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The BLB's midseason point has arrived, and we got ya covered if you have some catching up to do. So far, the 2020 BLB season has been quite unpredictable. There have been plenty of surprises, disappointments and not nearly enough funclown.
One question for every team: The biggest concerns for every BLB team and division.
Does anyone still doubt this is the best division in baseball?
A quick look at the BLB standings and one of the first things you will notice is how good the Ale is. Currently, the Hartford Whalers and Pittsburgh Millers are tied for 3rd place at 51-38. If Pittsburgh was relocated to the Stout and Hartford to the Bock, they would be in first place in said divisions. In 1st, Toronto Mounties, I mean Canadiens, are in 1st, ahead of schedule in their 15 year rebuild and the ageless Maine Guides are just a game back in 2nd. The BLB defending Champion Wilmington Wildcats are in 5th, but would be 2nd in the Lager, 2nd in the Bock and 3rd in the Stout. Somehow, the Syracuse Slammers are 45-47 which would put them 3rd in the Lager and Bock. Coming in last is the lovable funclown's Pawtucket Patriots. They have done enough winning recently and it was probably best for the league that they didn't continue that run. But who knows, if they played in a different division, maybe they would be a wild card contender?
Is this group too young to win it all?
The youthful Toronto squad currently sits atop the Ale and boasts the 2nd best record in the BLB. Many of the best players on the team are 25 or younger, even. Starting 3B Jamie "Superfly" Kitchen, now on his 3rd season with the team, just returned to Canada after having his 21st birthday celebration in Aloha, OR where he can finally drink legally. It's easy to get caught up in the young names on the roster, but this team does have more veteran presence than I think a lot of teams choose to recognize. SP Johnny "I'm so good I don't need a nickname" McDade is quietly on pace for his highest WAR season. The 32-year-old was imported last season bringing three championship rings to a team that had never even had a winning seasons (as Toronto, the furry pigs did in 2001). In year one, they made the playoffs. What does this group have in store for year two? In recent news, Toronto signed veteran slugger Ian Ledbetter to add a little more power to the lineup that already boasts Dylan Owens, Roberto Jaime, Dave Ingram and Robbie O'Neal. Ledbetter is 37, and old enough to be the father of some of the players on the team. And according to Ledbetter, that is actually a possibility.
"I love Toronto. I love Canadian women in general, actually. I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri but when I was in high school my buddies and I would routinely party up in Canada with our fake ID's. It's actually why I chose to go to Falmouth to play baseball because it was so close to the border. I even took a year off in 2003, when I was finally legal to drink and spent most of that year partying in clubs in Montreal and Toronto. The techno scene was really underground then and the parties were so much fun. Really, anything goes....and I mean anything. Especially at the after hours. I've already started joking with a few players on the club that they are so young I could be their daddy. Especially because they don't sell condoms in Canada. At least that's what the girls always told me."
Is this group too old to win it all?
The Maine Guides are old. SP Fernando Hernandes is so old that his social security number is 1! OF Steve Suares is so old that when he was in school there was no history class! C Ray Davila is so old when he was told to act his own age he almost died! Remember your momma jokes? Players on this team are so old, they think these jokes are still funny. Eight players on the 25 man roster are currently 35 or older. So far, it has worked with may of them appearing to have found the fountain of youth this season, including OF Oldham, RP Kreighbaum, RP Bell, and the ageless mentions above. However, the playoffs don't start for another 12 weeks. That's another half season of innings on an arm and ABs at the plate. If making predictions today, the Guides might be picked by many to win it all. They recently won the Brewmaster's in 2018 with a very similar roster. They also have a team built to fit their park very well (30-16, 3rd best home record in BLB). And this time around they have a little bit of youth to sprinkle in with OFs Zach Smith, Ron Gooch, IFs Edwin Reta and Dave Boeser, and SP Willie Olivas, down the stretch. The biggest question is what the roster will look like come October. Does this ageless group have one more run in them? We shall see.
Can the Whalers re-write BLB team building philosophy?
The 2020 Hartford Whalers do a lot of things right. They currently boast the DL's best bullpen led by a trio at the top of CL Gabe Cravalho and setups Pat Bettis and Tom Wood. They are also 2nd in the DL in runs scored with a lineup that almost never strikes out and has a lot of gap and HR power. Marques Edwards, Ricky Murillo and Dave Perkins are arguably the most dangerous trio in any lineup. The issues holding this team back are their starting rotation which ranks 14th out of 16 DL teams in ERA (No starter has an ERA under 4.40) and a defense that ranks 8th (including the leagues worst defensive CF Cy Mock). The Whalers have made the playoffs once (2018) in the last 13 seasons. This team is defying the conventional wisdom taught to us all by the great and powerful Dallas Sharks GM, Shark the almighty, by winning without starting pitching or defense. It remains to be seen how far they will go and how much Bdub the GM will then influence and change the BLB culture forever...
