The young Spelunkers were expected to start challenging for the upper half of the standings this season, with some predicting a shot at the title. It certainly isn't Alton Strong's fault: the second baseman is finally living up to his huge potential, with a .330/.403/.623 line. First base phenom Walter Sebring is going through something of a sophomore slump, with his average down 40 points and his walk rate down, even though he's already passed his home run total of his award-winning rookie season. Some observers are concerned that he's trying too hard to put the ball over the fence instead of relying on his line-drive swing to elevate the ball. No, the trouble is in two specific places: a month and a half without third baseman and team anchor Jeff Anderson (.333/.434/.422 before his injury), suffering from a lingering groin pull, and an injury to Kyle Richardson that has limited him to 9 mostly ineffective starts (4-3, 4.68). Both players are healthy now, so the potential exists for them to get hot in the second half, but it's going to take a lot of work to claw back into the race.

League Leaders

Batting Average                Stolen Bases
H. Gervin (DPV)       .404     T. Smith (LOR)          11
M. DeGray (MAR)       .377     E. Ashman (GEN)          8
E. Daniels (TIF)      .368     M. Smiley (LOR)          7
                               
OPS                            ERA
H. Gervin (DPV)      1.255     W. Brooker (GEN)      2.35
M. DeGray (MAR)      1.138     B. Dissinger (DPV)    2.53
A. Strong (ALL)      1.026     D. Phillips (LOR)     2.70
 
Home Runs                      Wins
R. Gomes (ESP)          11     J. Grant (DPV)           8
R. Harrington (GEN)     10     B. Earl (GEN)            7
H. Gervin (DPV)         10     J. Ray (MAR)             6
                               B. Dissinger (DPV)       6
                        
RBI                            Strikeouts
H. Gervin (DPV)         30     D. Odle (SIL)          106
R. Harrington (GEN)     28     B. Earl (GEN)          105
C. Rock (LOR)           23     W. Brooker (GEN)        94
                               
Runs Scored                   
R. Gomes (ESP)          21
J. Brown (ESP)          21	
H. Gervin (DPV)         20
M. DeGray (MAR)         20

[ifspuds]

August 1, 2016

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk   L10
Silver Beach     27  18  .600    -    L1   7-3
Elliott Springs  25  21  .543  2.5    L2   5-5
Gentry Hills     25  21  .543  2.5    W3   6-4
Deepvale         24  21  .533  3.0    W2   4-6
Marsein          23  22  .511  4.0    W1   5-5
Lorris           22  22  .500  4.5    L1   7-3
Allison          19  28  .404  9.0    L5   2-8
Tifton           17  29  .370 10.5    W1   4-6

League News

How do they do it? No one around the league seems to think the Silver Beach Whales have the talent to continually nip at the heels of the league's elite. Yet they wear supposedly better teams down over the course of a grueling season of travel around the Outposts, and eventually take over the lead. After Deepvale broke out so quickly at the start of the season, many expected the Ferrymen to turn the third season of the Bay League into a laugher, yet the Whales waited out the storm, and when the teams ahead of them faltered, they burst on top. The Whales boast the top-scoring offense in the league, even with their most talented player, Carlin Chadwick, having a subpar season. But Silver Beach always manages to find players to pick up that slack. Last year, Josh Sowder was the shocker, and he continues that this season with a team-leading .839 OPS, but maybe an even bigger surprise is left fielder Tory King, who was possibly the worst regular player in the Bay League in 2014, and only marginally better in 2015. This season? The 32-year old King has learned to control the strike zone, and it's done nothing but elevate his entire game. King is on pace to smash his personal highs in average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and his .827 OPS trails only the aforementioned Sowder. The biggest shock, though, is that the Whales are playing .600 ball with last season's Top Pitcher winner Hawkeye Odle having easily the worst season of his career. His 10 wins are second in the league and his 152 strikeouts are tops, but he's a shadow of his 2015 form, with a 4.45 ERA, a skyrocketing walk rate and home run balls leaving the yard at an alarming rate. Is Odle pitching hurt? It's certainly on the mind of Whales fans. Another note about the Whales: Josh Sowder was stopped one game shy of tying Ace Gervin for the all-time longest hitting streak. Sowder's streak reached 22 games before he was held hitless in a 7-3 loss to Broderick Earl and the Gentry Hills Scouts.

Other interesting news from around the league:

* The Lorris Greens must have been offended by what Bay League observers were writing about them. The former champs posted an 8-game win streak and lost just 3 games out of 15 in the month to go from all-time worst to a .500 record that has them within shouting distance of the top spot.

* Elliott Springs hurler Greg Williams, a talented but erratic right-hander, turned in the outing of the year and maybe one of the best in league history. Williams held the admittedly hapless Tifton Generals to one hit, a 3rd inning single by Michael Copeland, walking just one batter and striking out 14. Williams, notably, is one of only two pitchers to strike out 15 batters in a game.

We'll catch up with 2015 and 2016 Bay League draftees in a few days and see how they're faring.


