December 19, 2011
Deadline Fever Rips Through BDBL
SALEM, NH - The entire league contracted a nasty case of Deadline Fever on Sunday night, as teams scrambled around frantically to consummate deals before the final winter trading deadline.  A total of 11 trades were made on Sunday, with many big names (and big salaries) changing hands.

Among the more frantic GM's was New York's Jim Doyle, who traded Joey Votto for Mike Moustakas earlier this winter, and then traded Moustakas on Sunday in exchange for Zack Greinke...and then traded Greinke to Southern Cal for Josh Reddick and Julio Iglesias.  (In other words, Doyle turned Joey Votto into Julio Iglesias.)

After a quiet (too quiet) winter of inactivity, New Milford villain Anthony Peburn made a pair of deals on Sunday, ultimately acquiring Adrian Gonzalez at the expense of his entire farm system.  And the St. Louis winter trading frenzy officially ended on Sunday when GM Bobby Sylvester added Dan Haren to a starting rotation that already includes Cliff Lee and Jared Weaver.

December 1, 2011
McGowan Lands a Few Punches
CORONA, CA - After a quiet off-season, Corona GM Ed McGowan delivered the two biggest shockers of the off-season, all in one night.  First, he added MVP candidate Joey Votto in a trade with the New York Giants (sacrificing Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas.)  Then, he acquired future BDBL first-ballot Hall of Famer Albert Pujols from the St. Louis Apostles (as well as Mariano Rivera) in exchange for Joe Mauer, Mark Trumbo and Allen Craig.  Pujols, who has spent his entire career as a member of the Apostles franchise, will be moving to third base to accommodate Votto.  With that one-two punch batting in the middle of the Corona lineup, the Confederates now have to be considered instant contenders (though they still have a little work to do.)

December 1, 2011
Superstar Shuffle
SALEM, NH - We're just a week into the 2012 trading season, and already several big names have traded hands.  The Sylmar Padawans added Matt Holliday, Chicago acquired Starlin Castro, Akron swapped Logan Morrison for Corey Hart and Jason Motte, Salem has added Ubaldo Jimenez, Jair Jurrjens, Yadier Molina and Michael Cuddyer, Allentown picked up Josh Beckett, and New York traded Gio Gonzalez and the great Phil Humber to St. Louis for Chris Carpenter and Jesus Montero.

November 23, 2011
Atlanta Wins!
ATLANTA, GA - The Atlanta Fire Ants fought off the Los Altos Undertakers in six games to capture the 2011 BDBL championship on Wednesday afternoon.  Atlanta's pitchers held the powerful Undertakers lineup in check throughout the series, holding Los Altos to just 19 runs on 45 hits.  Atlanta's 9-2 win in Game Six came on the heels of a 12-inning marathon, which was won by Los Altos.  Despite nagging usage issues, the Fire Ants clinched the series with help from starter Clay Buchholz, who allowed just two runs on seven hits in 6+ innings.

November 19, 2011
World Series Primed for Pitchers Duel
SALEM, NH - The 2011 BDBL World Series will feature two of the greatest pitching staffs in league history when the Atlanta Fire Ants square off against the Los Altos Undertakers.  Atlanta is no stranger to pitchers duels, as they captured their first Eck League title by defeating the Great Lakes Sphinx in a series filled with pitchers duels.  The two pitching staffs combined to hold the opposition to just 42 runs in 6 games, and a .230/.289/.392 average.  Atlanta pitchers whiffed 62 batters in just 54 innings in that series, while issuing only 15 walks.

The road to the World Series was much easier for the Undertakers, who captured their second Ozzie League championship with an easy sweep of the lackluster New Milford Blazers.  Los Altos outscored New Milford 24-14 in the series.

November 8, 2011
Cheesetastic
NEW MILFORD, CT - The New Milford Blazers, and their roster full of pinch hitters and guys your wife has never heard of, won the OL Division Series on Tuesday, setting up an OLCS matchup against the Los Altos Undertakers.

Three of the five games in the series were decided by one run, including the final two games.  In the end, San Antonio's vaunted pitching staff proved to be no match for the high-powered Blazers offense, led by series MVP Wilson Betemit.  (You'll have to explain to your wives who he is.)

November 6, 2011
Undertakers Overtake Mississippi
LOS ALTOS, CA - The Los Altos Undertakers have advanced to the OL Championship Series for the fourth time in franchise history after defeating the Mississippi Meatballs in five relatively uneventful games.  Los Altos pounded the Meatballs for 14 runs in Game One, and easily won Game Two by a score of 7-2.  Mississippi eked out a one-run win in Game Three, but Los Altos then took the lead in the first inning of Game Four, and didn't surrender that lead the rest of the series.  C.C. Sabathia closed out the final game with a complete game six-hit shutout.

November 5, 2011
Fire!  Fiiiiire!!
ATLANTA, GA - The Atlanta Fire Ants are heading to the EL Championship Series after a six game series victory over the St. Louis Apostles on Saturday afternoon.  The Fire Ants won the first two games of the series despite losing their Game One starter, Clay Buchholz, to a stiff arm following a third inning rain delay.  When the series shifted to St. Louis, the Apostles evened the series with two straight wins -- one by one run, and another a 2-0 win.

