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06/09/2064
So much winning, we woke up this morning and thought "just so many winners, I said when I woke up lots of big winners." Sorry not sure what happened there. There were some winners though as Batavia, Indy and Windy City all went 6-1, while Hartford went 5-1. Batavia is 29-30, is this the year of the Muckdogs? This team won it all in 2050, went to the playoffs in 2052, and haven't had a winning record since. The Clowns meanwhile have the best pitching in the Domestic and lead the 'Awful Ale' by seven games (they are in fact the only team with a winning record), while Windy City is 29-8 since May 1st and has a three game lead in the Bock. On the other side of life Syracuse and Philly went 1-6 while Santo Domingo went 1-5.
Power Rankings
1) Windy City Blues (133.0, o)
2) Washington Bats (124.1, +)
3) Wilmington Wildcats (123.9, -)
4) Indianapolis Clowns (117.8, +)
5) Los Angeles Dinos (113.9, -)
6) California Kodiaks (104.6, -)
7) Montreal Exports (103.6, o)
8) New Orleans Voodoo (100.6, o)
9) Carolina Tobs (98.6, o)
10) Batavia Muckdogs (91.6, ++)
11) Hartford Whalers (91.6, ++)
12) Baltimore Bulldogs (91.0, -)
13) New York Cyclones (85.9, -)
14) Dallas Drillers (85.6, --)
15) Pittsburgh Millers (84.5, +)
16) Pawtucket Patriots (80.0, ++)
17) Toronto Canadians (77.3, +)
18) Denver Bulls (74.9, --)
19) Maine Guides (74.6, +)
20) Syracuse Snappers (72.6, --)
21) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (67.7, --)
22) Seattle Pilots (64.1, o)
23) Phoenix Roadrunners (55.9, o)
24) Philadelphia Freedom (37.1, o)
Performance of the Week
RF Ian Schreiber - The Whalers needed someone to step up after the Levi Lane injury, so Schreiber said here I am, send me. On June 4th against the Snappers, Ian racked up four hits, hit one home run, and drove in an astounding seven runs as Hartford won 11-3. On the season the 27 year old is hitting .317 with 10 HR, 43 RBI, and a 162 OPS+. Schreiber went to the All-Star game in 2059 and 2062, and with that performance might have helped punch his ticket again this season.
Prospect of the Week
RF Cordell Fortunato - Drafted 9th overall two years ago by the Bulls, Fortunato is currently in AA where he's hitting .335/.355/.649 with 14 HR, 48 RBI, and a 158 OPS+ in 45 games this season. He can run, play any outfield position at a high level, and hit for contact...not a bad combination. Scouts love his hustle and actually project him in the pipeline to possibly crack the Denver lineup later this season.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. Oh no, another big injury impacts the BLB as Exports star Teddy Burch goes down down for at least two months with a herniated disk in his neck. The 25 year old won the Stout Slugger in 2061 and 2062 and was on pace to put up an 8.0 WAR this season, but on June 7th against Maine the chance to win his third Stout Slugger more than likely evaporated. In the 7th inning he hit a single, then stole second base. After the steal he was slow to get up, and replay showed him moving his head very gingerly from side to side. Then in the 8th with a runner on second, Maine's Derek Rosado hit a line drive single which Burch fielding cleanly and came up throwing. In a play at the plate, Blake Simmons was able to beat the throw home but the camera quickly panned back to center where Burch was down on one knee in obvious pain. Trainers came out and he was immediately removed from the game. An MRI later showed the herniated disk and Burch was placed on the injury list. Season to date the 3x All-Star and 2x Designated Driver was hitting .317 with 10 HR, 33 RBI, 27 SB while putting up a +7.7 ZR in center.
2. Windy City is the best team in baseball, sorry Washington and Wilmington fans. The positional strength guide put out by OSA has them 1st at first, 2nd at short, left field, and catcher, 3rd at second, 4th at starting pitchers, and 5th at center field. They don't have a ranking for right field, but Ezekiel Wolfson has been playing there all season, and we'd argue he's the best right fielder in baseball. There isn't another RF in baseball with a higher WAR, as Wolfson is hitting .311 with 11 HR and 35 RBI while also stealing 16 bases and putting up a +4.1 ZR. Their lone weakness is third base, where Erik Gripka comes in 21st overall. They are easily a 100 win team and more than likely will walk away with the Bock. As we all know the playoffs are a different beast, but for now their fans are in for a treat.
3. Montreal starter Brad Zook has made the transition from bullpen to starter this season, and leads the entire league with a 189 ERA+. In 2062 Zook last started a game, and that was only two of the 50 times he appeared during the year. This season though in 11 starts he's 5-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He can be a bit shaky with his control, but he can throw 101 mph and his fastball and curveball are electric. Throw in a decent change-up and he's been dominating so far. He is averaging only 81 pitches a game, so Montreal has to rely a lot on the bullpen when he takes the mound. That hasn't been an issue though as the Exports have won all four of his no-decisions, and in two of them he only lasted 4.0 and 4.2 innings. Still though for someone who hasn't been a regular starter since high school, it's an interesting experiment that is paying off. We wonder what other players in the league might soon follow suit.
4. Who is Nathan Stisco and how does he lead the league with 20 home runs and 49 RBI? The New Orleans slugger from Durham, NC was selected 8th overall in the 2055 draft by the Voodoo out of Notre Dame HS. He made his BLB debut in 2061, where he hit .285 with 32 HR and 94 RBI, and finished second in the New Brew race. He then hit 23 home runs in 2062, and then just .268 with 18 HR last year in the most at bats he ever had in a season. Many in the organization were concerned to say the least. Scouts think he's an average hitter, who could hit 30 HR a year, yet here we are as Stisco is on pace for 55 HR and 135 RBI. If anything he's just been consistent. He's only had one multi-HR game (May 11), and he's hit 10 home runs to right center or right field, and 10 home runs to left center or left field.
5. What's on tap? Interleague is back and better than ever. Some good match-ups this week:
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Player Streaks
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| Levi Lane (HAR) has a 12 game hitting streak |
| Andy Christman (MON) scored in 7 straight games |
| Levi Backman (BAL) has converted 13 straight save opportunities |
| Max Burns (PHO) has lost 8 straight decisions |
| Solomon Dockery (LAD) hasn't lost in 10 straight starts |
| A.J. Stillman (CHI) hasn't lost in 10 straight starts |
| Justin Casey (WAS) hasn't lost in 10 straight starts |
| Miles Licon (NO) hasn't lost in 10 straight starts |
Who's Hot
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Stat of the Week
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| Most Starting Pitchers Used In A Season (Top 25 Teams) |
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