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07/24/2056
In the short week it was Batavia, Phoenix, Washington, and Hartford who all had their brooms out, while New York, California, Baltimore, and Indy were their unfortunate victims. Thanks to their sweep, the Bats have moved back into the top spot in the Power Rankings even though Santo Domingo has the best record in the league. The Players of the (short) Week were Rodrick Madhubuti (PAW) and Andy Dillon (WAS). Some team leaders: Pawtucket and Toronto scored 22 runs (WC/PHI 7), Dallas and Batavia hit six home runs, Seattle and Phoenix swiped 8 bases, LAD and Carolina only allowed 7 runs (PIT/NO 22), and Hartford K'd 43 batters (MAI 11).
Power Rankings
1) Washington Bats (127.6, +)
2) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (126.3, -)
3) Hartford Whalers (106.7, ++)
4) Dallas Drillers (103.2, +)
5) New Orleans Voodoo (102.6, -)
6) Baltimore Bulldogs (101.5, --)
7) Carolina Tobs (101.5, +)
8) Seattle Pilots (100.7, +)
9) Phoenix Roadrunners (98.8, ++)
10) Los Angeles Dinos (96.0, ++)
11) Syracuse Snappers (94.0, -)
12) Pittsburgh Millers (92.9, --)
13) Batavia Muckdogs (91.1, ++)
14) Denver Bulls (87.9, -)
15) Wilmington Wildcats (85.3, --)
16) Windy City Blues (80.3, +)
17) California Kodiaks (79.3, -)
18) Indianapolis Clowns (78.1, -)
19) Toronto Canadians (77.6, +)
20) Pawtucket Patriots (75.8, +)
21) New York Cyclones (73.3, --)
22) Maine Guides (71.4, o)
23) Montreal Exports (56.3, o)
24) Philadelphia Freedom (53.4, o)
Performance of the Week
1B Parker Lee - The slugger from Rhode Island belted two home runs, drove in six, and scored three times in a 9-5 victory over the Cyclones on July 19th. The icing on the cake was his two-out, bottom of the ninth walk-off grand slam, giving him his league leading 32nd home run of the season. The 25 year old is having a career year as he's slugging .287/.398/.606 and is a favorite for the Stout Slugger.
Prospect of the Week
RF Kyle Siebert - The 21 year old was the MVP of the Futures game this past weekend as he had two hits, a home run, and scored twice in a 4-2 victory by the Import. The first round pick by the Tobs in the 2055 draft is currently in AAA where he's hitting .210, but has 23 HRs and 57 RBIs to go with it. Sounds like a Tob to us!
Five Things We Think We Think
1. It seems like it has been a while since the All-Star game was actually played on the field, but this year the scheduling committee finally got it right and the Domestic took down the Import 4-2. The player of the game was Indy's Jerry 'Snake Hips' Coleman who smacked a three-run home run in the fourth inning off of Seattle pitcher Norm Aouita. At that point in the game the Import had a 2-0 lead thanks to a solo shot by Val Schmit (CAR) in the second, and an RBI single by Schmit in the fourth. The Domestic added an insurance run in the 5th as Aubrey 'Gypsy' Albano (SYR) smacked a home run off of Stephen Gibbs (BAL), and that was all the scoring for the day. Also a big shout out to the fans as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower Field (PHI) was a complete sell-out.
2. Speaking of fans the Phoenix Roadrunners continue to pack the park as their 99.5% attendance rate is tops in the league. Known for years as one of the bottom feeders when it came to fans, they are now a top ten team in the league when it comes to interest in the organization. One of the main reasons is they are winning again. Currently they are 49-45, and in second place in the Bock. The Roadrunners haven't had a winning season since 2048, which is also the last time they went to the playoffs. Their star pitcher from that season, 29 year old Cade Hogan. Since then Hogan has been to Santo Domingo, Denver, Washington, Hartford, back to Phoenix, Pawtucket, and as of this spring back to Phoenix once again. He's 37 now, but he's still a respectable 6-7 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.2 WAR.
3. The home run derby winner was Wilmington's Zeke Lebron as he took down Parker Lee in the final 12-11. Lebron hit a contest best 23 bombs in round one to take down Sage Emerson (HAR), and then got by Kyle O'Brien (LAD) 14-13 in round two to move on to the final. The 31 year old was named to his 5th All-Star game this past week, and is on pace to make the 40/40 club. He's currently hitting .244/.331/.516 with 23 HRs, 58 RBIs, and 36 stolen bases.
4. The Kodiaks had a rough week as they went 0-3 and fell to last in the Bock. This is a team that hasn't missed the playoffs since 2034, by far the longest streak in the league. The good news is that even at 43-51, they have a 29% chance of making the playoffs according to the odds-makers. With their remaining opponents win percentage under .500, and their PYT at -6, anything is possible. One Kodiak though who had a good week (at least financially) was Dwight Bell. The 28 year old was the 1.3 pick of the 2045 draft by California, and in seven seasons in the BLB has been named an All-Star three times. On Friday he was rewarded with a four year deal that will pay him $105,000,000, which includes a player option in the year 2060. Lifetime he's a .262/.343/.532 hitter with 171 HRs, 438 RBIs, and 134 SB's.
5. What's on tap? The BLB is full steam ahead for the second part of the season as Seattle travels to California (can the Pilots snuff out the Kodiaks postseason dreams), Phoenix heads over to Los Angeles (2nd and 4th in the Bock separated by 2 games), and Pittsburgh takes the bus to Hartford (1-4 in the Ale just four games apart). Streak wise Hartford has won seven straight, New York has lost five straight, and Indy has lost four straight. Benjamin Guy (PIT) has a 20 game hitting streak, Andy Dillon (WAS) has a 17 game hitting streak, Zeke Lebron (WIL) has scored in seven straight games, and Kyle O'Brien (LAD) has an RBI in 10 straight games.
Stat of the Week
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| Longest Postseason Drought |