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06/29/2065
We had a unicorn as the Pittsburgh Millers went 7-0 this week (checks schedule) with sweeps of Maine and Toronto. Well, that's not really much to write home about as the Millers are now 'only' 11.5 games back in the Ale, but just 2.5 in the Wild Card. With a PYT of -2 maybe there is a little hope in Pittsburgh after all this season. After trading first round picks for Joel Greer (2-6, 5.30 ERA) and Kurtis McClellan (5-7, 4.77 ERA), and going 11-18 in May, the GM was just about run out of town as attendance has crumbled this year. Well on that positive note onto another big winner as LAD went 6-1 against Carolina and Seattle. Now that is something to write home about. The Dinos are 17-10 this month and within five games of division leading Windy City. Batavia and Hartford each went 5-1, while SDR and Indy went 5-2. On the flip side New York went 0-6. They are 3-22 this month, but more on that later.
Power Rankings
1) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (123.4, o)
2) Hartford Whalers (118.5, ++)
3) Windy City Blues (116.6, -)
4) Dallas Drillers (115.0, -)
5) Los Angeles Dinos (105.3, ++)
6) Pittsburgh Millers (100.8, ++)
7) Seattle Pilots (97.2, --)
8) Batavia Muckdogs (96.1, ++)
9) New Orleans Voodoo (93.7, -)
10) Carolina Tobs (92.8, +)
11) Montreal Exports (92.4, -)
12) Philadelphia Freedom (92.0, o)
13) Wilmington Wildcats (91.0, --)
14) Denver Bulls (91.0, -)
15) California Kodiaks (88.0, --)
16) Indianapolis Clowns (86.9, ++)
17) Washington Bats (82.0, -)
18) Toronto Canadians (73.2, --)
19) Pawtucket Patriots (73.1, -)
20) Baltimore Bulldogs (72.8, +)
21) Phoenix Roadrunners (70.6, ++)
22) Syracuse Snappers (67.0, +)
23) Maine Guides (64.3, --)
24) New York Cyclones (48.5, -)
Performance of the Week
P Rich Mount - The 29 year-old fan favorite has become the best pitcher in baseball thanks to an unhittable fastball and slider, the arm strength to throw 100 mph, and the ability to paint the corners and not allow home runs. Last years Pale Ale turned in the third best performance of the season against Pittsburgh two days again when he went nine innings, allowed just one hit, no runs, and struck out nine. Wait...didn't the Millers go undefeated? Yes, they did, as Mount got the no decision when the Millers won 1-0 in the 12th inning. Could he be on the move for a King's ransom? Only time will tell.
Prospect of the Week
LF York 'Mungo' Goldschmidt - Hey, another 'Mungo' who can hit the ball really far (or just strikes out). Drafted fourth overall last season, the switch hitter is hitting .265/.390/.642 with 24 HR, 50 RBI and 2.2 WAR in just 62 Rookie League games this season. During his high school career he hit 50 HR's in 153 games played and is projected to make the BLB roster in a few seasons.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. New York, New York...what the heck happened in New York. The Cyclones started the season 0-8. By May 13th they were 22-14 and just a half game back in the Stout. On June 4th they were 30-26 and just two games back. Since that point they are 1-21. We can't remember a run like that for a team that was above .500 a third of the way through June. At the plate they are doing well. In the Import they are third in hits and runs scored. On the pitching side they are last in hits allowed, and 11th in runs allowed. The main reason for that is because they have the worst defense in the entire league, by far. Their -35.77 ZR is 54 points off the league average. "Pitchers give up walks, and pitchers give up home runs, but pitchers and fielders give up hits. You can argue about the extent to which pitchers are responsible for the hits “they” give up, but to argue that they’re 100% responsible is ridiculous. Fielders are not all created equal, any more than pitchers are. Some fielders turn hits into outs, some turn outs into hits." Wiser words were never spoken.