Atlanta then took the series lead once again with a 4-0 Game Five win behind the stellar pitching of Buchholz.  The Fire Ants then wrapped up their second-ever ELDS victory with a convincing 11-1 win in Game Six.  Atlanta will now face the Great Lakes Sphinx in the ELCS.

November 1, 2011
Sphinx Advance!
GREAT LAKES - It took the Great Lakes Sphinx franchise 12 years to get to the BDBL post-season, and they're in no hurry to leave the party.  On Tuesday night, the Sphinx upset the Kansas Law Dogs four games to one in the EL Division Series to advance to the ELCS.  Great Lakes pitching held the stacked Kansas offense to just a .190/.237/.335 average, with only 13 runs scored.  The Great Lakes offense pummeled Kansas pitching, and posted a .516 slugging percentage in the series, with 16 doubles, 8 home runs and 28 runs scored.

October 29, 2011
That's a Wrap
SALEM, NH - The 2011 season officially came to an end at 9:42pm on Friday night.  The St. Louis Apostles needed to win one game in their final series in order to secure a tie for the division lead, but instead won three of those games to clinch the final spot in the playoffs outright.

The Apostles will now face the Atlanta Fire Ants in the EL Division Series, while the Kansas Law Dogs will face their division rivals, the Great Lakes Sphinx, in the other EL Division Series.

In the OL, the Los Altos Undertakers and Mississippi Meatballs will square off in one OL Division Series, and the New Milford Blazers and San Antonio Broncs will battle in the other.

October 28, 2011
Meatballs Roll into Playoffs
MISSISSIPPI - The Mississippi Meatballs went just 15-13 in Chapter Six, but it was good enough to capture the Benes Division.  On Thursday night, the penultimate night of the 2011 season, the Meatballs swept the Bear Country Jamboree to overtake the Las Vegas Flamingoes and clinch their third division title in franchise history.  It is the first division title for Nic Weiss, who took over the franchise in 2008.

October 25, 2011
Ryan Glander Joins BDBL
SALEM, NH - Ryan Glander, the 15-year-old son of Commissioner Mike Glander, was officially announced as the newest owner of the Buckingham Badgers franchise.  Glander will take over immediately as the GM of the team, and will begin managing in 2012.  To honor both the franchise's legacy and his "Uncle Geisel," Glander renamed his team the "Granite State Lightning", which was the franchise's original name.

October 24, 2011
Badger Resigns
SALEM, NH - Citing difficulties with his schedule, Tony Badger resigned from his position as owner of the Buckingham Badgers franchise.  Badger joined the BDBL in June of 2009, taking over the hallowed Litchfield Lightning franchise from one of the BDBL's founding fathers, Phil Geisel.  Geisel led the Lightning franchise to three straight OL wild card wins in the league's first three seasons, but then let the franchise rot into a state of disarray.  By the time Badger took over, Litchfield was en route to a 99-loss season with no hope for the future.

Incredibly, however, Badger's franchise (which was aptly named after his hometown of "New Hope") reeled off an 89-win season in his first full year, barely missing the playoffs by just two games.  After a 79-win season in 2006, Badger then performed another miracle, winning 95 games and capturing the OL wild card in 2007.  That season, New Hope's MVP David Ortiz hit a BDBL record 79 home runs, and Badger won both the OL GM and Manager of the Year awards.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.  Work and family consumed most of Badger's time, and the franchise suffered as a result, going just 189-291 (.394) over the next three seasons.  This season, Buckingham is just 52-96 (.351) with 12 games remaining.

October 24, 2011
Apostles Take Over
ST. LOUIS, MO - We've been waiting all season long for the St. Louis Apostles to finally make their move.  The pre-season favorites to win the Person Division have struggled this season, often appearing in last place in the ever-shifting four-team race for the division title.  All four teams were separated by just one game heading into the final chapter of the season, with three teams tied and the Apostles in last place by one game.  But since the start of the chapter, St. Louis is 9-3, including three wins in a crucial series against their division rivals, the SoCal Slyme.

St. Louis now owns a two-game lead in the division.  But in true Eck League style, each team in the Person Division has at least eight games remaining in the season, with just four days left in the season.  So it is still very much anyone's division at this point.

October 20, 2011
#9 for Los Altos (But Who's Counting?)
LOS ALTOS, CA - The Los Altos Undertakers have officially clinched their NINTH division title by splitting a series with the San Antonio Broncs on Wednesday night.  Those nine titles represent a new BDBL record, as the Undertakers were previously tied with the Salem Cowtippers in that department.

October 19, 2011
Broncs Capture the Wild Card
SAN ANTONIO, TX - For the fifth time in franchise history, the San Antonio Broncs are heading to the playoffs as the OL wild card winners.  The Broncs officially clinched their spot on Wednesday night in dramatic fashion.  Leading the wild card race by just one game over the Salem Cowtippers, San Antonio faced their division rivals, the Los Altos Undertakers, who had owned the Broncs all season long with a 10-2 record in head-to-head match-ups.  At the same time, the Cowtippers were playing their final series of the season as well -- a home series against the 60-84 Corona Confederates.