League Leaders

Batting Average                Stolen Bases
H. Gervin (DPV)       .406     T. Smith (LOR)          11
M. DeGray (MAR)       .376     E. Ashman (GEN)         11
B. Dixon (GEN)        .364     M. Smiley (LOR)          8
                               
OPS                            ERA
H. Gervin (DPV)      1.288     B. Edwards (ALL)      2.39
M. DeGray (MAR)      1.082     B. Dissinger (DPV)    2.61
T. Smith (LOR)        .968     W. Brooker (GEN)      2.70
 
Home Runs                      Wins
H. Gervin (DPV)         16     B. Earl (GEN)           11
R. Harrington (GEN)     14     D. Odle (SIL)           10
R. Gomes (ESP)          12     J. Grant (DPV)           8
                               F. O'Neil (LOR)          8
                        
RBI                            Strikeouts
H. Gervin (DPV)         41     D. Odle (SIL)          152
R. Harrington (GEN)     37     B. Earl (GEN)          148
J. Walton (SIL)         33     W. Brooker (GEN)       136
                               
Runs Scored                   
M. DeGray (MAR)         33
S. Burks (MAR)          32	
H. Gervin (DPV)         31

[Dark Horse]

[ifspuds]

Let's take a look back at the last two years of Bay League drafts. Some of these names are familiar to fans, some will almost certainly be familiar someday, and some are just plain obscure and likely to stay that way. Enjoy!

2015 Draft
1. 1B Walter Sebring, Allison Spelunkers
(7/4/9/10/7 ratings, 8/5/9/10/7 talents, 5 stars, age 19)

If you haven't heard this kid's name, you haven't been paying attention to the Bay League. The 2015 Top Rookie, Sebring went right to the Spelunkers and never swung a bat in anger in the city leagues. This year he's hitting for plenty of power, but his average and plate discipline have both suffered. Still, he's one of the most promising young players in the league.

2. Matt Roy, Marsein Knights
(4/4/4/4/4 ratings, 9/7/9/5/7 talents, 5 stars, age 20)

Roy began his Bay League career at the midlevel city league, where he had a solid, if unspectacular, 2015 season (.284/.367/.353). The lack of power had the Knights concerned, so they left him at the same level for 2016, and he's absolutely blossomed, hitting .327/.422/.491 in 45 games. He might see a few at-bats for the Knights in the final month, but if nothing else, expect him to challenge for a spot at the top city league or even with the Knights come 2017.

3. SP Ahmad Reese, Tifton Generals
(5/6/6 ratings, 8/8/8 talents, 4.5 stars, age 23)

Reese just recently got the call up to the last-place Generals, where he... is a reliever. It's hard to argue with the choice from a talent standpoint: the Generals should have one of the better rotations in the league, but it's woefully underperforming. So Reese has a single inning to his credit, which was scoreless. Reese should probably be starting, but the Generals have failed to do much right in their first three seasons, so it's not much of a surprise to see him wasting away in a bullpen that's rarely used.

4. 1B Richie Jones, Silver Beach Whales
(5/5/4/4/4 ratings, 7/6/4/6/6 talents, 3 stars, age 23)

Jones made his Bay League debut late in the 2015 season, getting a single in 3 at-bats. He'd been called up from AA to get those 3 at-bats, and no one expected him to remain with the Whales when the 2016 season started. It was a bit of a surprise to see him back at AA, but he did get called up to the high-level city league halfway through the season, where he's hitting .256/.400/.302.

5. SP Damien Latimer, Gentry Hills Scouts
(4/4/5 ratings, 10/7/7 talents, 5 stars, age 23)

There aren't many trades in the Bay League. Whether it's because the owners don't trust one another or they're reluctant to deal for players they know little about, it's hard to say. But the Scouts are likely to look back in 10 years on a trade they did make and kick themselves. The Scouts, in the middle of May this season, dealt Latimer and 27-year old reliever Wahhab Duncan for 35-year old second baseman Shane Capel. Capel had all of 100 Bay League at-bats to his credit, and despite getting 100 more this season with Gentry Hills, he's still nothing more than a fill-in. Latimer, in the meantime, is scorching the midlevel city league (3.12 ERA, 1.13 WHIP). He'll be a good one.

6. SP Mike Dodson, Deepvale Ferrymen
(3/5/3 ratings, 8/10/10 talents, 5 stars, age 25)

No one, even the Ferrymen, are entirely sure what happened to Dodson between 2015 and 2016, but a one-time mid-level prospect came back to play this year showing far more promise than he ever had. He pitched very well at the low-level city league in his first season (14-5, 2.46), but nothing like this. He's at the middle level now, 4-5 with a 2.77 ERA and 69 Ks in 81 innings, and ought to see Bay League action before long, considering he's already 25 years old.

7. CF Lannce Barber, Elliott Springs Tornadoes
(5/6/6/6/5 ratings, 6/7/6/8/6 talents, 3.5 stars, age 21)

Some good things were expected from Barber to start the season, and there were some questions about whether the Tornadoes would trust him to play full time, but he's taken over the full time center field job with a vengeance, hitting .296/.375/.633 thanks mostly to a red-hot month of July (his first full-time month): .345/.418/.724. The Tornadoes look to have a brilliant outfield for years to come (see below).

8. 2B Sherman Wells, Lorris Greens
(3/6/3/4/4 ratings, 4/7/4/6/4 talents, 2 stars, age 19)

Wells hasn't shown any indication that he's going to be a productive Bay League player someday, with his only real skills his speed and his glove. He's drawn a lot of walks at low-level city league ball this year, which might indicate he's figured something out, but he'll have to learn how to put the bat on the ball (.225 career average in the city leagues) before he has much of a shot.

2016 Draft

1. 1B Steven Underwood, Tifton Generals
(8/5/8/9/7 ratings, 9/5/9/10/7 talents, 5 stars, age 18)

Looking for your 2016 Top Rookie favorite? Look no further. Underwood spent 12 games in the city leagues, but it was pretty clear that the Generals had little intention of keeping him down there. All he's done in the Bay League is hit .379/.458/.583. While observers commented at draft time about his high ceiling, none of them projected him to skyrocket through it so quickly.

