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10/02/2056
Here come the Kodiaks! After having one of the unluckiest seasons to date, California sweeps Batavia and Phoenix to go 7-0. Even at 78-81 they are now only two games out of the Wild Card race. With a PYT of -7, and a RD of +51, they still have a 6.5% chance of making the playoffs. Another great week in the Bock was LAD who went 6-1. They are now tied with Carolina for the top Wild Card spot in the Import. Throw in Hartford, Dallas, New Orleans, and Maine...who all went 5-2...and there were some timely winners this week. On the flip side Montreal, Syracuse, and Baltimore all went 1-6. The Bulldogs went from chasing the division title, to some untimely injuries, to more than likely playing on the road for the opening series of the playoffs. Such is life in the BLB.
Power Rankings
1) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (111.3, o)
2) Washington Bats (111.1, o)
3) Los Angeles Dinos (110.5, +)
4) Seattle Pilots (107.2, -)
5) New Orleans Voodoo (106.2, -)
6) Dallas Drillers (104.0, o)
7) California Kodiaks (102.3, ++)
8) Indianapolis Clowns (100.1, ++)
9) Pittsburgh Millers (97.0, o)
10) Denver Bulls (95.6, o)
11) Carolina Tobs (95.5, --)
12) Hartford Whalers (94.1, ++)
13) Maine Guides (90.5, ++)
14) Phoenix Roadrunners (88.4, -)
15) Pawtucket Patriots (88.2, -)
16) Wilmington Wildcats (86.7, --)
17) Baltimore Bulldogs (84.1, --)
18) New York Cyclones (79.6, ++)
19) Syracuse Snappers (74.9, --)
20) Toronto Canadians (74.2, o)
21) Windy City Blues (73.4, +)
22) Batavia Muckdogs (73.2, --)
23) Philadelphia Freedom (69.8, o)
24) Montreal Exports (45.1, o)
Performance of the Week
P Levi Brown - The Denver ace turned in the best performance of the season on September 29th against the Tobs when he threw only the second no-hitter of the season. Over the course of the game he allowed no runs, no hits (that's a big part of the no-hitter), no walks and struck out 15 opposing batters. The only blemish on the day was in the 5th when Rykeem Potts leaned in over the plate and Brown hit him with a 1-2 fastball. The 25 year old was a fourth round pick in 2049 by the Bulls and has turned into one of the best pitchers in the league. On the year he's now 19-9 with a 3.30 ERA and 120 ERA+. He also has 301 strikeouts on the season, making him the fifth player in league history to do so.
Prospect of the Week
3B Shawn Clark - The 20 year old was named the Rookie Cup MVP this past week after leading the Puhi Dolphins to a 2-0 sweep over the Chesapeake Mallards in the championship series. Drafted in the sixth round this year, he played in 68 games where he hit .322/.397/.464 with 7 HRs and 29 RBIs. During the playoffs in nine games he hit .387/.513/.677 with 2 HRs and 8 RBIs. He was a 2055 Cape Cod All-Star for the Harwich Mariners, and looks like he could be a serviceable major league player down the road.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. It was a long September for Phoenix, as they went from 4.5 games back for the Bock lead, and 69-61 overall, to now 79-80 and out of the playoffs. That's a 10-19 record for those without their calculator. According to our friends at Stats+ their playoff odds sit at 27.7%, as the battle between them and Denver for the final spot comes down to this week. The Bulls have three at LAD, who they are 2-7 against this season. Meanwhile the Roadrunners stay home to face Seattle, who they are 5-4 against this year.
2. The winner last month was New Orleans, who went 19-10. The Voodoo have now clinched a playoff spot, their seventh appearance in the postseason in the last eight years. Other big months were Indy (18-10) and Los Angeles (18-11). The Dinos are in for sure, and the Clowns sit at a 99.6% chance of making the postseason. Throw in California who went 17-11, and have won eight straight, and Denver and Hartford who went 17-11, and the month of September was kind to many. Alas it was not kind to Montreal. The Exports went 5-22 and easily secured the top pick in the 2057 draft.
3. Congrats to Charlie Spence, for breaking the single season strikeout record held by...Charlie Spence. This past week the 2056 Pale Ale winner (we're calling it) picked up his 21st victory on the season, while striking out 11 in a 5-3 victory over the Freedom. He now has 365 K's on the season, breaking his record of 360 that he set last year. The 300+ strikeout mark in a single year has been broken nine times in the history of the league, Spence is responsible for three of them.
4. If the Clowns make the playoffs (as they should) they can thank rookie pitcher Charles Hofer for being a big part of it. The 23 year old was a first round pick in 2051 and started the year in AAA. After going 4-4 with a 5.62 ERA, fans were skeptical when he got called up to the majors. Instead he's proceeded to go 11-4 with a 1.92 ERA in 19 starts, and just won the Rookie of the Month for the Domestic League. With the ability to hit 100 mph on the gun, and a devastating fastball and changup, Hofer could be their top starter as soon as next season according to scouts.
5. What's on tap? Well it's the final series of the 2056 season. With three of the four division leaders settled, it's mostly jockeying for Wild Card positions now. In the Ale though it's still all up for grabs as Indy faces Pawtucket, Hartford travels to Maine, and Syracuse flies over to Pittsburgh. Indy and Hartford are tied at 84 wins, while the Millers have 83. Throw in Wilmington, who has 81 wins, and their series with New Orleans is just as important. Streak wise the Kodiaks have won eight straight, LAD has won six in a row, and New Orleans has taken their last four.
Stat of the Week
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| Pitchers with 300 or more strikeouts in a single season (*=Active Player, +=Hall of Famer) |
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