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06/19/2062
Our demise has been greatly exaggerated as we are back, and all though not quite better than ever we'll do our best. First off congrats to the Carolina Tobs who went 6-0 this past week, have won seven straight, are 40-26 and tied with New York for the Stout lead, and are second in the Power Rankings. The Tobs downfall must be the DK, so they are probably not too happy to see us back in circulation. Next up was Santo Domingo, Denver, and Wilmington who all went 5-1. The Wildcats are now five games over .500, the Bulls are three games over .500, and the Rum Runners are just one game under .500. Apparently since we left the times have been a changing. On the other side of life Maine, Seattle, and LAD went 1-5. LAD is now 32-33, and in fifth place in their division. Is the Brutal Bock back? One thing we do know that is back in Los Angeles is defense. They are first in the entire league with a +24.02 zone rating. Pitching and defense...
Power Rankings
1) Montreal Exports (122.3, o)
2) Carolina Tobs (122.1, ++)
3) New Orleans Voodoo (114.8, o)
4) New York Cyclones (108.7, -)
5) Windy City Blues (105.0, -)
6) Washington Bats (104.7, +)
7) Denver Bulls (103.2, ++)
8) Wilmington Wildcats (102.1, ++)
9) California Kodiaks (99.9, -)
10) Pawtucket Patriots (96.2, --)
11) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (91.6, ++)
12) Toronto Canadians (89.6, o)
13) Phoenix Roadrunners (88.7, -)
14) Pittsburgh Millers (85.1, ++)
15) Maine Guides (82.8, --)
16) Syracuse Snappers (82.1, ++)
17) Los Angeles Dinos (81.6, --)
18) Baltimore Bulldogs (80.1, --)
19) Dallas Drillers (80.1, -)
20) Indianapolis Clowns (76.6, --)
21) Batavia Muckdogs (72.1, -)
22) Philadelphia Freedom (68.8, o)
23) Hartford Whalers (66.0, -)
24) Seattle Pilots (40.8, o)
Performance of the Week
RF Walter Lynch - The 23 year old rookie lit up the Millers on June 16th to the tune of two home runs, four runs batted in, and three scores as the Roadrunners easily won 11-6. Drafted in the 5th round of the 2056 draft, the Canadian from Quebec can't field very well, so he's mostly played in the DH spot against right handed pitchers. So far this year he's on pace to hit .265 with 15 HR and 54 RBI.
Prospect of the Week
P Tim 'Flash' Killips - The 3rd overall pick of this years draft debuted as the 9th best prospect in the league, tops among all draft picks. To add to that the 6'6, 17 year old has a scouting report which states that "Killips talent is that of a multiple -time Pale Ale winner." During his HS career he started 29 games and went 8-5 with a 2.69 ERA and 188 ERA+. Philly has a chance to be really good in a few seasons.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. We took a break but Frank 'Slugger' Memmi didn't. The 33 year old slugger once again leads the BLB in home runs with 22, and is on pace to hit 55 out of the park while driving in 135 runs. Last year he hit 44 home runs, and so far this season his average is up 54 points, while his on base percentage is up 57 points. He's also on pace to put up a 7.7 WAR, which would be equal to his top three seasons...combined. Yikes! Not bad for a guy making $6.05 million. This year he's turned in the 3rd and 8th best batting performances of the season and he's once again helping Maine stay in the thick of the Ale race.
2. It looks like the bottom finally dropped out on the Pilots. After last years miracle turnaround to make the playoffs, there is no joy in Seattle this year. The Pilots are 18-47, have a 0.0% chance of making the playoffs, and have a 92.2% chance of finishing with the worst record in the league. This team has missed the playoffs three times since 2022, with the most recent year being 2048. Their pitching is middle of the pack (7th in runs allowed, 6th in hits allowed, 2nd in K's), but their offense has been less than stellar. Seattle's .217 average is last in the league and 46 points below the league average, while their .275 OBP makes them the only team in the league under .300. They are also last in runs scored and home runs. The last time Seattle missed the playoffs they did it in back to back seasons, then back they went to the postseason 13 years in a row. Maybe they just need another restart.
3. The race to break Richie 'Powder' van Luik's career stolen base record of 935 is neck and neck, down to the wire, and any other saying you can think of. Currently Rick Anderson and Julian 'Skeeter' Ludin are tied at 921 stolen bases each. Ludin, who is 36 years old, is 27 for 34 this year. Anderson, who is 35 years old, is 24 for 33. The fact that they are going to break the record is a no doubter, the only question is who is going to hold the record when both are retired in a few short years. Next up on the active list is Elias 'Clapper' Owen, who currently has 778 career swipes. Sadly the 32 year old hasn't added to that number this year as Indy has him playing in AAA for the Memphis Railcats this season. We used to think 'Powder' had set an unbreakable record, but no more.
4. It's been a while since we've had a Parker Lee sighting (maybe we haven't been looking that hard), but he came back in force this week. In six games he hit .500 with a home run, 11 RBI, and four runs scored as Washington went 4-2. The 9x All-Star and 3x BLB champion is now 32 years old, and just captured his tenth Player of the Week award in the Import. Sadly all good things come to an end, and it appears Lee's run is slowing down. He's hitting .252 this season, and is on pace for just a 2.6 WAR, which would be the lowest since his rookie season in 2051. He's also on pace to hit 'only' 30 home runs, which will be the first time he's hit less than 40 since 2055. We're hoping for a rebound, even though the rest of the Import isn't.
5. What's on tap? This week we get to see how good Carolina is as they run the gauntlet.The good thing for the Tobs is they get both series at home, where they are currently 18-12. First up is New York, which will break the tie in the Stout, then they get Windy City a calling. The Cyclones are a tough 16-14 on the road, but the Blues have been abysmal. They are 13-21 away from Jistic Field as this up and coming team is still learning how to win on the road. Streak wise Mitt 'Porker' Saginashvili has a 17 game hitting streak, while Tob's ace Chase Vaughan has won 11 straight decisions. He lost his first game of the year, and hasn't had to face the sting of defeat since.
Stat of the Week
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| Most 100 RBI Seasons (Top 25 Players) |
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