2. SP Tyrus Fuchs, Gentry Hills Scouts
(2/6/4 ratings, 9/10/8 talents, 5 stars, age 17)

The Scouts love Fuchs, who many thought was the best player available in the 2016 draft, and he's mostly lived up to the high expectations. Though he's 4-11 with a 4.01 ERA, he's fanned 113 and walked just 26 in 132 innings at low-level city league play. He's still several years away, though.

3. LF Tim Bohm, Elliott Springs Tornadoes
(5/6/7/10/5 ratings, 6/6/8/10/6 talents, 5 stars, age 20)

Bohm is extremely patient -- some say too patient -- so he had to be shocked when the Tornadoes yanked him up from midlevel city league play to be the full-time starter in left field in July. He's been slow to catch on (.194/.265/.323), but the Tornadoes say they're going to be patient with the youngster despite challenging for first place in the standings.

4. 3B Mekeli Masters, Deepvale Ferrymen
(2/4/2/3/2 ratings, 6/6/6/5/7 talents, 2.5 stars, age 23)

Bigger things were expected of Masters, who was thought to be relatively advanced in skills. The Ferrymen must have seen something the pundits missed, as they sent him to play low-level ball. He's hit well enough (.310/.385/.342) but for little power and his swing has turned out to be a lot longer with a lot more work needed before he can make a contribution. Just goes to show you how difficult it can be to scout players in the far-flung Outposts.

5. SP Chezley Harris, Allison Spelunkers
(3/6/5 ratings, 4/6/5 talents, 1 star, age 18)

Harris pitched very well in the midlevel city leagues (3.23 in 100 IP, 29 BB to 71 K), but scouts have curiously soured on the young left hander, who say his control is not as sharp as originally believed and the heavy sinker he threw so well in predraft tryouts has strangely deserted him. The Spelunkers have called him up to the top city league, where he was shelled in his only start, but they're remaining hopeful he can return to the solid potential he was drafted with. Harris is still just 18, and has a lot of time to work out the kinks in his game.

6. SP Arlie Hammick, Lorris Greens
(2/1/3 ratings, 5/6/7 talents, 2 stars, age 19)

The Greens just don't seem to have much luck with youngsters. While other teams seem to pluck diamonds out of the muck, the Greens get exactly what they expect. Unfortunately, that isn't anything special. Hammick has been thoroughly average at low-level city league play (5-8, 3.63, 1.39 WHIP) and doesn't have a terribly high ceiling.

7. CF Jason Driggers, Marsein Knights
(4/7/5/3/5 ratings, 5/7/5/3/5 talents, 2 stars, age 24)

No one was particularly high on Driggers during the draft, and it looked like the Knights weren't either when they sent him to the lowest city league level to start the season. Then, curiously, after just 5 unspectacular games, they brought him all the way up to the Bay League, where he starts against left-handers (of which there are few) and backs up Simon Burks in center. He's hitting .333/.412/.600 in 15 at-bats with one steal.

8. CF Ben McAfee, Silver Beach Whales
(4/5/5/5/7 ratings, 5/6/6/8/7 talents, 3.5 stars, age 19)

The Whales surprise people in the standings, and they seem to have the same knack for the dramatic in the draft as well. No one expected McAfee to go in the first round prior to the draft. One scout said disdainfully, "he's not much of a hitter and may never get on base enough to take advantage of his speed." The Whales must have known what they were doing: after hitting an astounding .380/.507/.704 in 14 games at the midlevel city league, the Whales brought him up to the Bay League, where he's currently a backup, but it's hard to see them holding him back for long, considering neither of their center fielders are particularly good.

[ifspuds]

July 22, 2016
The home clubhouse at Deepvale's Two Rivers Field

No surprise, after another loss at the hands of the Silver Beach Whales, that the Deepvale Ferrymen's locker room would be so quiet, but the contrast between the early season atmosphere, when the Ferrymen were taking the rest of the league to the cleaners, and the recent struggles worried Ace Gervin.

Gervin was well on his way to another Top Batter Award, hitting over .400, leading the league in home runs and RBI and generally making pitchers' knees quake when he dug in at the plate. It was his habit to hang around the clubhouse until everyone else had gone home, taking some time to go over his latest effort, think about what had gone well, what hadn't, and how he could improve it. Could he have done that at his apartment? Sure, but he found it infinitely easier to concentrate on baseball while being actually at the park. Sometimes he went out to the field and worked on his swing, but usually he just sat at his locker and thought.

Partway through a mental recap of his second at-bat against Whales ace Hawkeye Odle -- a swinging strikeout on a pitch he had no business swinging at -- he heard the clubhouse door creak open and swing shut.

"Thought you'd still be here," said Roy Lockwood. The shortstop wore jeans and a t-shirt, but still he had his Ferrymen cap on his head. Lockwood was nearly bald, despite being just 34 years old, and wore his cap with a devotion that approached religious fervor.

"Hey, Roy," said Gervin. "You know me. Happier at the ballpark than at home."

Quiet fell and crept away into uncomfortable silence. Something obviously bothered Lockwood, but it was more obvious that he wasn't sure how to bring it up.

"Something on your mind, Roy?" Gervin wrapped his hands around the handle of a bat, flexing his fingers back and forth.

The moment that passed was long enough to make Ace wonder if he would get a response, before Lockwood said, "I'm sorry, Ace."

"For what?"

"It's my fault. The reason we're here, the reason we're staring up at three teams. I'm letting you down."

There was a brief, petty moment when Gervin wanted to agree with his teammate. Lockwood had been one of the top sluggers in the league last season, his 23 homers tops in the league and the reigning Bay League record. This season had been a disaster. His bat slowed down over the winter, and he watched too many pitches go past that last year he'd battered out of the park. The shortstop was hitting just .153 and he'd struck out 3 times in 4 at-bats in the game just ended.

