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05/08/2062
Boom...Montreal has the happy unicorn as they go 7-0 with sweeps of Santo Domingo and Syracuse. Just like that they now lead the Lager by 1.5 games over New Orleans. The other top weeks were New York, who went 5-1 and moved atop the PR, and Dallas who went 5-2. After a horrendous start the Drillers are now 12-15 and just a game and a half out the Wild Card. What's that...there are 135 games to go? Okay well it's an improvement from their 0-7 start. On the flip side our team to represent the Import League in the Brewmasters, the Bulls, went 0-6 to fall to 7-18. Their bats have struggled so far this season as hitting coach Jafar Wiersum might be packing his bags soon. Looking at the available coaches there are more than a few capable (and better) replacements out there.
Power Rankings
1) New York Cyclones (146.8, +)
2) Washington Bats (139.8, -)
3) Montreal Exports (139.7, ++)
4) New Orleans Voodoo (116.7, +)
5) Baltimore Bulldogs (103.0, o)
6) Windy City Blues (100.8, ++)
7) Wilmington Wildcats (99.9, +)
8) Maine Guides (99.8, -)
9) Toronto Canadians (96.8, --)
10) Los Angeles Dinos (95.9, +)
11) Phoenix Roadrunners (94.0, --)
12) Hartford Whalers (91.0, +)
13) Pawtucket Patriots (88.4, ++)
14) Dallas Drillers (85.0, ++)
15) Indianapolis Clowns (84.1, --)
16) Carolina Tobs (84.0, o)
17) California Kodiaks (76.2, ++)
18) Philadelphia Freedom (74.2, ++)
19) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (67.0, --)
20) Pittsburgh Millers (65.7, -)
21) Syracuse Snappers (63.3, --)
22) Batavia Muckdogs (61.3, +)
23) Seattle Pilots (52.3, +)
24) Denver Bulls (34.4, --)
Performance of the Week
LF Eli Tracy - On May 4th the force was with Tracy in an 11-4 win over the Snappers. In four at bats he had three hits, one home run, and four RBI as his schwartz was the biggest one on the diamond that day. The 24 year old was a first round pick in 2055, won the New Brew in 2060, was an All-Star in 2061, and has become one of the leaders of the team. He also has a 15 game hitting streak going, the longest in the league.
Prospect of the Week
1B Nigel Torres - The Blues didn't get our memo that Torres was picked to win the New Brew for the Import as he's still toiling away in AAA. So far in 16 games there he's hitting .404/.500/.772 with 6 HR and 10 RBI while being on pace for a 10+ WAR in just 120 games. That sounds like a possible call-up to us. He was a fourth round pick in 2057 and at 22 years old is already a terror for RHP. The Blues are 15-11 and lead the Bock, but there has to be room for him somewhere.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. New Orleans outfielder Andy Bernard flashed what he is capable of last season when in just 57 games he smashed 18 home runs while hitting .320. This year he made the roster from the start of the season and so far in 19 games is hitting .261/.282/.725 while leading the Domestic with nine home runs. He was a first round pick in 2056 and is known for his power and work ethic. He also has an arm that will make base runners think twice before testing him. Scouts think he's an above average outfielder and that he can play in the lineup against both right and left handed pitchers. We think his average is only bound to come up, and when it does watch out.
2. Marc 'Mole' Dillard got the extension his agent was pushing for this past week as Pawtucket signed him to a six year contract worth $102.4 million. The 2x All-Star in New Orleans was traded to the Patriots before 2060 where he went to his third straight All-Star game. In 2061 he was 12-5 with a 2.84 ERA in the regular season, then 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA in the playoffs as Pawtucket once again took home the Brewmasters Cup. Originally the first overall pick of the 2052 draft by Carolina, he was shipped to the Voodoo in the Martin Hoffman trade in 2054. At just 27 years old he should be a cornerstone of the Pawtucket staff for the length of the contract.
3. Montreal batters have already been beaned 23 times this season, six more than second place New York and 18 more than last place Toronto. Something about those Exports just makes opposing pitchers want to hit them. At only 15% of the way through the season they could break the single season record held by Pawtucket. In 2057 the Patriots were hit by 113 pitches, breaking the 108 mark held by Maine since 2043. Previously Maine broke the 106 record held by Denver since 1996. First basemen Kyle Levin is leading the charge with six HBP, while short stop Cody Henning is right behind him with four. The Exports are first in the league in hits and HBP, which is a surefire (but painful) way to score a lot of runs.
4. We must be in a simulation as Indy's Jared Bradley continues to lead the league in batting average. Simply put, he can't hit. Bradley is 100% on the field for his amazing defense at short stop, as he's hit .244, .255, .245, and .273 the last few years. This season in 24 games he's hitting .375/.438/.487. If anyone should remind players and teams the season still has a long way to go, it's Bradley. Then again we remember fondly 2039, when Seattle's Johnny Thompson hit .401, the second player in the history of the league to hit over .400. The same Johnny Thompson who hit .297 the following season then lasted all of 12 games the year following that. Combined with the fact that it was his teammate, Richie 'Powder' van Luik, that hit .402 the same season is still mind blowing to many a statistician.
5. What's on tap? This week we get to see the Stout leaders do battle as Washington (19-6) heads to New York (19-6). Over the past five years the Bats barely lead the series 32-28, with their one playoff match-up also going to Washington 4-3 in the 2058 Division Series. We also get to see the upstart Dinos head to the Midwest to face the Blues. After last years 65 win season LAD's owner made a change and hired a longtime former GM who's captured three Brewmasters. So far they are 14-12 behind the third best defense by zone rating in the league. Once that get that pitching dialed it they might be lights out. Finally we get a big four-game series between Montreal and Maine, both first in their respective divisions. Last year Maine took the season series 7-4 but only outscored the Exports by four runs.
Stat of the Week
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| Oldest Players To Win The Stout Slugger Award or Pale Ale Pitcher Award (Top 25 Players) |
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