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09/28/2065
The Bats and Wildcats throw up huge 6-1 weeks. It appears Washington has saved their up and down season (for now), and Wilmington now has a one-game edge on Montreal to host a Wild Card series. Meanwhile the Clowns, Dinos, Freedom, and Guides simply just throw up by going 1-6, 1-6, 1-6, and 0-6. Sometimes it's just not your day, week, or year. Other good weeks were Dallas who went 5-1, and sit atop the Power Rankings, while Hartford, Montreal, and Windy City all went 5-2. Hartford had the Ale wrapped up months ago, Montreal as mentioned can still secure HFA in the first round, and Windy City sits atop the Bock by a game.
Power Rankings
1) Dallas Drillers (118.5, o)
2) Santo Domingo Rum Runners (112.7, o)
3) Washington Bats (108.0, ++)
4) Hartford Whalers (107.2, +)
5) Windy City Blues (107.0, +)
6) Wilmington Wildcats (106.8, ++)
7) Montreal Exports (103.5, ++)
8) Carolina Tobs (103.5, --)
9) Batavia Muckdogs (97.0, --)
10) Los Angeles Dinos (93.9, --)
11) New Orleans Voodoo (90.0, --)
12) Seattle Pilots (89.0, --)
13) California Kodiaks (88.9, ++)
14) Pittsburgh Millers (86.4, ++)
15) Pawtucket Patriots (86.0, ++)
16) Baltimore Bulldogs (86.0, -)
17) Denver Bulls (83.6, ++)
18) Toronto Canadians (83.0, --)
19) Indianapolis Clowns (80.0, --)
20) Philadelphia Freedom (79.0, --)
21) New York Cyclones (74.7, o)
22) Syracuse Snappers (66.8, o)
23) Phoenix Roadrunners (58.4, +)
24) Maine Guides (50.4, -)
Performance of the Week
RF Nathan Stiso - The guy who put up seven RBI against Dallas a few weeks back, beat up poor Syracuse on Thursday. In a 12-0 victory, Stisco had four hits, two home runs, drove in six, and scored three times. He's hitting .281/.351/.570 with 47 HR, 110 RBI with a 144 OPS+ on the season.
Prospect of the Week
CF Cameron Kingery - Picked up by Pawtucket via the Marc Dillard trade, Kingery is now the second overall prospect in the league. We don't much trust the OSA prospect report these days after the scandal of them taking bribes for rankings, but from looking at this kid we actually agree this time. He can run like the wind, play any outfield position at a high level, and has the ability to hit .300 with 20+ home runs when he develops according to scouts and coaches around the league.
Five Things We Think We Think
1. We're talking about Big D, and we do mean Dallas. The Drillers are just a game back in the Lager after gaining five games on the Rum Runners this month. With the Drillers hosting Montreal, and the Rum Runners on the road to Wilmington, that could mean the Drillers winning the division and getting a first-round bye. We're pretty sure May 16th was the last time SDR didn't lead the division, and even then they were tied with Montreal. They had a 10-game lead in late August, but Dallas has kept chipping away. Offensively in the Domestic the Drillers are second in home runs, third in hits, and fourth in runs scored. Pitching they come in first in hits allowed, and third in runs allowed. Defensively they have a +25.59 ZR, which is seventh in the league. For such a well-rounded team we believe if they can win the division then they can win it all.
2. One of the reasons Dallas has been so successful is because of Marc 'Mole' Dillard, who they picked up from Pawtucket in the above mentioned trade. After being 7-6 with a 3.46 ERA and 122 ERA+ for the Patriots, he's put up a 9-2 record with a 2.06 ERA and 207 ERA+ for the Drillers. Can he be another Sheng 'Admiral' Jong? In 2033 the HoF pitcher was traded to Santo Domingo after starting the season in Denver. For the Rum Runners he went 14-5 with a 2.92 ERA, then 3-1 with a 1.83 ERA in the postseason. Santo Domingo won the title in seven games over the Philadelphia Freedom. That season it was the now current Dallas GM running the Freedom. Maybe he and the Drillers will be on the winning side of history this time around?
3. The headlines in San Jose scream and shout about the 'California Collapse' as the Kodiaks are 10-15 in September. Let's be honest though, this was a .500 team all season long. They were 11-12 in April, 15-14 in May, 15-13 in June, and 13-13 in July. They finally got some breaks in August and went 18-10, but they are regressing to the mean now in September. In the Import they are fourth in runs scored, fifth in runs allowed, and middle of the pack or back in everything else. Defensively they are 11th overall in zone rating at -2.47, which is shocking for a team that is usually +20 or more and top five in the league. After all that they host Denver to close the season and are only a single game back in the Import's complicated and confusing Wild Card race. Currently Batavia, Washington, and Seattle are all tied at 83-76. Unfortunately, none of those teams (including Cali) play each other this week. Therefore, all four teams could finish in a four-way tie for three Wild Card teams, causing all life on Earth to cease to exist. We hope it doesn't come to that, but we can't make promises.
4. From 2022 to 2043, the BLB had at least one player hit 50 or more home runs in every single season but one (2034). JD Rice did it in 2045, then the league didn't see anyone until 2055, when Rodrick Madhubuti hit 50 in game 163 of the season. Pawtucket lost that game to Indy, who then lost 3-1 to Santo Domingo in the Wild Card. Santo Domingo then lost to Syracuse, Syracuse lost to New Orleans, and New Orleans lost to Washington 4-3 in the Brewmasters. That just shows that no matter what stat you talk about, you're only a few degrees of separation away from Washington winning a title. Back to home runs though. After Madjubuti, the feat was accomplished in '56 and '57, then not again until last season when Andy Bernard hit 50 on the dot. This season it's Isaac Rampone who is up to 51. He may not be alone though. Vince 'Mungo' Tanner of Dallas is at 48, while four other players are at 47. The last time the BLB saw two players hit 50 or more home runs in a season was 2037, when Rice and Manny Quezada both did it. Strikeouts are down, home runs are up, times are a changing.
5. What's on tap? We've already talked about most of them, but we have several big series that will not only determine division winners, but playoff teams as well. Hold on to your hats, it's going to be a fun ride!
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Who's Hot
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Stat of the Week
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| Most Runner-up Finishes Within 10 Games Of First |
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