2. To go harder in the paint about defense, no one loves ZR more than the DK. Why? Because winners play defense. First this season in zone rating is Denver at +33.68. The Bulls are 39-39 and tied for the final Import Wild Card spot. Second place is Carolina at +25.36, who is leading the Stout. Third place is Windy City at +22.56, who is leading the Bock. Fourth place is Montreal at +20.43, who is 41-38 and in a Domestic Wild Card spot. Fifth place is Dallas at +17.91 who is 49-29 and only 2.5 games back in the Lager. On the other end of the spectrum out of the bottom ten teams in the league, only New Orleans (-14.56) and Santo Domingo (-11.13) have winning records. It appears that if you want to win, find good fielders who have the range to turn hits into outs. When you trot someone out in the field that makes pitchers cry, unless they are All-Star caliber hitters, there is probably a cheap replacement who is far better defensively out there.
3. Case in point about that is Santo Domingo's third basemen Micah Lumsden. The 23 year-old has a team worst -6.3 ZR in 61 games at third base this season, thus main reason the first place Rum Runners are underwater in zone rating. He's a true first basemen but is blocked by All-Star Isaac Rampone (5 HR, 10 RBI last week) who starts at first, and can't play DH because Garrett Paul is hitting .294 with 22 HR and doesn't even own a glove. So Lumsden trots out to third every game and does his best, which unfortunately for SDR produces the worst third base ZR in all the league. Behind the plate though he excels. Batting third in the lineup he's hitting .279/.354/.611 with 24 HR, 50 RBI and a 152 OPS+. That is the highest OPS+ for any starting third basemen in the league. Would the organization like Lumsden to be able play the hot corner a little better, sure, would the reduction in offensive production be worth it, no.
4. Hard to believe but Rick Anderson is still playing for the Roadrunners at 38 years old. The 3x All-Star and 5x Designated Driver recorded his 2500th hit this past week, making him the 62nd player in the history of the league to do so. What his claim to fame though is (was) his ability to swipe bases. At one point he was the all-time leader in stolen bases, but it appears 39 year old Julian 'Skeeter' Ludin is going to have that title when it's all said and done. Ludin currently has 1,089 stolen bases to his name, 47 more than Anderson. Ludin has also stole 20 bases this season to Anderson's six and is projected to steal 42 on the season. When Richie 'Powder' van Luik retired after 2054, many though his 935 career stolen bases was untouchable. Yet here we are with not just one, but two players who have surpassed it. Records are meant to be broken.
5. What's on tap? How about the Muckdogs playing meaningful baseball in July? Batavia is 39-38 and hosts the Bats this week before welcoming the Blues. Talk about a tough week! Currently Batavia is in the third Wild Card position in the Import, have a 15-11 record in June and Donald Dworkin and Fredrick 'Turf' Palumbo are on fire. For a team that last won the title in 2050 and has had one winning season since then, the fans have been ecstatic and electric. North Shore Dog Park is going to be rocking this week for sure.
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Streaking
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| Pittsburgh visits Hartford on a 7-game win streak |
| Phoenix hosts Seattle on a 4-game win streak |
| Toronto visits Montreal on a 4-game losing streak |
| New York hosts Philadelphia on a 13-game losing streak |
| Donald Dworkin (BAT) has a 16 game hitting streak |
| Justin Reaves (HAR) has a 14 game hitting streak |
| Walter Muller (PHI) hit a HR in 3 straight games |
| Martin Bowden (SDR) has converted 13 straight save opportunities |
| Levi Backman (BAL) has converted 12 straight save opportunities |
| Phil Cole (SYR) has converted 11 straight save opportunities |
| Erick Greenway (PHO) has lost 8 straight decisions |
| Deondre Ivy (MAI) has lost 8 straight decisions |
| Jim Miller (BAL) has lost 8 straight decisions |
| Derian Romary (HAR) hasn't lost in 12 straight starts |
Who's Hot
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Stat of the Week
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| Highest Three True Outcomes Per Plate Appearance (HR's, BB's, K's) (Top 25 Players, Minimum 150 PA) |
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