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08/27/2057
Sweet September is around the corner and your Phoenix Roadrunners are top of the Power Rankings once again. Yes you heard that right. With a 6-0 week, thanks to sweeps of Batavia and Denver, the Roadrunners have the second best record in the league and a 6.5 game lead in the Bock over Seattle. Next up were the Pawtucket Patriots who went 6-1. After sweeping Hartford, they took three of four against New Orleans and suddenly they have a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs. Remember when they blew a 99% chance of making the postseason a few seasons ago? Well this could be the Uno reverse card. Throw in Santo Domingo who went 5-1, and Baltimore and Carolina who went 5-2, and there were some happy front offices and fan bases. On the flip side poor Hartford went 0-6, while Pittsburgh, Batavia, and New York went 1-5. The Millers and Muckdogs are long dead, but the Cyclones still have a 97% chance of making the postseason. Don't blow it NYC!
Power Rankings
1) Phoenix Roadrunners (122.0, ++)
2) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (119.1, +)
3) Montreal Exports (114.4, o)
4) Washington Bats (111.6, --)
5) Dallas Drillers (109.0, --)
6) Baltimore Bulldogs (108.4, o)
7) Wilmington Wildcats (103.9, +)
8) Syracuse Snappers (102.2, -)
9) Seattle Pilots (100.6, +)
10) Carolina Tobs (98.0, -)
11) Indianapolis Clowns (90.1, +)
12) Pawtucket Patriots (87.6, ++)
13) New Orleans Voodoo (87.1, -)
14) Los Angeles Dinos (85.2, +)
15) New York Cyclones (84.9, --)
16) Denver Bulls (79.6, -)
17) Pittsburgh Millers (76.4, -)
18) Windy City Blues (74.7, +)
19) Maine Guides (73.9, ++)
20) California Kodiaks (73.3, +)
21) Toronto Canadians (72.2, -)
22) Philadelphia Freedom (69.9, -)
23) Hartford Whalers (65.1, --)
24) Batavia Muckdogs (55.6, o)
Performance of the Week
3B James 'Grits' Wilson - We missed it but on August 18th against Batavia, Wilson turned in only the fifth 100+ game score of the season. In five at bats he had five hits, one home run, four RBI's, and four runs scored as Denver won 10-5. He hit a two-run home run off Tim Stover in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, doubled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 6th and hit an RBI single in the 8th. The 6'7 third basemen was a 5th round pick in 2049 by the Bats but was traded to Denver in 2055. This season he's appeared in 49 games and is hitting .362/.396/.483 with 2 HRs and 21 RBIs.
Prospect of the Week
3B C.J. 'Splits' Spicer - We aren't sure why he's the #100 prospect in the league, but we think the 5th overall pick from the 2055 draft by New Orleans should be a lot higher. Traded to California a few months back he's hitting .340/.433/.630 with 24 HRs and 90 RBIs in 94 total games in A ball. He's a third basemen with a cannon for an arm, or can play either corner outfield position. Coaches love his work ethic, and scouts believe he can be an everyday starter on a contending team. He's only 20 years old but as of now the sky is the limit.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Oh where have you gone New Orleans, your fans turn their lonely eyes to you...woo, woo woo. Sorry just getting a little sentimental about the rise and fall of the Voodoo. On June 1st, New Orleans had the best record in the league and led the Lager by two games. Now they are 65-62 and have allowed Indianapolis to have some playoff hope. After going 10-18 in June, New Orleans went 12-11 in July, and they are now 9-16 in August. Talk about the dog days of summer. Can they turn it around in September and lock of the final Wild Card spot in the Domestic? What's even better is guess who they they play this week? Tune in below to find out.
2. Phoenix is doing so well in the BLB that their front office forgot about their Rookie League team, the Belle River Bombers. The Bombers have lost 15 straight, and are currently 17-92 on the season. To compound this California's RL team, the Austin Rustlers, are 80-29. They have the best record of any team in the minors at any level, and they have a ridiculous 63 game lead over the Bombers in the Porter's Western Division. Every single player on the Bombers team, all 33 on the active roster and two on the IL, are angry. The manager, 2x Stout Slugger Manny Quezada, took over in 2053. Since then he is 177-412 as a manager. It might be time to shake things up in Belle River, so the organization can keep that success they are having now be sustainable.
3. Not much has gone right for Maine this season, but they recently called up Sean 'Thrillseeker' Brown and he's put together a very nice two weeks. So far in 13 games he's hitting .345/.357/.709 with 5 HRs and 17 RBIs. He was a 3rd round pick in 2052 and has excelled at almost every level he's ever played. Brown hit .354 in high school, .338 in A ball, .312 at AA, and .314 at AAA...yet he was never selected to an All-Star game or was a top rated prospect. Now he comes into the league, smashes three home runs in one game last week against Pittsburgh, and was named the Domestic Player of the Week. Not a bad time at all for the 6'6, 23 year old who hails from Concord, California.
4. From 2046 to 2054 the BLB didn't have a single player who hit over 50 home runs in a season. Meanwhile from 2037 to 2045, J.D. 'Hurricane' Rice did it five times all by himself. Then 2055 rolled around and Pawtucket's Rodrick Madhubuti hit 50*, then last year Washington's Parker Lee hit 56. This season it appears we might have a three-peat as California's 23 year old slugger Stan Sikes leads the league with 41 home runs, and is on pace for 53. Drafted 18th overall in 2051, this is his fourth season in the bigs. He hit 20 home runs in 2054 (in only 85 games), 30 in 2055, 31 last season, and here we are headed for 50+ this year. He's also swiped 14 bases and smacked 25 doubles as well.
5. What's on tap? We get some great series this week as Dallas travels to Montreal (Drillers 9-14 this month, and 1-5 against the Exports overall), Indy heads to New Orleans (Clowns only 3.5 back from the Voodoo now in the Wild Card), Phoenix flies north to Seattle (at 6.5 back the Pilots need to make a move), and finally Wilmington goes to Syracuse (4th place Wildcats have a better record than 1st place Snappers). Streak wise Phoenix has won six straight, SDR has won four straight, Hartford has lost six straight, Elias 'Clapper' Owen (IND) has a 19 game hitting streak, Del Pripisnov (WAS) has scored in seven straight games (he's only played in 10), and Ed Baker (BAL) has a RBI in six straight.
Stat of the Week
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| Most Consecutive 200 H Seasons (Top 25 Players) |
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