"You're struggling, Roy. We're all scuffling right now. You'll snap out of it. We're only three out."

Lockwood sat on a bench across from him. "That's just it. I don't know that I will snap out of it, Ace. I don't see the ball like I used to. When I do swing, I'm late more often than not."

Gervin didn't say anything. Roy clearly had more on his mind.

"I'm hanging it up at the end of the season, Ace, but I want you to talk to Tom and get him to bench me. I'm just hurting the team playing full time."

"Tom" was Thomas Heide, the player-manager of the Ferrymen, though he was only managing these days with a bum knee keeping him out of the lineup. Gervin flipped the bat in his hands. "I'm not going to do that, Roy. No one's going to do the job you do in the field, and even while you're having trouble at the plate, the pitcher has to worry about you launching one into the seats."

"He'll listen to you, Ace. He won't listen to me when I ask out." Lockwood's face was pained.

"He shouldn't, Roy. You're our shortstop. You're the best shortstop we have, the captain of the infield. You'll find a way to make it work," said Gervin and handed the bat over to his teammate, handle first. "Let's go out and I'll toss you some BP. Swinging the lumber'll get your mind off it."

Lockwood put his hand out, nearly caressing the smooth-grained wood, his thoughts giving him a faraway look. "Okay," he said finally. "Okay."

[ifspuds]

And, in honor of the Outpost League's 3000th view, here's a bit of interlude as we head into the final stretch of another season...

August 7th, 2016
Gentry Hills Scouts at Lorris Greens

(excerpts from the Lorris Vicinity Newsfeed with Greens broadcaster Paul Stockstill)

Welcome to another beautiful day here at Lorris City Park and another contest against the Gentry Hills Scouts. The Greens send Mark Boykin out to the mound today hoping for the sweep of the three-game series, where he'll face the Scouts' Allen Storey. Our boy hasn't thrown a pitch in anger in just over a month, so one of the early questions will be just how much the 35-year old has in the tank after the long layoff. The wind has picked up out at the park as the day's worn on, headed out toward left field, so we could be in for a real barnburner today.

Boykin takes his final warmups, and there's the toss down to second. The Scouts will send center fielder Eugene Ashman to the dish to lead off the top of the 1st. Ashman's having a fine season for the Scouts, second in the league only to our own Tega Smith in steals with 11. Here's the pitch... fastball on the inside corner for strike one. Good pitch there, had some pop on it.

Kory Jackson puts down the sign, Boykin nods, and here's the pitch... Ashman swings over the changeup in the dirt, strike two! He chased that one, and Boykin has the hitter in an 0-2 hole to start the game.

Boykin wipes his forehead with his forearm and settles his cap back on his head. It's a warm one down there on the field, Greens fans. Mark stares in for the sign and goes into the windup. Here it comes... and Ashman waves at a curveball down and well outside for strike three. Jackson blocked it... he can't find it! There goes Ashman to first, and he'll make it easily. That has to be frustrating for Boykin and his catcher, after a three-strike punchout, one of the fastest men in the Bay League stands down at first. Scouts catcher Rod Higgins will come to the plate next, batting .326 in limited duty this year...

...

That's ball four to Higgins, not even close with the fastball. Boykin's definitely out of sorts, and Jackson's headed out to the mound to talk to his pitcher. That's the first walk Higgins has drawn all year, in 37 at-bats. Now you've got trouble in Brandon Dixon and Tarise Ellis, two of the top hitters in the Scouts lineup today, with slugger Roland Harrington taking the day off...

...

I don't know what Jackson had to say to Boykin, but it worked. Boykin gets the rookie Dixon to chase a fastball up around the shoulders for out number 1. That'll bring Ellis to the plate. Ellis is having an off-year, after the Scouts moved the two-time Top Leather award winner at first base to the outfield to get Dixon into the lineup full time. He'll tell you that the defensive switch isn't affecting him, but he hasn't looked comfortable at the plate in this series at all. The big right hander stands in, digs in the batter's box and awaits the first offering from Boykin. There go the runners! Fastball on the inside corner, here's the throw... Ashman is OUT AT THIRD! Great pitch to throw on, and Jackson put it right on the bag. That's just the third time Ashman's been caught this year. Higgins goes to second on the double steal, but that's a big second out for the Greens...

...

Ellis swings at the 2-1 fastball and lifts a long, slow arcing pop fly into right center. Tega's over, he's under it, and that's the third out. No runs, no hits, a runner left, and a nice job of wriggling out of the jam...

(to be continued...)

[ifspuds]

(continued from previous post)

And Kory Jackson bounces harmlessly to Luke Hinder at second for the first out here in the bottom of the 5th. In case you're just joining us, we've got quite the pitcher's duel here at Lorris City Park today. The Scouts put two men on in the first on a passed ball third strike and a walk, but there hasn't been a Gentry Hills player on base since. Likewise, the only Greens player to reach base was Cliff Rock who walked leading off the second.

Here's Keith Coulibaly to try and get something going for the home team. The pitch... he fouls the fastball straight back. Allen Storey on the hill, again, for Gentry Hills. Doesn't throw too hard, relies on a change of speeds. Here he is with the 0-1 pitch, Higgins sets up inside.... there's a drive! The ball is back... way back... GONE! Coulibaly caught a hanging curve and blasted it over the center field fence for a home run, and the Greens are on the board first.

...

You hate to see that happen, when a pitcher is going like Boykin has been. Nice to see the Greens put those 4 runs on the board, and it's now 8-0, but a long inning coupled with Boykin making the third out there in the bottom of the 8th... well, you only hope that it won't affect him. Boykin finishes his warmup tosses, and walks around behind the mound as he gets ready to stare Bay League history right in the eyes. We haven't had a baserunner for the Scouts since that shaky first inning, and neither of those men reached via the base hit. I won't say what Boykin's trying to do, but hopefully you fans out there know what I'm getting at.