Both the Broncs and Cowtippers took the first games of their series, and both teams then lost the second game.  Salem took Game Three of their series with Corona, which gave them a virtual tie for first in the wild card race when San Antonio fell to Los Altos in their third game.  It all boiled down to Game Four.  A Salem win would result in either a tie for the wild card (if San Antonio won their fourth game) or a wild card victory (if San Antonio lost.)

But there was one thing stopping Salem from taking that victory lap: Lou Marson.  Corona's backup catcher, who sports a 488 OPS against righties, was mysteriously placed in the #2 spot in the Corona lineup for Game Four against right-hander John Lackey.  Marson's final line on the day: 4-for-4 with a walk, TWO triples and a home run.  Each of Marson's four hits came with two outs, and he plated four runs all by himself.  As a result, Corona walked away with an 8-5 win.

The San Antonio dugout erupted in cheers when the Salem score was announced.  With the score tied at 1-1 in their final game of the season, the Broncs knew a win would clinch their spot in the post-season.  Tyler Colvin then broke that tie in the 7th inning with a two-run homer, and the San Antonio bullpen nailed down the win, sparking a massive mid-field celebration.  The Broncs will now likely face the New Milford Blazers in the OL Division Series.

October 13, 2011
Flamingos Soar into First
LAS VEGAS, NV - The Las Vegas Flamingos took three out of four from the front-running Mississippi Meatballs to capture first place in the Benes Division with just three weeks left in the season.  Vegas pummeled Mississippi pitching in the final three games of the series, scoring 17 runs in Game Three and 15 runs in Game Four.  Aubrey Huff and Delmon Young each crushed three homers in the series, and Huff drove home 10 runs in just 4 games.

September 30, 2011
Locks Make Their Move
NIAGARA - It seems as if we've waited all season long for somebody in the Person Division to make a move toward the top of the division.  That moment finally arrived in Chapter Six, as the Niagara Locks have gone 6-2 in their first eight games, capturing a two game lead in the division with a little less than four weeks left to play in the season.

September 29, 2011
Swapping Sweeps
SALEM, NH - On September 23rd, the Salem Cowtippers swept the Sylmar Padawans to take over the OL wild card lead from the San Antonio Broncs for the first time this season.  Four days later, San Antonio returned the favor by sweeping the Benes Division leading Mississippi Meatballs to retake the lead.  That series not only helped the Broncs, but it put the Las Vegas Flamingos just one game out of the Benes Division lead.

Two days later, the Cowtippers faced the Bear Country Jamboree, and once again it resulted in a series sweep, putting Salem back in the driver's seat by one game.  The Cowtippers have 16 games remaining against the Los Altos Undertakers, New Milford Blazers, Corona Confederates and Buckingham Badgers.  San Antonio also has 16 games remaining, and will face the Blazers, Ravenswood Infidels, Undertakers and Jamboree.

September 15, 2011
Person of Interest
SALEM, NH - It is perhaps the most exciting pennant race in BDBL history.  With just one chapter remaining in the 2011 season, the entire Person Division is locked in a virtual tie.  Three teams (Southern Cal, Niagara and South Carolina) share the top spot with a record of 67-65, while the pre-season favorite St. Louis Apostles trail by just one game.  Oddly enough, the Apostles are the only team in the division that have outscored their opponents this season (+45).

September 14, 2011
Atlanta Clinches!
ATLANTA, GA - The Atlanta Fire Ants officially clinched the Hrbek Division title on Wednesday, becoming the first team in the BDBL this season to do so.  It is the third straight division title for Atlanta, following a BDBL record 118 losses in 2008.

September 14, 2011
One More to Go
SALEM, NH - Chapter Five of the 2011 season officially came to an end Wednesday night.  The New Milford Blazers were on fire last chapter, going 22-6 to build their lead in the Butler Division to a all-but-insurmountable six games.  The Great Lakes Sphinx (19-9), Salem Cowtippers (18-10), Kansas Law Dogs (18-10) and Atlanta Fire Ants (18-10) all had successful chapters as well.  At the other end of the spectrum, the Bear Country Jamboree went just 6-22.

Salem's Matt Holliday (.374/.425/.678) and Niagara's Josh Hamilton (.369/.432/.631) were the Hitters of the Chapter, and Sylmar's Jonathan Sanchez (4-1, 1.28 ERA, .121/.228/.236) and Great Lakes' Jered Weaver (1.75 ERA, .193/.254/.351) were named Pitchers of the Chapter.

September 7, 2011
Races Heating Up
SALEM, NH - With less than seven weeks remaining in the 2011 season, the races for the final spots in the playoffs are really beginning to heat up.  In the Ozzie League, the wild card race is now a virtual tie between the San Antonio Broncs and Salem Cowtippers.  And in the Eck League, the Person Division is also deadlocked in a virtual tie between the SoCal Slyme and St. Louis Apostles.  The two other teams in that division trail by just three games each, and the Las Vegas Flamingos also trail their division by three games.

August 21, 2011
Blazers Gain Ground
NEW MILFORD, CT - Thanks to a four-game sweep of the Ravenswood Infidels, the New Milford Blazers have opened up a three-game lead in the Butler Division over the Salem Cowtippers.  And thanks to a four-game sweep of the Las Vegas Flamingos by the San Antonio Broncs, Salem now trails in the wild card race by three games as well.

