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slant.gif (102 bytes) From the Desk of the Commish

Commish

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May, 2017

Chapter Two Recap

Players of the Chapter

While the Bear Country Jamboree haven't exactly "thrown in the towel", they're waving it in the air like Rocky Balboa at the end of the last Apollo Creed fight. Whatever disappointment Jamboree fans may feel at this point, it isn't due to the lack of effort from Daniel Murphy. He led the Ozzie League in batting average (.406), slugging (.755), and runs created (34.3) in Chapter Two, and posted an OBP or .429. He is our OL Hitter of the Chapter.

Akron's David Ortiz may have retired from baseball, but he's still active in the BDBL. Big Papi hit an incredible .417/.473/.904 (yes, that slugging percentage is accurate) in Chapter Two, leading the EL in all three triple-slash categories. He also led the EL in hits, runs scored, RBI's, home runs, doubles, and runs created. Basically, he led the league in just about everything. Not bad for an old retired ballplayer.

It was the "Trade Heard 'Round the World." On Thanksgiving Day, 2014, no one was more thankful on that day than Jeff Paulson. Fresh off of a mediocre 82-78 season, the Undertakers were poised to dominate in 2015. Their starting rotation was already the best in the league when they made that deal announced on Thanksgiving, which added Cy Young ace Chris Sale to the already-bloated rotation. It's no coincidence that Los Altos would go on to win the next two BDBL championships. Sale has continued to dominate for Los Altos in 2017. He went a perfect 6-0 in Chapter Two, with a 1.86 ERA, and an opponents average of .220/.270/.312.

The St. Louis Apostles won 23 games in Chapter Two in no small part thanks to the effort of Rich Hill. Our EL Pitcher of the Chapter posted a 1.99 ERA in Chapter Two, and led the league in all three triple-slash categories: .157/.216/.222.

Top Stories of the Chapter

Story #1: Here Come the Apostles

The 2016 season is apparently playing out again in 2017. Last year, the Apostles got off to a slow start, while the Niagara Locks forged ahead into first place. Then, the two teams flip-flopped in Chapter Two. The same pattern has played out this season, as the Locks went just 12-16 in Chapter Two, while St. Louis led the BDBL with 23 wins.

The Apostles now hold a NINE-GAME lead in a division race that appears to be over already. St. Louis scored more runs than every other EL team last chapter except for Charlotte, and they allowed fewer runs than any EL team. Meanwhile, Niagara saw their pitching staff crumble in Chapter Two. They allowed a 4.64 team ERA, allowed more hits (270) than innings pitched (258), and coughed up 38 home runs to opposing batters.

It appears that Niagara's biggest issue is the back of their starting rotation. Ivan Nova and Archie Bradley started fourteen games combined last chapter, and allowed a whopping 56 earned runs in 76 innings -- a 6.63 ERA.

So, now the question is: what will Mike Ranney do from here? Given that the chapter's trading deadline passed without a move being made tells me that he's giving it one more chapter to shake out. If Niagara doesn't gain any ground over the next six weeks, then we can expect Ranney to place Alex Fernandez and Johnny Cueto on the block. If either of those two pitchers ends up in the hands of any of the current division leaders, then we may as well award the trophy to that team now.

Story #2: Great Scott!

Don't look now, but the Great Lakes Sphinx are doing it again. Every year, it seems as though they squeeze the maximum value possible out of the least amount of talent. This year is no exception. The Sphinx managed to win 20 games in Chapter Two despite the fact that they are the only division-leading team in the BDBL that has been outscored by their opponents this season. They are out-winning the Pythagorean formula by six wins thanks to their mind-numbing 13-2 record (yes, 13-2) in one-run games.

Obviously, it is incredibly unlikely that they will be able to sustain this pace. Still, with a move here and there, they could maintain their lead (currently two games over the Kansas Law Dogs) and take advantage of their early-season luck. A great way to do that would be to find some way to boot Blazers castaway Hisashi Iwakuma (6.63 ERA in 58+ IP) or Martin Perez (6.35 ERA in 56+ IP) out of the rotation. If the Sphinx could add an ace like, say, Alex Fernandez or Johnny Cueto, that would certainly go a long way toward ensuring a spot in the Tournament of Randomness.