For a relatively young roster, can this Pittsburgh Millers team get over the post-season struggles?
The Millers are currently the 2nd hottest team in baseball according to the BNN Power Rankings at the break. The roster, known to be very volatile, has consistently performed well in most areas throughout the 1st half. The team is one of the youngest in baseball, median age of 26, and have had a run of 13 post-season trips in 15 seasons but this group might have it's best chance to win it's first Brewmaster's this season. Ace SP Jarrod Syverston is having a career year at 33, posting an 11-3 record with a 2.33 ERA and .98 WHIP. Check those numbers again, he pitches in Pittsburgh, not New York. He is giving his all because he knows this season could be special. They also brought in some veteran pieces including CF Antonio Ontiveros and the currently injured secret weapon SP Zack Reeves. Sources say they aren't done dealing, too. The Millers will be a contender for the foreseeable future with youngsters like Dave Seibert, Johnny Skolfield and Joey York in their early 20s already making big impacts and their core of "veterans" being in their mid to late 20's and just entering their primes. However, for a franchise with a post-season history you can sum up in one word, "Sad!", this could be the season they turn that luck around and have a "Huge!" post-season run.
Forget repeating, will the defending champs even make the post-season?
Change is inevitable. The Wildcats celebrated their first championship since 1982 by defeating the Death Valley Scorpions in the 2019 Brewmaster's. Before the champagne had dried, the vultures were circling. Big names left town in Free-Agency, the GM retired and the 2019 roster, referenced by many as one of the most talented the BLB has seen, was decimated. With a new GM calling the shots vacancies were filled in multiple ways: trades, call-ups from a deep minor system and some FA imports. The result so far has been promising, with a 47-42 record, the Wildcats would be the 6th and final Wild Card seed in the DL playoffs. Their main competition for that spot will be with the California Kodiaks, currently just a game back. With Syracuse unlikely to be a buyer, New Orleans and Indianapolis letting the BLB know of their trade block and KC, PAW, LAD and MOR already playing for 2021, it's really a two-horse race for the final spot. The teams have seven remaining games and the Kodiaks currently hold a 3-2 game lead. All things considering with the transition, if the Wildcats do return to the playoffs, it will go along way for respect around the league.
Are the Slammers and slugger Dave Webber, the BLB's best 1st half story?
A quick look at the 2020 BLB Shavermetrics Preview, and you will see that no team is higher than was predicted than the Syracuse Slammers. This surprise group is 45-47 at the break. That might not seem like that great of an accomplishment but the 2019 Slammers went 47-115! I don't think a team, in all the years of the BLB, has nearly topped their season win total by mid-season. The Slammers have to go just 32-37 in the 2nd half to post their best record since 2014, also the last time they made the playoffs. The post-season isn't completely out of reach and if they keep their pace, the Slammers won't be post-season eliminated until probably late September. That's about three months later than we are used to. Did anyone predict this? What did we missed? How about run away New Brew candidate OF Dave Webber? He's on pace for a 6.6 WAR at 24-years-old. Also giving a major boost are C Tom Crosby (6.3 WAR projection in a contract year) and former Hartford slugger Darryl Dellinger (on pace for 46 HR and 123 RBI!) Shavermetrics predicted this team would be one of the worst in baseball. The Slammers are giving a big Fuck You, to Clay Shaver!
Is Patriots famous old and wise GM funclown starting losing his touch?
After one of the greatest runs in the BLB history, with the Patriots going to nine straight playoffs and taking home four Brewmaster's, funclown had risen to the ranks of the very best GMs in BLB history. In 2019, they sold off a few parts to save Masahito Saito some money while they "re-tooled" the roster. They went 82-80, their worst season since 2009. Entering this year, in the toughest division in baseball, many sources had them pegged as sellers. They followed that tune by trading CF Erik Hudson to California but then surprised many by trading for Seattle ground baller SP Jamie Coffman. Recently, they took on the salary dump of veteran Israel Morales from Washington, and appear to be working the phones to find trade partners for their aging veterans. Their two biggest pieces, C Dave Piekarsi and OF Sonny Mason however, appear nearly untradeable with their combined salaries of $65M for 2021. There is always a method to the madness that is funclown, even if the rest of us don't quite see it. The Patriots will have to rebuild for a few years in the best division in baseball, but those who doubt him will soon faith the wrath of an old man scorn!