August 20, 2011
BDBL Parties in DC
SALEM, NH - The 12th annual BDBL Weekend festivities took place in Washington, DC on the weekend of August 20th, with eight members of the BDBL (and one aspiring member) attending.  The group took in the sights of our nation's capitol, visited a couple of museums, ate lots of unhealthy food, took in a ballgame, and busted relentlessly on Jim Doyle.  Good times.

Full recap

August 2, 2011
Another Chapter in the Books
SALEM, NH - Just a few short months after the New Milford Blazers threw in the towel and placed all of their players on the chopping block, New Milford finished with the league's best record (17-7) in Chapter Four, capturing sole possession of first place by two games over the sputtering Salem Cowtippers (12-12 in the chapter.)

The Los Altos Undertakers (17-7), Kansas Law Dogs (16-8) and Atlanta Fire Ants (16-8) continue to dominate this season, while the Bear Country Jamboree (6-18), Corona Confederates (7-17) and the "defending champion" Allentown Ridgebacks (7-17) continue to stink up the joint.

New Milford's Robinson Cano (.421/.475/.692) and Niagara's Josh Hamilton (.433/.493/.896) were your Hitters of the Chapter (each leading his division in all three triple-slash categories.)  And New Milford's Clayton "Asswipe" Kershaw (1.26 ERA, .129/.216/.161 against) and Akron's Jhoulys Chacin (1.74 ERA, .200/.271/.267) were the Pitchers of the Chapter.

August 1, 2011
Deadline Deals
SALEM, NH - Perhaps the most unexciting Chapter Five trading deadline passed on Monday night with the slightest shrug of the league's collective shoulders.  The biggest moves were made by the fire-selling Chicago Black Sox, who dealt away aces Cliff Lee (to Great Lakes) and Zack Greinke (to St. Louis) in a continuation of John Gill's all-or-nothing strategy.

In the Benes Division, the first place Mississippi Meatballs added C.J. Wilson and Wandy Rodriguez to their rotation, while the second-place Las Vegas Flamingos picked up Hiroki Kuroda and Freddy Garcia.  Otherwise, all was quiet in the most inactive trading deadline in league history.

July 31, 2011
Blazers Back on Top
NEW MILFORD, CT - It's the feel-good story of the year.  Their ace is a guy whose name is banned from the BDBL message boards.  Their #2 pitcher bats cleanup.  And their lineup is filled with superstars like Wilson Betemit, Casey Blake, Russell Branyan, Miguel Cairo, Jack Cust, Matt Diaz, Jim Edmonds, Tony Gwynn, Bill Hall, Wes Helms, Ronny Paulino and Andres Torres.  Ladies and gentlemen, these are your first-place New Milford Blazers.

July 18, 2011
The Division No One Wants to Win
SALEM, NH - The Person Division this year has been both the tightest divisional race in the league this year and the least exciting.  With Chapter Five just two weeks away, only four games separate all four teams in this division.  But in Chapter Four so far, none of those four teams owns a winning record on the chapter.  And the team currently in first place?  The white-flag-waving SoCal Slyme.  Could this be Bob Sylvester's second unintentional division title?

July 7, 2011
Out: Arbitrage; In: Going For It
MISSISSIPPI - After spending the past two and a half seasons practicing the art of arbitrage, perpetually building toward success at some undefined point in the future, Mississippi Meatballs GM Nic Weiss finally appears to be in "go for it" mode.  This past week, Weiss has added aces C.J. Wilson and Wandy Rodriguez to a pitching staff that currently ranks 10th out of 12 Ozzie League teams in ERA.

Despite their poor performance on the mound, and despite trading away star impact players like Cole Hamels, Mariano Rivera and Andre Ethier earlier in the season, the Meatballs currently hold a four-game lead in the Benes Division.  Mississippi owns a .575 winning percentage this season despite being outscored by 16 runs.

July 2, 2011
Benes Fit to be Tied
NEW MILFORD, CT - Thanks to a four-game sweep of the Manchester Irish Lame-Asses, the New Milford Blazers are now tied with the Salem Cowtippers atop the Butler Division.  The Blazers are now 22-10 -- a .688 winning percentage -- since they "threw in the towel" after two chapters of play.

June 14, 2011
Halfway Home
SALEM, NH - The 2011 season is officially half over.  As the all-star break approaches, the Salem Cowtippers and Mississippi Meatballs each own a three-game lead in their divisions, while the Los Altos Undertakers are six games ahead of the wild-card-leading San Antonio Broncs.

In the EL, the Kansas Law Dogs are running away with the Higuera Division with a 54-26 record (tied with the Undertakers for second-best in the BDBL) that is 11 games better than the EL wild-card-leading Great Lakes Sphinx.  The Atlanta Fire Ants own the best record in the BDBL at 57-23 (.712), and own a 22-game lead in their division.  And in the Person Division...we have a THREE-WAY TIE for first place between the SoCal Slyme, Niagara Locks and South Carolina Sea Cats!

In Chapter Three, the Broncs and Fire Ants each led the way with 18 victories, with the Sea Cats (17-7) and New Milford Blazers (13-8) also racked up the W's.  At the other end of the spectrum, the Buckingham Badgers and Cleveland Rocks each lost 17 games, while the Las Vegas Flamingos not only lost 16 games, but the Benes Division lead as well.