Story #3: Sleeping On Charlotte

Did we all miss something about the Charlotte Mustangs this year? Apparently so. Out of thirteen votes in our pre-season polling, not one person voted for Charlotte to win this division. I personally predicted a third-place finish on this page. Yes, just one year after losing 104 games, the Mustangs sport the best record in the Hrbek Division, hold a five-game lead over the second-place Akron Ryche, and have outscored their opponents by more runs than any other team in the EL.

Last chapter, I posited that Charlotte's unexpected rise to the top of the division was a fluke that would correct itself in Chapter Two. To some extent, I was right, as the Mustangs went just 14-14 on the chapter. But in addition to evaluating Charlotte's strengths we also have to consider the weakness of the other teams in that division.

The Chicago Black Sox are the only other team in the division that outscored their opponents in Chapter Two. In fact, they outscored their opponents by more than twice as many runs as Charlotte -- and yet they finished the Chapter just 12-16. With his team now trailing by six games, GM John Gill has already issued his annual white flag selling post. He's yet to make a move, however, so he has another chapter to change his mind (which he often does!)

Akron also went 12-16 last chapter, and allowed more runs than every other EL team except the Kansas Law Dogs. Can we expect D.J. "Stand Pat" Shepard to make a bold move to bolster his team down the stretch? If he did, it would be a first in his 19-year BDBL career.

Then there are the Cleveland Rocks, winners of just eleven games last chapter. They are now eight games out of the division race despite owning the best team ERA in the Eck League. Their problem (as it seems every year) is offense. Only the lowly South Carolina Sea Cats have scored fewer runs than Cleveland this season. Even if Cleveland adds a power bat to their lineup, it probably wouldn't be enough to make them competitive.

The Mustangs may not have the best team on paper in this division, but they could very well back their way into a division title.

Story #4: Break Up the Outlaws

This is supposed to be a rebuilding year in Flagstaff, and yet the Outlaws managed to win 18 games in Chapter Two, launching them one game ahead of the Bear Country Jamboree into second place in the division, and closing the gap in the OL wild card race to just six games. They are now six games above .500 despite having been outscored by three runs this season.

Their 10-2 record in one-run games is a major reason for their success to this point, and a major reason for that is the performance of the Flagstaff bullpen. In particular, Shawn Kelley (0.81 ERA in 22+ IP, with only 11 baserunners allowed) and Tony Watson (1.14 ERA in 23+ IP, with 18 baserunners allowed) have been absolutely filthy.

Flagstaff's main competition in the division, Bear Country, spent the past few weeks exchanging some of their best players for slightly worse players in an exercise that is neither "throwing in the towel" or "trying your hardest." It reminds me of the old Sharky strategy of "compete while rebuilding", which never seemed to pay dividends.

In any event, Nelson Cruz is now getting sized for a championship ring, and Ryan Dull and Adam Warren are trying to get used to the smell of Nestle Field. As much as those moves weaken Bear Country's odds of making the playoffs, they bolster Flagstaff's odds of maintaining their momentum. Whether or not either team can catch the stumbling, perennially-disappointing Cowtippers is a matter for the Baseball Gods to decide.

Story #5: The Behemoths of the Ozzie

Last year, when the Undertakers won an absolutely-ridiculous 128 games, we all figured (i.e. hoped) that we'd never witness something so absurd ever again. Well, don't look now, but the New Milford Blazers are only three wins off of that pace. After two chapters of play, the Blazers are sporting a nifty record of 42-14 -- a .750 winning percentage. They posted a 2.50 team ERA last chapter, and sit at 2.62 for the season. Think about that.

Meanwhile, the Undertakers' record is a meager 40-16, but they've outscored their opponents by a whopping 115 runs already. Last year at this time, en route to an all-time BDBL record for runs differential, the Undertakers had outscored their opponents by 127 runs.

The more things change in the BDBL, the more they stay the same.