One question for every team: The biggest concerns for every BLB team and division.
Does anyone still doubt this is the best division in baseball?
A quick look at the BLB standings and one of the first things you will notice is how good the Ale is. Currently, the Hartford Whalers and Pittsburgh Millers are tied for 3rd place at 51-38. If Pittsburgh was relocated to the Stout and Hartford to the Bock, they would be in first place in said divisions. In 1st, Toronto Mounties, I mean Canadiens, are in 1st, ahead of schedule in their 15 year rebuild and the ageless Maine Guides are just a game back in 2nd. The BLB defending Champion Wilmington Wildcats are in 5th, but would be 2nd in the Lager, 2nd in the Bock and 3rd in the Stout. Somehow, the Syracuse Slammers are 45-47 which would put them 3rd in the Lager and Bock. Coming in last is the lovable funclown's Pawtucket Patriots. They have done enough winning recently and it was probably best for the league that they didn't continue that run. But who knows, if they played in a different division, maybe they would be a wild card contender?
Is this group too young to win it all?
The youthful Toronto squad currently sits atop the Ale and boasts the 2nd best record in the BLB. Many of the best players on the team are 25 or younger, even. Starting 3B Jamie "Superfly" Kitchen, now on his 3rd season with the team, just returned to Canada after having his 21st birthday celebration in Aloha, OR where he can finally drink legally. It's easy to get caught up in the young names on the roster, but this team does have more veteran presence than I think a lot of teams choose to recognize. SP Johnny "I'm so good I don't need a nickname" McDade is quietly on pace for his highest WAR season. The 32-year-old was imported last season bringing three championship rings to a team that had never even had a winning seasons (as Toronto, the furry pigs did in 2001). In year one, they made the playoffs. What does this group have in store for year two? In recent news, Toronto signed veteran slugger Ian Ledbetter to add a little more power to the lineup that already boasts Dylan Owens, Roberto Jaime, Dave Ingram and Robbie O'Neal. Ledbetter is 37, and old enough to be the father of some of the players on the team. And according to Ledbetter, that is actually a possibility.
"I love Toronto. I love Canadian women in general, actually. I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri but when I was in high school my buddies and I would routinely party up in Canada with our fake ID's. It's actually why I chose to go to Falmouth to play baseball because it was so close to the border. I even took a year off in 2003, when I was finally legal to drink and spent most of that year partying in clubs in Montreal and Toronto. The techno scene was really underground then and the parties were so much fun. Really, anything goes....and I mean anything. Especially at the after hours. I've already started joking with a few players on the club that they are so young I could be their daddy. Especially because they don't sell condoms in Canada. At least that's what the girls always told me."
Is this group too old to win it all?
The Maine Guides are old. SP Fernando Hernandes is so old that his social security number is 1! OF Steve Suares is so old that when he was in school there was no history class! C Ray Davila is so old when he was told to act his own age he almost died! Remember your momma jokes? Players on this team are so old, they think these jokes are still funny. Eight players on the 25 man roster are currently 35 or older. So far, it has worked with may of them appearing to have found the fountain of youth this season, including OF Oldham, RP Kreighbaum, RP Bell, and the ageless mentions above. However, the playoffs don't start for another 12 weeks. That's another half season of innings on an arm and ABs at the plate. If making predictions today, the Guides might be picked by many to win it all. They recently won the Brewmaster's in 2018 with a very similar roster. They also have a team built to fit their park very well (30-16, 3rd best home record in BLB). And this time around they have a little bit of youth to sprinkle in with OFs Zach Smith, Ron Gooch, IFs Edwin Reta and Dave Boeser, and SP Willie Olivas, down the stretch. The biggest question is what the roster will look like come October. Does this ageless group have one more run in them? We shall see.
Can the Whalers re-write BLB team building philosophy?
The 2020 Hartford Whalers do a lot of things right. They currently boast the DL's best bullpen led by a trio at the top of CL Gabe Cravalho and setups Pat Bettis and Tom Wood. They are also 2nd in the DL in runs scored with a lineup that almost never strikes out and has a lot of gap and HR power. Marques Edwards, Ricky Murillo and Dave Perkins are arguably the most dangerous trio in any lineup. The issues holding this team back are their starting rotation which ranks 14th out of 16 DL teams in ERA (No starter has an ERA under 4.40) and a defense that ranks 8th (including the leagues worst defensive CF Cy Mock). The Whalers have made the playoffs once (2018) in the last 13 seasons. This team is defying the conventional wisdom taught to us all by the great and powerful Dallas Sharks GM, Shark the almighty, by winning without starting pitching or defense. It remains to be seen how far they will go and how much Bdub the GM will then influence and change the BLB culture forever...