In interleague play, the Eck League once again bested their superiors for the third year in a row, by a tally of 99-93.  Salem's Matt Holliday (.385/.430/.648) and Kansas' Jose Bautista (.357/.464/.900) were the Hitters of the Chapter, and Salem's Barry Zito (3-1, 2.48 ERA, .171/.279/.243 against) and Villanova's Trevor Cahill (3-1, 1.67 ERA, .182/.239/.264 against) took home Pitcher of the Chapter honors.

June 6, 2011
Niagara Locks Up First
NIAGARA - In the hotly-contested Person Division, the Niagara Locks have emerged as the latest team to claim sole possession of first place thanks to a 12-8 start to Chapter Three.  Niagara now owns a one-game lead over the white-flag-waving SoCal Slyme, who are 10-10 on the chapter.

Despite their towel-throwing, the Slyme are now tied with the Great Lakes Sphinx for the EL wild card lead, as the Sphinx are just 9-11 this chapter thanks to a 5-7 spanking by the Ozzie League in interleague play.

Speaking of white-flag-waving, the New Milford Blazers are now 14-6 after their manager threw in the towel last chapter before issuing an Emily Litella statement to the press.  They now trail the Cowtippers by just three games.

April 30, 2011
Chapter Two in the Book
SALEM, NH - The second chapter of the season officially closed on Saturday.  It was a great chapter for the Atlanta Fire Ants, who went 21-7 to open up an 11-game lead in the division. The Kansas Law Dogs (19-9), Los Altos Undertakers (17-11), Las Vegas Flamingos (17-11) and Salem Cowtippers (17-11) all had successful chapters as well.  The Corona Confederates (9-19)?  Not so much.

Los Altos slugger Adrian Gonzalez (.409/.496/.634) and Chicago's Miguel Cabrera (.369/.414/.796) won the Hitter of the Chapter honors, while the Undertakers' C.C. Sabathia (3-0, 1.75 ERA, 40 K) and Atlanta's Clay Buchholz (5-1, 1.21 ERA) were the Pitchers of the Chapter.

April 30, 2011
Big Deals
SALEM, NH - Several major trades were made at the Chapter Three deadline, as some teams begin to wave the white flag, some load up for the stretch run, and others simply practice the latest fad to sweep the league: arbitrage.

In the first category, the Allentown Ridgebacks dealt no fewer than a dozen players this chapter, unloading a ton of unwanted salary and getting several possible 2012 stars in exchange.  The Corona Confederates added one of the best prospects in baseball, Mike Moustakas, in addition to young first baseman Billy Butler.  And the SoCal Slyme traded a couple of stars in exchange for potential 2012 stars Alex Gordon, Kyle Lohse and Tsuyoshi Nishioka.

In the second category, the Kansas Law Dogs added Cole Hamels, Shin-Soo Choo, Michael Young, Anibal Sanchez and Adam LaRoche to a team that was already beyond-stacked.  The Los Altos Undertakers added Martin Prado and Luke Scott to an already ridiculous starting lineup.  The San Antonio Broncs added Brett Myers to an already strong rotation.  And the St. Louis Broncs added Carlos Marmol to an already strong bullpen.

And in the last category, the wild-card-contending Mississippi Meatballs added Victor Martinez while sacrificing Hamels, and the Great Lakes Sphinx made five trades, acquiring Marcus Thames, Kelly Johnson and Heath Bell (among many others) while sacrificing Brett Myers and Martin Prado (among many others.)

April 16, 2011
Spanking
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers swept their most hated rivals, the New Milford Blazers, this week to establish a six-game lead in the Butler Division.  All four games were won by just one run, leading Blazers GM Anthony Peburn to post a towel-throwing post on the Selling forum.  New Milford now owns a sub-.500 record (23-25) on the season.

April 15, 2011
Kansas Adds Another Ace
KANSAS - The Kansas Law Dogs are off to a 32-16 (.667) start this season, led by four aces: Roy Oswalt, Matt Cain, Tim Hudson and Travis Wood.  But apparently, that wasn't enough, as the 'Dogs just added a fifth ace in Cole Hamels.  In exchange for Hamels (who is under contract through 2014, at a salary well below market value), Kansas sent three prospects to the Mississippi Meatballs, and dumped the contract of Luke Hochevar (who is under contract through 2015) in the process.

The Meatballs are just one game behind in the OL wild card race, and were expected to run away with their division this season.  But Hamels got off to a slow start (a 6.31 ERA in a dozen starts), and with Hochevar now replacing Hamels' innings in the rotation, the Meatballs now seem destined for the cellar.

April 12, 2011
SoCal Firesale
SOUTHERN CAL - Following a disappointing 8-12 start to the second chapter, the SoCal Slyme have officially thrown in the towel.  The defending Person Division champs are now 21-27 on the season, but just four games behind the division-leading Niagara Locks and St. Louis Apostles (who are virtually tied with records of 15-13 and 17-15, respectively.)