Here's pinch hitter Chauncey Butler to bat for the pitcher Davis. Butler hitting .250 in limited duty this season. Boykin looks in for the sign, Jackson puts it down. Boykin set, to the windup... a swing and a high fly ball into left field. Cliff Rock drifts in, and that's an easy play for the first out here in the top of the 9th. Don't forget, Greens fans, to stay tuned for today's post-game interviews, stats and stories.

Eugene Ashman stands in, one of just two baserunners for the Scouts today. The speedster takes a ball outside to start the at-bat. Hard to believe, after the uncertain start to this game for Boykin, that he'd turn in such a dominating performance this afternoon. The 1-0 pitch... pops him up! Sam Webster waves off his teammates, puts up the glove... that's the second out.

Just Rod Higgins stands between Mark Boykin and Bay League history. The big catcher digs in, waggles the bat and awaits the offering. Strike one, fastball right over the heart of the plate. That was the pitch Higgins needed to be swinging at, and you can tell he's upset with himself for watching that ball pass. He steps out of the box, adjusts his helmet, now he's back in. Boykin takes a deep breath. It has to be going through his mind too, those zeroes up on the scoreboard. The 0-1 pitch... ball 1, down and away with the curveball. Trying to throw that groundball. All even now, 1-1.

Higgins ready, Boykin sets... Higgins grounds one out to short. Dely in, fields, throws... THAT'S IT! Mark Boykin has thrown the first no-hitter in Bay League history! The Greens are pouring out of the dugout and mobbing their teammate! What a dazzling performance by Mark Boykin today, baseball fans, what a performance. No runs, no hits, one walk and eight strikeouts, just 101 pitches thrown for the 35-year old Boykin, who is buried in a sea of Greens players, coaches and batboys. Tip your cap, Mark, and enjoy the moment. Our hats are certainly off to you!

[ifspuds]

September 1, 2016

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk
Elliott Springs  35  26  .574    -    W2
Silver Beach     34  28  .548  1.5    L1
Deepvale         33  29  .532  2.5    L1
Marsein          32  29  .525  3.0    L3
Gentry Hills     30  31  .492  5.0    L1
Tifton           29  33  .468  6.5    W4
Lorris           28  33  .459  7.0    W1
Allison          25  37  .403 10.5    W1

League News

Summer in the Outposts can get a little brutal. The weather gets angry and kicks the northern coast around, and boils the southern half with humidity. It also picks up the standings and shakes them until they're silly.

Not a single team ended the month in the position where they started. And while it looks like the Elliott Springs Tornadoes might be in the driver's seat (their magic number is 8 with 8 or 9 games remaining on the schedule), consider that as recently as a week ago, there was a 3-way tie at the top with one team just a half game out. The Tornadoes are getting terrific work from a crowd of youngsters:

* Second baseman Mike Richardson, 24, hit .374 in August and leads the team with a .318 average.

* Left fielder Tim Bohm, 20, the Tornadoes' 1st round pick in this year's draft, rewarded his team's confidence by hitting .308/.357/.513 in August after struggling through July (.194/.265/.323).

* Jamie Wilder, 21, who didn't get inserted into the rotation until mid-May, has suddenly become the odds-on favorite for Top Pitcher honors, going 6-0, 0.97 in August and is 13-2, 2.07 overall on the season, and his 167 strikeouts are 3rd in the league.

And above it all is offensive leader Riyad Gomes, having the best season of his otherwise enigmatic career. Gomes leads the top-scoring offense in the Bay League with a .952 OPS. His numbers will always be compared to fellow first baseman Ace Gervin's, but right now he has a much better chance to do something the best hitter in the Bay League hasn't: win a championship.

You may remember that last season's title chase went down to the last day. Expect something similar in 2015.

League Leaders

Batting Average                Stolen Bases
M. DeGray (MAR)       .374     T. Smith (LOR)          14
H. Gervin (DPV)       .368     E. Ashman (GEN)         11
E. Daniels (TIF)      .349     M. Smiley (LOR)         10
                               P. Cullen (TIF)         10

OPS                            ERA
H. Gervin (DPV)      1.177     J. Wilder (ESP)       2.07
M. DeGray (MAR)      1.093     B. Edwards (ALL)      2.45
R. Gomes (ESP)        .952     W. Brooker (GEN)      2.73
 
Home Runs                      Wins
H. Gervin (DPV)         21     B. Earl (GEN)           13
R. Harrington (GEN)     16     J. Wilder (ESP)         13
T. Smith (LOR)          14     D. Odle (SIL)           12
                        
RBI                            Strikeouts
H. Gervin (DPV)         56     D. Odle (SIL)          201
E. Daniels (TIF)        44     B. Earl (GEN)          199
R. Harrington (GEN)     43     J. Wilder (ESP)        167
                               
Runs Scored                   
M. DeGray (MAR)         45
H. Gervin (DPV)         44	
M. Richardson (ESP)     39
T. Smith (LOR)          39

[Dark Horse]

literally

[ifspuds]

September 17, 2016

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk
Elliott Springs  42  28  .600    -    W2
Marsein          40  30  .571  2.0    W3
Deepvale         37  33  .529  5.0    W3
Silver Beach     36  34  .514  6.0    L2
Gentry Hills     33  37  .471  9.0    W1
Lorris           32  38  .457 10.0    L1
Tifton           32  38  .457 10.0    L3
Allison          28  42  .400 14.0    L3

League News

In the end, it worked out that it wasn't all that close. Even though Marsein went 8-1 to finish the season, the Elliott Springs Tornadoes weren't about to let their lead slip, going 7-2 to outlast even the hard-charging Knights. The Tornadoes whittled their magic number to 1 with 3 games remaining, but had to wait two more days to begin the celebration, as they dropped a 5-2 contest to Silver Beach, while Marsein took care of Allison by a 3-1 score. The next day, behind rookie phenom Jamie Wilder, they downed the defending champs with a 5-run 8th inning that gave them a 6-2 win. Considering the Knights had also won earlier in the day, the end of the race was a relief. "They kept the pressure on us," said Elliott Springs manager Lennox Herrion. "You have to give Marsein a ton of credit, but these kids... I don't know if they're too good or just too crazy to realize that pressure handcuffs normal people."

