05/25/2037
(AP)
The haves and the have nots this week as Phoenix, Washington, New Orleans, Maine, and Hartford all went 5-2. Meanwhile Syracuse was 1-6, Indy was 1-5, and New York, Pittsburgh, and Philly were all 2-5. On the division race front both DL leaders, Hartford and SDR, have opened up six game leads while in the IL Washington has a three game lead over New York and California has a 3.5 game lead over Windy City.
Power Rankings
1) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (119.9, +)
2) California Kodiaks (118.0, -)
3) Hartford Whalers (115.0, ++)
4) Washington Bats (114.9, +)
5) New York Knights (103.0, -)
6) Windy City Blues (98.8, +)
7) Los Angeles Dinos (98.0, ++)
8) Batavia Red Jackets (97.0, +)
9) New Orleans Voodoo (93.0, ++)
10) Carolina Tobs (92.0, --)
11) Seattle Pilots (89.0, -)
12) Wilmington Clowns (89.0, -)
13) Indianapolis Racers (88.0, --)
14) Phoenix Roadrunners (88.0, ++)
15) Maine Guides (87.3, ++)
16) Pawtucket Patriots (83.3, -)
17) Pittsburgh Millers (83.0, --)
18) Montreal Exports (81.2, o)
19) Toronto Canadians (81.0, o)
20) Philadelphia Freedom (76.3, --)
21) Baltimore Bulldogs (75.3, --)
22) Miami Sharks (67.0, +)
23) Denver BC (64.3, +)
24) Syracuse Snappers (59.6, -)
Performance of the Week
CF Rory Elia - The #1 player in the league showed why once again on May 22nd when he had four hits, two home runs, drove in three, and scored four times in a 13-8 victory over LAD. The 23 year old is now hitting .317/.396/.589 with 10 HR's and 32 RBI's on the season while posting a +4.7 ZR in center field.
Injury of the Week
LF Charles Farris - In a good week for BLB trainers and doctors there were no major injuries. Farris though did go down on May 22nd against Baltimore making an amazing defensive play on a JD Rice fly ball in the 3rd. He was diagnosed with an Intercostal strain and should be out for just a few weeks. The former 1st round pick from the 2031 draft has struggled this season after hitting .278 with 38 HR's last year so maybe some time off will help him get things back on track.
Prospect of the Week
P Cy Rocha - The 1.1 from 2035 is in AAA and in two starts is 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and an amazing 21 strikeouts to 1 walk. This was after in five starts in AA where he was 2-1 with a 0.81 ERA. At 22 years old he could be pitching in the BLB by the end of the season. His work ethic has impressed all his coaches and he's now hitting up to 100 mph on his fastball.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. In the feeder leagues the Hoover HS Pirates captured their 7th High School championship trophy when they defeated the Carroll HS Dragons this past week. Down 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth in the deciding game up trotted 17 year old pinch hitter Chase Gassner. His season stats...one game played, one at bat, no hits. So what does the part time manager do, how about with two runners on he turned on a 2-2 pitch and sent it flying over the the left field wall for a walk-off championship winning home run.
2. The rumors swirling around Seth Blankenship being traded are sure to bother the 26 year old right? Not so much as in his last 19 games he's hitting .432 with 7 HR's, 17 RBI's, and 4 stolen bases. Pretty impressive for a guy who gets asked about it every day and whose team is now 13.5 games out of Ale lead.
3. Ian James turns 35 in less than a month and he continues to be one of the most dominant players to ever play in the BLB. He's leading the IL in average as he's currently hitting .357/.417/.600 with 8 HR's and 26 RBI's. In 14 seasons he has gone to twelve straight All-Star appearances (about to be 13) while winning twelve Designated Drivers and three Stout Sluggers. He is 2nd all-time in home runs and 3rd all-time in WAR among catchers.
4. Outfielder Gordie 'Dynamite' Joiner of the Wilmington Clowns announced his retirement this week at the end of the season. The 36 year old was the 11th overall pick of the 2018 draft by the Indianapolis Clowns. All though never an All-Star he's played in 1124 games and hit .271/.305/.390 with 85 HR's, 430 RBI's, 488 runs scored, and 207 stolen bases. His high work ethic and intelligence made him a popular player in the clubhouse and he is well respected by many throughout the league.
5. Someone who isn't retiring is 34 year old Robby Brooksher who signed a one year contract extension next season with LAD for $600,000. He's currently making $26,655,000 this season and after next year will have made more than $250 million during his career. The 9x All-Star and 5x DWI and Designated Driver winner had a stretch from 2024 to 2032 where he was arguably the best player in the league. During that time he went to the All-Star game every season and lead all players in WAR. The rest of the top five during that time: Ian James, Johnny Swope, Ron Snider, and Mike Morla.
Stat of the Week
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Most Saves in Debut Season (Top 25 Players, Inaugural Season Ignored) |
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