March 30, 2011
Statement
ATLANTA, GA - Arguably, the two best teams in the BDBL this season squared off head-to-head this week when the Kansas Law Dogs (now 30-14 on the season) hosted the Atlanta Fire Ants (25-11) for a four game set.  No one could have expected the outcome, though, as Atlanta swept the series with relative ease.

In the first game, Atlanta threw their #5 starter, Jason Hammel, against Roy Oswalt.  Atlanta's circus clowns invaded the field during a four-run sixth inning, giving the Fire Ants a 6-3 victory.  In Game Two, Atlanta handed the ball to Mat Latos, who tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings despite walking five batters.  The Fire Ants scored a run in the first, second and third innings, giving them a 3-0 win.

In Game Three, it was Clay Buchholz's turn to shut down the Kansas offense.  Through seven innings, Buchholz allowed just one earned run on six hits and no walks, with seven K's.  Meanwhile, Kansas starter Tim Hudson was pounded for five runs through eight innings.  Atlanta then completed the sweep behind the stellar pitching of John Danks (5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K), who earned his fourth win of the season before handing the ball to five relievers who held the Law Dogs hitless the rest of the way.

March 13, 2011
One Done
SALEM, NH - The first chapter of the 2011 season officially ended Saturday night, with the Los Altos Undertakers not unexpectedly sporting the best record in the BDBL at 21-7.  The Kansas Law Dogs (20-8), Atlanta Fire Ants (18-10) and the surprising Las Vegas Flamigos (18-10) have also enjoyed a hot start to the season.  At the other end of the spectrum, the Bear Country Jamboree and (shockingly) Chicago Black Sox have each stumbled out to a 9-19 start.

A pair of third basemen, Los Altos' Evan Longoria (.354/.403/.735, 9 HR, 40 RBI) and SoCal's Kevin Youkilis (.365/.446/.865, 11 HR, 28 RBI) took home the Hitter of the Chapter honors.  The Undertakers' Brian Duensing (4-0, 1.29 ERA, .185/.232/.261 against) and Kansas' Travis Wood (5-0, 2.53 ERA, .216/.262/.310) are the Pitchers of the Chapter.

February 25, 2011
More Arbitrage in Mississippi
MISSISSIPPI - Nic Weiss is at it again.  Less than four weeks into the season, the Mississippi Meatballs have jettisoned star outfielder Andre Ethier to their favorite trading partners, the St. Louis Apostles, getting only a middle reliever and prospects in exchange.  The Meatballs are currently two games behind the surprising Las Vegas Flamingoes in the Benes Division, and wrapped up the chapter with a record of 15-13 -- despite being outscored by 40 runs so far this season.

February 16, 2011
Cancel the Parade
NEW YORK - The question on everyone's mind this winter was: is this the year that Jim Doyle will finally assemble a winning team and enjoy some semblance of success in the BDBL?  And the answer, after 24 games, is a definitive: NO.

Doyle's "New York Giants" have stumbled out to a 6-18 start to the 2011 season, and have been outscored by their opponents by a whopping 45 runs.  They are hitting just .232/.314/.361 as a team, and their pitching staff owns a 5.00 ERA and is averaging 4.6 walks per nine.

January 29, 2011
Play Ball!
SALEM, NH - The 2011 season officially opened on Saturday night, with the Salem Cowtippers taking three of four games from the New Milford Blazers.  Rookie sensation Stephen Strasburg lost the first game to a lineup filled with eight left-handed batters.  In Game Two, Salem's winter free agent pick-up Colby Lewis struck out 13, but didn't get the decision, as Salem had to come from behind three times to get the win.  In Game Three, the newest Cowtipper, Francisco Liriano, helped the Cowtippers cruise to a 2-0 shutout win.  And in Game Four, Salem overcame New Milford's cheestastic strategy of batting Yovani Gallardo out of the leadoff spot by clinching the series victory with a thrilling come-from-behind win.

January 21, 2011
It's Over!
SALEM, NH - And with the 295th pick of the 2011 free agent draft, the Cleveland Rocks selected someone named Lucas Herrell.  And thus ended the longest draft in BDBL history.  (Or, at least, it seemed like it.)  On deck: Opening Day!

January 10, 2011
SoCal Adds a King
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - The defending Person Division champion SoCal Slyme have landed a Cy Young candidate this week by adding Felix Hernandez from the Salem Cowtippers, along with #4 starter Scott Baker.  In exchange, the Slyme parted with all-star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and #5 starter James Shields.

Newly-acquired free agent Kevin Youkilis will take over for Zimmerman at the hot corner, while another free agent signing, Paul Konerko, takes over at first base.  And yet a third free agent pick-up, Adam Dunn, is slated to play out of position in left field.

January 5, 2011
Oswalt Goes to Kansas
KANSAS - The Kansas Law Dogs made a huge splash in the free agent market this winter by signing ace Roy Oswalt to a $15 million salary, which will pay him a minimum of $45 million over three years.  Oswalt joins a rotation that already includes Matt Cain and Tim Hudson.  The 2007 BDBL champions are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, when they won their fourth Higuera Division title.

January 3, 2011
New Milford Wins Cano Sweepstakes
NEW MILFORD, CT - In the first day of the 2011 free agent auction, the New Milford Blazers walked away with the biggest prize of the season in second baseman Robinson Cano.  And they paid a mind-boggling sum to do so: a $15 million salary, and a guaranteed $45 million over three years.