First baseman Riyad Gomes laughed when his manager's quote was repeated to him. "I'm not going to say which it is, but I will say that it's incredible what these guys on this team did. These are some young players, but I'm in awe of how much talent they have. If this is the kind of athlete, the kind of person, the Bay League attracts, there's a great future in this game."

The Tornadoes did it on the backs of some exciting young players. Jamie Wilder is the big name. The 21-year old went 15-2 with a 1.90 ERA, striking out well over a batter an inning and holding opponents to an anemic .185 average. He's hardly the only one, though. 24-year old second baseman Mike Richardson hit a team-high .327 and slugged .457. Hot corner man Hunter Land hit 11 homers and slugged .454. Tim Bohm, the 20-year old left fielder, came up late in the season and contributed two solid months (OPSing .870 in August, .783 in September). Center fielder Lannce Barber, just 21, whacked 9 homers and slugged an impressive .508. Riyad Gomes is still the best player on the team (.293/.396/.552, 14 HR, 43 RBI), but at 30 years old, he's a relative graybeard on this squad. The Tornadoes really do look a lot like a force of nature.

You have to feel for the Marsein Knights, though. This is the second straight year they've fallen just short of the title, after losing to the Silver Beach Whales by one game in 2015. Mario DeGray (.374/.465/.638, 16 HR) had another outstanding season, but a half-season from shortstop Robbie Isenhour (.914 OPS in 2015) might have been the nail in the Knights' coffin. The Knights finished 2nd in the league in both runs scored and runs allowed, but their pitching staff is aging. Will they have enough to challenge the Tornadoes in 2017?

Many other questions abound as the 3rd Bay League season comes to a close:

* What happened to the Allison Spelunkers? Behind talents like Kyle Richardson, Walter Sebring and Alton Strong, they were supposed to challenge for a title in 2016, but instead they sank into last place. Not only that, they set the league record for most losses.

* Will Ace Gervin add the important piece of hardware to his impressive collection and lead his Ferrymen to a league title? Early on, it looked like this was the year, but Roy Lockwood's collapse turned a three-headed lineup monster of Gervin, Lockwood and catcher Johnny Wright into a shadow of itself.

* What can we expect to see from rookie sensation Steven Underwood? He obliterated Bay League hurlers in his debut season (.389/.475/.681, 13 HR in 185 AB), and looks like the real deal, but we saw what happened to Allison's Walter Sebring, who observers think has every bit the talent of Underwood, in his second season. Furthermore, will it even matter? It could be argued that his Generals are the worst team in the league, having won 32, 33 and now 32 games in their three seasons. Can one phenom turn around an entire sad franchise?

These questions and more will be answered as we go into 2017. Stay tuned for final league leaders and award winners!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

* What happened to the Allison Spelunkers? Behind talents like Kyle Richardson, Walter Sebring and Alton Strong, they were supposed to challenge for a title in 2016, but instead they sank into last place. Not only that, they set the league record for most losses.

I was wondering the same thing! Edwards had a great year, but he didn't seem to get much help. I'm hoping for a strong rebound in 2017.

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by Big Six

I was wondering the same thing! Edwards had a great year, but he didn't seem to get much help. I'm hoping for a strong rebound in 2017.

I'll have some commentary on a few of the teams in upcoming posts, Big Six, but it looks like the big issue in Allison was lackluster seasons from Kyle Richardson and Walter Sebring. Allison doesn't have the offensive depth to absorb one of their stars not producing. There are reasons for Richardson and Sebring's struggles, as you'll see soon. Alton Strong started well, but tailed off, and one ace pitcher (Edwards) just hasn't been enough to put a team in the top half of the standings in the Bay League.

[ifspuds]

2016 Bay League Awards

Elliott Springs' newfound ace, Jamie Wilder, made Bay League history as the first Top Rookie Award winner to also take home one of the major awards, as he was also named the 2016 Top Pitcher in the Bay League. Wilder was the clear favorite for the Top Pitcher award, after leading the league in ERA (1.90) and wins (15) and placing behind well-known strikeout artists Hawkeye Odle and Broderick Earl with 192 strikeouts. "I'm floored," said Wilder, when reached at his offseason home in Allison, "I thought I had a chance to win Top Pitcher, but I thought for sure (Steven) Underwood would be Top Rookie. I mean, you don't outhit Ace Gervin and not deserve some recognition."

There is some controversy over Underwood's second place finish in the rookie voting, as it happens. The Tifton first baseman hit .389 with 13 homers in just 55 games of Bay League action, and had enough at bats to win the batting title over Mario DeGray and Ace Gervin. "Steve should have been Top Rookie and Top Batter both," said one Tifton player who asked that his name be kept quiet. "He dominated the entire league. It's not his fault that he didn't play as many games as Gervin, or play for the best team in the league like Wilder. I tell you what it was, it was that SOB Hernandez in Silver Beach that got the rest of the league to vote for anyone that wasn't associated with Tifton." Conspiracy theories -- though the rivalry between the owners of the Silver Beach and Tifton franchises is hardly a secret -- aside, Underwood did receive a great deal of recognition from the league. In addition to the second place finish in the rookie balloting, he placed third in Top Batter voting, very close to second place finisher Mario DeGray of the Marsein Knights.

