08/03/2037
(AP)
We took an extended All-Star break vacation and came back to the Washington Bats going 6-1 on the week and being ranked #1 in the PR, with the Hartford Whalers just a hair behind. Speaking of those Whalers they were 7-0 this last week with sweeps of Miami and Syracuse. It's been a while since we checked in on the Snappers...4-50 since June 1st...ouch. Other big weeks were Carolina, Santo Domingo, and Windy City who all went 5-2. Meanwhile Syracuse went 1-6 while seven other teams only managed to win two games.
Power Rankings
1) Washington Bats (120.3, ++)
2) Hartford Whalers (119.3, ++)
3) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (117.3, -)
4) Batavia Red Jackets (111.6, +)
5) Indianapolis Racers (111.0, --)
6) Windy City Blues (111.0, +)
7) Carolina Tobs (111.0, ++)
8) Seattle Pilots (110.6, --)
9) California Kodiaks (101.0, --)
10) Los Angeles Dinos (100.0, --)
11) Toronto Canadians (97.7, +)
12) Wilmington Clowns (96.7, -)
13) New Orleans Voodoo (96.5, +)
14) Pittsburgh Millers (95.7, --)
15) New York Knights (92.7, -)
16) Pawtucket Patriots (84.6, o)
17) Montreal Exports (78.0, +)
18) Phoenix Roadrunners (72.1, o)
19) Baltimore Bulldogs (69.2, ++)
20) Miami Sharks (67.7, --)
21) Philadelphia Freedom (66.7, o)
22) Maine Guides (63.0, -)
23) Denver BC (45.8, o)
24) Syracuse Snappers (26.0, o)
Performance of the Week
3B Rory Smith - This happened July 24th against Syracuse but we missed it, so we go back in time to tip our cap to Smith who turned in the #2 hitting performance of the season. In six at bats he recorded four hits, drove in seven and scored three times in a 17-0 victory. The 32 year old was traded to SDR from Philly back in 2036 and has become a clubhouse leader who is highly regarded by his teammates. This season he's hitting .258/.345/.551 with 21 HR's and 46 RBI's in 72 games.
Injury of the Week
P Pat Trainer - This past off-season he was so eager to sign a four year deal worth only $5,500,000 that the Kodiaks should have realized something was wrong, besides the fact that his right arm was in a sling. He claimed it was in order to "rest it up", signed the contract and sprinted out of the room. So far in 40 games he is 4-2 with a 8.27 ERA and 1.86 WHIP. Mercifully on July 28th he injured his hamstring pitching and will miss at least a month of action.
Prospect of the Week
3B Taylor Harmon - The 21 year old went undrafted out of Rice even after winning the Platinum Stick award at 3B. Three days after the ceremony he signed a minor league contract with Seattle and a month after that was selected to the Rookie League All-Star game. He was then named the MVP of the game after his pinch hit two-run home run in the 6th inning during the Porter's 8-4 victory over the Pilser. After the game he said
"It's an honor to even be invited to the game. To be rewarded as the MVP of the game is extra special. Just playing on the same diamond as some of these guys is a pure treat."
Five Things We Think We Think
1. The BLB has ten teams with 60 or more wins, the IL has seven of them. New York is knocking on the door with 58. Four teams in the Bock have 60+ wins with 4th place Seattle trailing leader California by one game. Batavia is 61-44 and has the lowest playoff probability as they check in at 68.4%. Meanwhile in the DL there are seven teams with a shot for the six spots and six of them have a playoff probability of over 90%.
2. JJ Plumley is currently on pace to be the leagues first Triple Crown pitcher since Pat Evans did it in 2019 for Philadelphia. Plumley is 15-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 189 K's in 21 starts. The 29 year old is currently making $27,000,000 this season and earning every penny of it. For the history folks Evans retired in 2024 and was selected to the BLB Hall of Fame in 2028.
3. After an 11-18 June the New Orleans Voodoo had a mini fire sale and traded Jimmy Jeffs and Brenden Matson away. Then in July they went 16-9 and lead the league with a .316 average and they now sit at 55-52. There were led last month by LF Omar 'Doctor' Nichols who hit .378/.400/.659 with 5 HR's and 24 RBI's. The former 2nd round pick by Toronto in 2030 was signed as a free agent this off-season on a one year deal. The Voodoo will now battle Pittsburgh and Toronto to see who is the odd man out come playoff time.
4. On August 1st the Denver BC hosted the Washington Bats in front of just over 24k fans. The first inning didn't go so well for BC starter Vache Iosifian. First Erwijn 'Moriarity' de Jong hit a single, then Pat Nunes hit a single, then Reger 'Domino' Zuniga hit a single, then 1B Edgar Alonzo hit a grand slam. Joy-shan Guo came up next and Iosifian had enough so he beaned him on the first pitch. Guo charged the mound and the fight was on. In the end Guo was suspended five games and Iosifian was suspended six. Washington went on to score five more runs in the 1st and hung on to win 13-7.
5. We talked about the Snappers having a rough season but have they given up all hope? SP Tony Garcia is 0-10 with a 9.92 ERA. What can you expect though from someone who was undrafted out of the CCBL in 2031 and sold insurance until Syracuse signed him to a minor league contract this season. Then there is SP Ethan McKenna who is 1-8 with a 8.76 ERA. He spent the last two season in AA before getting his first shot in the BLB this season. Finally there is Jamari 'Warrior' Ortiz who is 0-6 with a 6.82 ERA. At 35 years old he last played in the BLB in 2034 when he went 1-5 with both Baltimore and Denver before being released at the end of the year.
Stat of the Week
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Most Years Placing in the League's Top 5 (Top 25 Players) |
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