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05/06/2052
HAL isn't messing around this season. After taking over a Philly team devoid of draft picks and young talent, HAL threw caution to the wind and went crazy in the free agent market...and it's paid off. Many laughed after owner CJ Barnhart stated he was hiring a computer to run the team as GM, but as of now the laughing has stopped. By going 5-1 last week the Freedom not only have the best record in the league, but they rightfully so are atop the Power Rankings. Another good week was had by the Indy Clowns. They aren't run by a computer...yet...but their 5-1 week propelled them above .500 to 14-12. On the flip side a handful of teams went 2-4, while Windy City lost the week by going 2-5.
Power Rankings
1) Philadelphia Freedom (124.7, ++)
2) New Orleans Voodoo (121.0, -)
3) Washington Bats (116.3, -)
4) Denver Bulls (113.0, -)
5) Pawtucket Patriots (113.0, -)
6) Syracuse Snappers (109.0, -)
7) Pittsburgh Millers (103.7, o)
8) Indianapolis Clowns (101.9, ++)
9) Montreal Exports (100.3, ++)
10) Maine Guides (97.9, -)
11) Batavia Muckdogs (95.9, ++)
12) Baltimore Bulldogs (89.7, -)
13) Los Angeles Dinos (87.7, ++)
14) California Kodiaks (86.1, -)
15) Dallas Drillers (84.0, --)
16) Windy City Blues (79.0, --)
17) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (78.2, -)
18) New York Cyclones (77.2, ++)
19) Toronto Canadians (75.1, --)
20) Hartford Whalers (72.3, o)
21) Phoenix Roadrunners (64.0, -)
22) Seattle Pilots (63.2, o)
23) Wilmington Wildcats (54.6, o)
24) Carolina Tobs (43.4, o)
Performance of the Week
LF Joseph Brandon - We just talked about this kid, and here he is turning in the second best hitting performance of the season. On May 1st against Windy City, Brandon had three hits, two home runs, drove in six, and scored three times in an 8-4 victory. The 20 year old on the season is now hitting .356 with 6 HR and 16 RBI in only 22 games.
Prospect of the Week
P James Tuel - The Tobs have a chance to be real good in the mid to late 2050's thanks in part to a plethora of young stars, with Tuel being another one. The 23 year old was a 3rd round pick in 2049 out of the CCBL, and he's currently playing for Carolina's AAA team. This season he's 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, 20 K, 3 BB and a 390 ERA+. That seems pretty good to us. Might be time to see how he does in the big leagues.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. With the month of April over lets look back at the winners/not so much winners of the month. Winners...Pittsburgh, Washington, and New Orleans who all went 17-9. Not winner...Carolina who went 6-19. Some team leaders: Washington scored 145 runs (Car 65), Washington hit 42 HR (Mon 17), Batavia swiped 62 bases (Wil 8), Baltimore allowed only 87 runs (WC 139), opponents hit .232 off of LAD (Har .290).
2. If you would have told us that Seattle would have the 3rd worst record in the league in May, well we wouldn't have believed it. This team was a game away from taking the Brew last season...yet here they sit. Good thing for the Pilots that the season is young, and no one is running away with the Bock. Even at 10-16 they are only 5.5 games out of first. The craziest stats though might be that they are 1-10 at home, 1-6 in one-run games, and 1-4 in extra inning games. Eventually they'll get some breaks.
3. You know who is the opposite of the Pilots...the Tobs. Carolina can't win on the road. Currently they are 0-10 with a run differential of -46 when away from Tobs Stadium. Actually it's not fun for most teams to play on the road. Denver (9-7) and Seattle (9-6) are the only teams with a winning record away from home. We guess the beds just aren't very comfortable.
4. The Maine Guides are 14-12 and Hayden 'Deuce' Cooper is a big reason why. The 29 year old is a lifelong Guide, and is putting together his best season ever. Currently he's hitting .379/.433/.495 with 1 HR, and 7 RBI. He's also tallied up a +2.8 ZR at third while stealing 17 bases. He leads the Domestic in batter WAR, and his projected 9.9 WAR is currently higher than the sum of his last three seasons combined. Not too shabby for a guy who has never been an All-Star. Looks like that might be changing pretty soon.
5. What's on tap? First place Denver gets the gauntlet this week as they first travel to LAD, then get a home-stand against Washington. The Bulls are the only team in the Bock with a winning record as they feature one of the more potent offenses in the Import. Lets see if 24 year old Colton Pearce and 35 year old Xzavier 'Blockhead' Medellin can keep the train rolling. Streak wise Abel Valley (TOR) still has his 21 game hitting streak going. He tore his hamstring almost a month ago but should be back in the next couple of weeks. Dawson Lamb (NO) has won seven consecutive starts, Ryan Anderson (WAS) hasn't lost in 20 starts, and Julian 'Skeeter' Ludin (WAS) has scored a run in nine straight games.
Stat of the Week
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| Most Seasons Appeared In (Top 25 Players) |
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