But once again, Deepvale's Ace Gervin is your Top Batter. Gervin has won the award in all three seasons of Bay League play, though by the narrowest margin yet. While Gervin's 22 homers were a career high for the slugger, his .354 average was his lowest yet. Mario DeGray gave him a run once again this year after a tight battle for the award in 2015, and as mentioned above, Steven Underwood ran neck-and-neck with DeGray for second place honors. "I'm honored, of course," said Gervin. "It's humbling to get this kind of recognition over such talented players as Mario and Steven and Riyad (Gomes) and all the others. I'm sure Riyad's not losing any sleep, what with that title the Tornadoes took home."

In Top Leather awards, only one player, Silver Beach centerfielder Jacob Leslie, was a repeat winner. The move of 2-time winner Tarise Ellis from first base to left field opened the door for Ace Gervin to win fielding honors at first. Gervin's partner on the right side, second baseman Brian Brown, gave the Ferrymen two Top Leather awards, and Gentry Hills also nabbed two with their left side of the infield, shortstop Johnny Parker and third baseman Roland Harrington. Other winners were Carlin Bonner, P, TIF; Bryan Jones, C, SIL; Sean Dyer, LF, MAR; Jared Brown, RF, ESP.

[ifspuds]

September 16, 2016, visitor's clubhouse at Nelson Memorial Park, city of Marsein

Walter Sebring stood at his locker, mutely stuffing things into a duffel bag. Around him, the clubhouse rippled with the chatter of his teammates. A lot of chatter for a team that had just ridden one final losing streak to finish with the worst record in the short history of the Bay League. Sebring had three bats with him, and not one of them had produced a hit in his last eight games. A big 0 for 24, nothing but donuts the entire month of September. Walks a plenty, but not a single hit.

Before he even realized what he was doing, he'd taken each one of those fickle pieces of lumber and pounded it into splinters against his locker.

The chatter stopped. He turned around and took a look over the shocked, staring faces. More than a few irritated glances came back his way. He took the final bat, which still hung together in one piece, and finished the work, tossing the barrel and handle in a nearby trash can. As he went back to packing his things, Kyle Richardson clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Walt, buddy... what you need is a night out," said the pitcher. "A drink or seven and some loving companionship."

Sebring ran his hands through his hair and let out a long breath. "Yeah. Maybe. I just want to forget this entire miserable season," he muttered.

Richardson laughed. The pitcher had an easy laugh, one of those that was impossible to ignore. Maybe that was why Richardson was his closest friend on the team. They had plenty in common, both were young, both came from isolated coastal towns. "Buddy, I've been working on forgetting damn near every day as soon as it's happened. You don't see me breaking bats, do you?" He shook his head. "Come on. The season's over. Don't let it bother you any more."

Sebring paused, the span of two deep breaths, while he thought it over. "How about that place over on Park Street," he said finally.

"The girls aren't much to look at..."

"...but who cares, as long as it's dark?"

Richardson let out a howl of laughter. "Now that's the Walt I know and love. Let's grab a couple other guys and make our last night in town one to remember."

Sebring snorted a laugh. "We practically tore down that dive in Gentry Hills last week after that drunk started giving us hell. I'd say we're a memorable bunch."

[ifspuds]

Bay League Season-Ending Meetings
City of Elliott Springs, Offices of Tornadoes owner David DiStefano

John Baxter stood outside the door to the meeting room. According to his aides, the rest of the Bay League owners were already inside and three fights had nearly broken out already. Petty nonsense, all of it, but looking at it objectively, it could almost be seen as a good thing. Passionate men made for a passionate league, and he could work with passion. He had a vision for this undertaking, and it wasn't going to be accomplished by the fearful and tentative.

He opened the door and stepped inside to a surprisingly quiet room. Glares across the table and clenched teeth spoke volumes, though. He walked around the wide, round table to sit at the open spot. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," said Baxter. "With the schedule expansion to 98 games already agreed upon, we have one more important topic to cover. Benjamin, would you please start?"

Benjamin Chin, the Deepvale owner, cleared his throat and adjusted his thin spectacles on his nose. Chin was the most circumspect, diplomatic man Baxter had ever met, a born mediator and an invaluable member of the group. Baxter held Chin's opinions in high regard, especially when they didn't agree. He had confidence Chin's disagreement would be from a reasoned point of view, not knee-jerk opposition like Michael Hernandez's, or fawning agreement like Carroll Eichhorn's. But most importantly for today, Chin was acting head of the league structure committee.

"The committee would like to recommend to the body that we bring additional teams into the fold..." Chin began, cut off by Allison's Timothy Martin.

"Preposterous. We're already beginning to suffer a talent shortage. Have you seen the players who have submitted their names for next year's draft?" said Martin. "Teams in the bottom of the standings will be mired there for years, and see how long the Bay League lasts when half the teams can't draw 50 spectators to a game."

Chin's lips pressed in a thin line, the closest to overt disapproval he would ever show. "A point well taken, and one considered by the committee in depth. But to finish my statement, we are proposing that the additional teams be affiliated with existing Bay League teams in a manner reminiscent of the Earthside minor league-major league arrangement."

When no one spoke up immediately, Chin continued. "This would allow us to appease those mid-sized communities who want a Bay League presence, thereby controlling potential competition. And, should expansion become feasible in the future, it would provide for immediate additional Bay League teams."