It is the highest salary awarded to any hitter since 2005, and the largest three-year contract ever awarded to a hitter in league history.

December 23, 2010
A-What?
BEAR COUNTRY, USA - The Bear Country Jamboree re-acquired former franchise mainstay Alex Rodriguez on Wednesday, following the winter trading deadline.  In exchange for the 34-year-old, $14 million slugger, Bear Country sacrificed 20-year-old lefty phenom Madison Bumgarner.

As if that weren't dubious enough, Bear Country also announced that they have signed Rodriguez to a ten-year, $140 million contract.  This contract (a new BDBL record) virtually ensures that A-Rod will remain a Jamboree through age 43.  It also virtually ensures that Bear Country won't be making the playoffs at any point over the next decade.

December 19, 2010
Trading Suspended for the Holidays
SALEM, NH - The 2011 winter trading deadline officially passed at 10:00pm on Sunday night.  A total of 51 trades were made this winter -- 7 more than last winter.  A few big names swapped uniforms over the closing weeks prior to the deadline, including Josh Willingham (twice, ending up in Los Altos), Rickie Weeks (now a Black Sock), C.J. Wilson (the newest ace of the Apostles staff), David Wright (also traded twice, ending up on the Sphinx) and Zack Greinke (now a Black Sock.)

Cutdown Day is scheduled for Thursday, the 23rd.  Cutdown Day forms should be posted by Monday night.

December 6, 2010
And the Winners Are...
SALEM, NH - The annual BDBL post-season awards gala was held this afternoon.  Black-tie affair, $1,000 a plate, celebrity guest speakers, yada yada.  There were few surprises.  St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols took home his first-ever BDBL MVP award and second Babe Ruth award.  Allentown's Tim Lincecum was the only unanimous winner of the evening, walking away with his first EL Cy Young award.

The Sylvester family once again swept the GM and Manager of the Year categories, with the old man winning his FOURTH straight EL MOY award, and junior winning the GM of the Year prize.

Over in the OL, Corona's Joe Mauer won both the MVP and Babe Ruth awards after becoming the first player in BDBL history to hit .400 on the season.  (The biggest shocker of the day was that he didn't win both awards unanimously.)  Jon Lester became the fourth Los Altos Undertaker in league history to win an OL Cy Young.  Mike Glander walked away with his fifth OL GM of the Year trophy (the only trophy he'll ever win in this league.)  And Ed McGowan won his first OL Manager of the Year award.

November 30, 2010
This Just In: 2011 OL Champion Crowned
LOS ALTOS, CA - The 2011 season officially became a formality at 4:00 on Tuesday afternoon.  At that precise moment, Los Altos GM Jeff Paulson giddily strode to the microphone and announced that he has acquired Hanley Ramirez (along with another closer, of course) from the Southern Cal Slyme in exchange for Matt Wieters, Matt Garza and three others.

The Undertakers will now feature an infield of Adrian Gonzalez, Rickie Weeks, Hanley Ramirez and Evan Longoria.  Yee-ha.

November 25, 2010
Trading Season Begins
SALEM, NH - With another season in the books, the first transactions of the 2011 season have already been reported.  A total of six trades have been made thus far, with the most significant being the trade of Joey Votto from the Mississippi Meatballs to their division rivals, the Kansas City Monarchs of Manchester.

November 24, 2010
Allentown Wins #4
ALLENTOWN, NJ - For the fourth time in BDBL history, champagne is flowing in the Allentown clubhouse.  Tonight, the Ridgebacks tied the BDBL record for championship trophies, defeating the Salem Cowtippers (yet again) in six games.

Allentown's relentless offensive attack proved too much for Salem's vaunted pitching staff, and Salem's offense managed to score just one run through the first 22 innings of the World Series against Allentown's pitching.

As expected, Tim Lincecum dominated the Cowtippers in Games One and Four.  Unexpectedly, Felix Hernandez was unable to go on short rest in Game Four, prompting a controversial decision to start lefty Jorge de la Rosa.  de la Rosa allowed TWELVE runs and FIVE homers in just four innings, putting his team in a deep hole.

Salem managed to push the series to six games despite de la Rosa's "effort," but Dan Haren continued his season-long slump in Game Six, and the Cowtippers' offense couldn't take up the slack.

November 20, 2010
An All-Too Familiar BDBL World Series Match-up
SALEM, NH - For the fourth time in nine years, the BDBL World Series will feature a match-up of the Allentown Ridgebacks against the Salem Cowtippers.  The Cowtippers overcame a three-games-to-two deficit in the OLCS to win their fourth Ozzie League title, despite being outscored by Ravenswood in the series.

Allentown, of course, won all three of their prior match-ups against Salem in the World Series, and are heavily-favored to win their fourth league championship trophy in 2010.

November 14, 2010
Ridgebacks in the World Series...Again
ALLENTOWN, NJ - For the fifth time in the past nine years, the Eck League's representative in the BDBL Championship Series will be the Allentown Ridgebacks.  Allentown earned their BDBL-record fifth league title by defeating the St. Louis Apostles in six games in the ELCS on Sunday.

