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09/01/2053
Dallas goes 6-1 to reclaim the top spot in the Power Rankings once again. The Drillers now have a 5.5 game lead in the Lager and a 96.5% chance of winning the division. Not to be outdone, the Maine Guides also went 6-1. Combine that with Pittsburgh going 1-6, and Maine went from a half game back to a having a 4.5 game lead in the Ale. Other top weeks were Carolina, LAD, Seattle, Washington, Pawtucket, and California who all went 5-2. With all that winning there was a lot of losing as Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Montreal all went 1-6, while Phoenix, Indy, New York, and Batavia went 2-5.
Power Ranking
1) Dallas Drillers (125.5, +)
2) Washington Bats (121.5, -)
3) Seattle Pilots (115.5, +)
4) California Kodiaks (111.0, +)
5) New Orleans Voodoo (109.3, -)
6) Maine Guides (107.7, -)
7) Carolina Tobs (98.4, +)
8) Los Angeles Dinos (98.4, ++)
9) Pawtucket Patriots (96.7, ++)
10) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (96.4, o)
11) Toronto Canadians (91.6, o)
12) Baltimore Bulldogs (88.0, --)
13) Windy City Blues (85.9, +)
14) Indianapolis Clowns (84.3, -)
15) Pittsburgh Millers (83.7, --)
16) Wilmington Wildcats (83.5, ++)
17) Hartford Whalers (82.8, o)
18) Denver Bulls (79.6, -)
19) Montreal Exports (72.5, +)
20) Batavia Muckdogs (71.6, -)
21) Philadelphia Freedom (69.9, o)
22) Syracuse Snappers (65.4, o)
23) Phoenix Roadrunners (65.3, o)
24) New York Cyclones (53.3, o)
Performance of the Week
P Dante Adams - The 25 year old was a 5th round pick by Maine back in 2045 and is in his third season for the club. Known for his top notch forkball, he came into his August 29th match-up against New Orleans 9-6 with a 4.22 ERA. Nine no-hit innings later and he's now 10-6 with a 3.95 ERA , and has pitched the only no-hitter of the season.
Prospect of the Week
P Evan 'Prowler' LaFreniere - The soon to be senior only started five games his junior season before injuring his shoulder and missing the rest of the year. In 2052 he was a NCAA All-Star though, and scouts think his potential is that of a future ace. He can throw 99 mph, he has three solid pitches, and has enough stamina to make him a starter in the BLB. We are interested to see how he does next year, and then where he goes in the 2054 draft.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. With the month of August over let's take a look at some of the winners...and not so much winners of the month. The number one team was no other than the Maine Guides, who went 21-7 and took over the Ale lead. For a team that went 11-14 in July, and looked to be sliding out of the playoff picture, they now have a 99.1% of making the playoffs and a 73.7% chance of winning the division. Right behind them was Seattle who went 20-10 and has taken a half game lead in the Brutal Bock. It hasn't been so brutal lately, but it's been quite the heavyweight fight between the Kodiaks and the Pilots all summer long. Next up was SDR and Washington who went 19-10, while Baltimore went 18-11 and Dallas went 18-10.
2. How about the Rookie of the Month in the Import going to Carolina slugger...wait...pitcher Chase Vaughan? We did see Evan Turner's name on the list, but alas it was only for Player of the Week. Meanwhile Vaughan went 4-2 with a 2.20 ERA, 42 K's, and only 10 walks to take home his first trophy. On the season the 23 year old, who was a 5th round pick, is 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA and 128 ERA+. It's the rise of the Tobs.
3. We've had a lot of Aubrey 'Gypsy' Albano chat lately, and why not. When you are one of the greatest hitters in BLB history you deserve to be recognized. This past week the 32 year old racked up his 2500th career hit, making him the 49th player in the history of the BLB to do so. Eight All-Star selections, 5 Designated Drivers, and 3 DWI's at second and he just keeps on going. In other milestone news, Hartford's Tyson Velez got his 2000th career hit. The IAFA from Guatemala signed with Seattle back in 2038. He was traded to Syracuse in 2043 and since then has been to four All-Star games, won four Designated Drivers, and helped lead Batavia to a 2050 Brewmasters Cup victory. During that season he hit .355 both in the regular season and in the postseason.
4. Los Angeles closed out the month successfully to get back to 69-64 and put themselves in prime position to make the playoffs. They are currently tied with Carolina for the second wildcard seed and have a 98% chance of making the playoffs. Throw in the fact that on August 30th, Marco 'Monster' Husted, hit for the cycle and it was quite a week. Believe it or not, it was the first cycle of the season (to go along with the first no-hitter). Husted grounded out in the 1st, tripled in the 4th, hit a three-run double in the 5th, hit a two-run home run in the 7th and singled in the 9th.
5. What's on tap? We get our last interleague match-ups of the year. Three of the top series, and potential Brewmaster Cup previews, are Maine at Washington, New Orleans at Seattle, and California at Santo Domingo. Streak wise Jaret Foley (DAL) has a 16 game hitting streak, Lukas Lorey (SEA) has won 11 straight decisions, Dallas is on a four gaming winning streak, and Pittsburgh is on a five game losing streak.
Stat of the Week
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| Unluckiest Teams Based on Pythagorean Record (Top 25 Teams) |
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