David DiStefano of Elliott Springs, their host, spoke up. "Which communities are you proposing, Ben? And what time frame would this happen over?"

Chin turned to his fellow committee member, Martin Greenberg of Gentry Hills, who fielded the question. "Each Bay League team would take a nearby town as its affiliate. We will take recommendations from each team as to what community would best fit that requirement. This will not happen for next season, or possibly even the 2018 season. We are targeting 2019 for now, with the intent of investing in the city leagues of the chosen communities to bring their facilities and player pool up to the necessary standards."

Baxter leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of his lips. It was all he could do to keep from crowing in happiness. His vision was becoming a reality, step by slow step, and better yet, it was looking entirely like someone else's idea.

[ifspuds]

Annual Bay League Draft Approaches
Outpost News Service

As part of our continuing coverage of the upcoming Bay League season, we bring back Bay League experts Frank Mayes, Mary Anderson and Jose Alcala to give fans a rundown on the players who hope to become full-fledged Bay Leaguers someday. The Allison Spelunkers will hold the first pick in this year's draft, and are hoping to get some help that will lift them out of last place in the standings.

Mary Anderson: Is this the most uninspiring group of Bay League candidates in history, or is it just me?

Frank Mayes: There's no Walter Sebring or Steven Underwood in this crop of players, at least not at this stage of their baseball lives.

Jose Alcala: We'll see this season who's got the best eye for talent. There are bound to be a few diamonds in the rough among these players, but finding them will be much trickier than in years past, that's for sure.

FM: So, Allison has the first pick. They struck gold two years ago with Sebring -- sophomore slump aside -- and now they're back again.

JA: They need offense. A rotation of Edwards, Logan and Richardson should be competitive if they play up to snuff. Ralph Duell is probably the best overall hitter, but he's a first baseman and Sebring's entrenched there.

MA: Lee Schrupp hit some huge homers in tryout games in Lorris, but he's already 24 years old and looked overmatched a lot of the time. I think Allison has to take Jason Hyde. They have Alton Strong at second, but Hyde can play shortstop. He's a decent hitter and a fast, smart baserunner.

FM: Hyde looks like the likely candidate to me as well.

JA: Carlos Figueredo and Aaron Gonzalez are sleepers. Middle infielders with decent gloves and bats. But Hyde looks to have more upside.

FM: Tifton once again picks near the top. They got Underwood last season. Do they go pitching this year, with Russell Hawkin?

MA: The Generals should have enough pitching. They have Ahmad Reese in the bullpen, for Pete's sake. I think it's Schrupp.

JA: Duell. And they move either him or Underwood to left field.

MA: Neither one can handle the outfield. Mark my words.

JA: Fortune rewards the bold.

FM: And I still think that you can never have enough arms in the system. I say it's Hawkin. We'll agree to disagree and move on to the Lorris Greens at #3.

JA: Duell, if he makes it past Tifton. Otherwise Schrupp.

MA: Duell has to be at the top of their wish list, no question.

FM: And I agree with both of you. Wasn't that easy? How about Gentry Hills at #4? I'm thinking Schrupp.

MA: I'm not high on Schrupp, but I think he's got the most upside of anyone that remains.

JA: I wouldn't be surprised to see Aaron Gonzalez go before Schrupp. The Greens' middle infield is one step away from taking the field with canes and oxygen tanks.

(... the discussion continues on with the second half of the first round...)

[ifspuds]

Bay League News: Hawkin Goes First In 2017 Draft
Outpost News Service

After a disappointing season, the Allison Spelunkers won in one respect: they selected first in the yearly divvying-up of new talent. With that privilege, the Spelunkers surprised many Bay League experts by tabbing pitcher Russell Hawkin with their initial selection. Spelunkers manager Joe Leonard approved of the choice. "You can never have enough pitching. Between Hawkin and Tony Jones, we've got some exciting young arms that could make a big difference for us someday," said Leonard. Hawkin sounded surprised, but upbeat when informed he'd be joining the Allison organization. "Who wouldn't want to play with those guys? I'd been hearing Tifton, maybe Lorris or Gentry Hills, but not Allison. I'm thrilled. I just want to get started playing." The left-handed Hawkin is known to be a fierce competitor, but he's had some arm trouble playing in local leagues. Fans in Allison, never afraid to speak their minds loudly, are mixed in their reactions. "Those bums in the lineup hit about as well as my dead gramma, and she wasn't much of a hitter when she was alive," said Walt Cullen. "They shoulda gone with a hitter." The next barstool over, Ken Martin disagreed, "Hawkin's the best player in that bunch. Five years from now, he'll be playing in the Bay League. Those other guys, they'll be lucky to still be kicking around the city leagues."

Other players selected in the first round were first baseman Ralph Duell going to the Tifton Generals, second baseman Jason Hyde to the Lorris Greens, outfielder Lee Schrupp to the Gentry Hills Scouts, first baseman Carson Richardson to the Silver Beach Whales, pitcher Ryan Jones to Deepvale, second baseman Aaron Gonzalez to Marsein and pitcher Sam Przybilla to the league champions in Elliott Springs. Will any of these young men follow in the steps of Walter Sebring or Steven Underwood in making an immediate Bay League impact? Keep your eyes on the Outpost News Service to find out!

[Big Six]

I was wondering what Allison would do with the first pick, and I was hoping there would be a stud pitcher in this year's draft class.

I like the fact that Hawkin is a lefty, but the fact that he's already had some injury problems frightens me. How old is he? It sounds like he's a few years away from being able to contribute, but he'll be worth the wait if he develops into an ace.

[Dark Horse]