For a relatively young roster, can this Pittsburgh Millers team get over the post-season struggles?
The Millers are currently the 2nd hottest team in baseball according to the BNN Power Rankings at the break. The roster, known to be very volatile, has consistently performed well in most areas throughout the 1st half. The team is one of the youngest in baseball, median age of 26, and have had a run of 13 post-season trips in 15 seasons but this group might have it's best chance to win it's first Brewmaster's this season. Ace SP Jarrod Syverston is having a career year at 33, posting an 11-3 record with a 2.33 ERA and .98 WHIP. Check those numbers again, he pitches in Pittsburgh, not New York. He is giving his all because he knows this season could be special. They also brought in some veteran pieces including CF Antonio Ontiveros and the currently injured secret weapon SP Zack Reeves. Sources say they aren't done dealing, too. The Millers will be a contender for the foreseeable future with youngsters like Dave Seibert, Johnny Skolfield and Joey York in their early 20s already making big impacts and their core of "veterans" being in their mid to late 20's and just entering their primes. However, for a franchise with a post-season history you can sum up in one word, "Sad!", this could be the season they turn that luck around and have a "Huge!" post-season run.
Forget repeating, will the defending champs even make the post-season?
Change is inevitable. The Wildcats celebrated their first championship since 1982 by defeating the Death Valley Scorpions in the 2019 Brewmaster's. Before the champagne had dried, the vultures were circling. Big names left town in Free-Agency, the GM retired and the 2019 roster, referenced by many as one of the most talented the BLB has seen, was decimated. With a new GM calling the shots vacancies were filled in multiple ways: trades, call-ups from a deep minor system and some FA imports. The result so far has been promising, with a 47-42 record, the Wildcats would be the 6th and final Wild Card seed in the DL playoffs. Their main competition for that spot will be with the California Kodiaks, currently just a game back. With Syracuse unlikely to be a buyer, New Orleans and Indianapolis letting the BLB know of their trade block and KC, PAW, LAD and MOR already playing for 2021, it's really a two-horse race for the final spot. The teams have seven remaining games and the Kodiaks currently hold a 3-2 game lead. All things considering with the transition, if the Wildcats do return to the playoffs, it will go along way for respect around the league.
Are the Slammers and slugger Dave Webber, the BLB's best 1st half story?
A quick look at the 2020 BLB Shavermetrics Preview, and you will see that no team is higher than was predicted than the Syracuse Slammers. This surprise group is 45-47 at the break. That might not seem like that great of an accomplishment but the 2019 Slammers went 47-115! I don't think a team, in all the years of the BLB, has nearly topped their season win total by mid-season. The Slammers have to go just 32-37 in the 2nd half to post their best record since 2014, also the last time they made the playoffs. The post-season isn't completely out of reach and if they keep their pace, the Slammers won't be post-season eliminated until probably late September. That's about three months later than we are used to. Did anyone predict this? What did we missed? How about run away New Brew candidate OF Dave Webber? He's on pace for a 6.6 WAR at 24-years-old. Also giving a major boost are C Tom Crosby (6.3 WAR projection in a contract year) and former Hartford slugger Darryl Dellinger (on pace for 46 HR and 123 RBI!) Shavermetrics predicted this team would be one of the worst in baseball. The Slammers are giving a big Fuck You, to Clay Shaver!
Is Patriots famous old and wise GM funclown starting losing his touch?
After one of the greatest runs in the BLB history, with the Patriots going to nine straight playoffs and taking home four Brewmaster's, funclown had risen to the ranks of the very best GMs in BLB history. In 2019, they sold off a few parts to save Masahito Saito some money while they "re-tooled" the roster. They went 82-80, their worst season since 2009. Entering this year, in the toughest division in baseball, many sources had them pegged as sellers. They followed that tune by trading CF Erik Hudson to California but then surprised many by trading for Seattle ground baller SP Jamie Coffman. Recently, they took on the salary dump of veteran Israel Morales from Washington, and appear to be working the phones to find trade partners for their aging veterans. Their two biggest pieces, C Dave Piekarsi and OF Sonny Mason however, appear nearly untradeable with their combined salaries of $65M for 2021. There is always a method to the madness that is funclown, even if the rest of us don't quite see it. The Patriots will have to rebuild for a few years in the best division in baseball, but those who doubt him will soon faith the wrath of an old man scorn!
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