The vaunted Allentown offense punished St. Louis pitching throughout the series, scoring 43 runs with 12 homers in the six games.  The Ridgebacks will now shoot for their fourth BDBL championship, which would be a non-asterisked BDBL record.

November 5, 2010
Playoffs Upset!
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers extended their Cinderella story for one more series after upsetting the heavily-favored Los Altos Undertakers in the OL Division Series.  Salem pitching kept the powerful Undertakers offense on its heels throughout the series, and emerged with a stunning series sweep.

The Cowtippers will now face the Ravenswood Infidels in the OL Championship Series, as the Infidels easily defeated the Corona Confederates earlier in the week.

Over in the other league, the SoCal Slyme were defeated in seven grueling games by the St. Louis Apostles in the All-Sylvester Series, while the Allentown Ridgebacks hardly broke a sweat en route to their fourth championship, sweeping the Atlanta Fire Ants in four easy games.

October 28, 2010
That's a Wrap
SALEM, NH - The wild and crazy 2010 season officially came to a close on Thursday, with the Allentown Ridgebacks (23-5), Los Altos Undertakers (22-6) and Salem Cowtippers (22-6) enjoying the best performances of Chapter Six.

Corona's Joe Mauer (.452/.529/.589) and St. Louis' Justin Upton (.415/.488/.698) won the final Player of the Chapter honors, while New Hope's Andy Pettitte (1.45 ERA, .173/.279/.212 against) and Great Lakes' Ubaldo Jimenez (1.72 ERA, .174/.246/.242) took home the Pitcher of the Chapter (virtual) trophies.

The BDBL post-season officially kicks off on Monday, with Los Altos and Salem going head-to-head in the OLDS, along with Ravenswood and Corona.  In that other league, Allentown will face Atlanta, while the Sylvester household will play the other ELDS.

October 27, 2010
Greatest.  Comeback.  Ever.
NEW MILFORD, CT - The Salem Cowtippers made BDBL history tonight by winning the OL wild card despite being seven games behind in that race earlier this month.  No team in BDBL history has ever come from so many games behind so late in the season to win a spot in the playoffs.  And only one team (the 1999 Massillon Tigerstrikes) have ever come from more games behind at ANY point in the season to win a spot in the post-season.

Salem needed just one win in their final series against the New Milford Blazers to clinch the wild card, and ended up winning three out of four to finish with a record of 95-65 -- one game behind the Corona Confederates in the Butler Division.  After two chapters of play, Salem trailed Corona by 12 games in that race, so they were able to make up 11 games in just four chapters.

Of course, all this means is that Salem now gets the honor of losing to Los Altos in the OL Division Series.

October 27, 2010
Ravenswood Breaks Record
RAVENSWOOD, IL - The Ravenswood Infidels wrapped up their phenomenal 2010 season with a split against the Los Altos Undertakers, giving them a record of 110-50 -- 11 wins better than their previous franchise high.

In the process, Ravenswood shattered a long-standing BDBL record by posting a 3.10 team ERA this season.  The previous mark of 3.26 had been held by the Los Altos Undertakers since 2002.  Earlier this month, Ravenswood joined Los Altos in becoming the only franchises in BDBL history to feature three 20-game winners in their starting rotation, as Javier Vazquez (22-6) joined Wandy Rodriguez (23-7) and Mark Buehrle (21-8.)

Ravenswood will face the Corona Confederates in the OL Division Series.

October 26, 2010
Back-to-Back in Atlanta
ATLANTA, GA - After finishing in last place in their division eight times in nine seasons (from 2000-2008), including a BDBL record 118 losses in 2008, the Atlanta Fire Ants have turned it around in a big, big way.  On Monday, Atlanta officially clinched the Hrbek Division title -- their second consecutive title.  They will be facing the Allentown Ridgebacks in the Division Series, while father and son Sylvester will be facing each other in the other EL Division Series.

October 25, 2010
Blazers Swept!
NEW MILFORD, CT - Trailing by one game in the OL wild card race, the New Milford Blazers were unexpectedly SWEPT by the last-place New Hope Badgers in their penultimate series of the season.  They now head into their final series against the Salem Cowtippers on Wednesday needing a sweep in order to win the wild card.

October 20, 2010
Salem Takes the Lead!
SALEM, NH - In the history of the BDBL, no team has ever come from seven game behind in the final chapter of the season to take the lead in a pennant race...until now.

On September 28th, the Salem Cowtippers trailed the New Milford Blazers by seven games in the Butler Division standings.  Since then, Salem has gone on a tear, winning 14 out of 16 games to take a one game lead in the wild card.  The Cowtippers have just one series remaining -- against the Blazers.  New Milford has three series remaining, against New Hope, Mississippi and Salem.

October 18, 2010
Formula .409!
CORONA, CA - It's official: Joe Mauer is now the only player in BDBL history to bat .400 in the BDBL.  Not only did Mauer manage that feat, but he left no doubt about it whatsoever, finishing the season with a .409 average!  Mauer enjoyed the greatest season by a catcher in BDBL history, hitting .409/.498/.654 with 50 doubles, 28 homers, 134 runs scored, 116 RBI's and 184.4 runs created.

Mauer, Shin-Soo Choo, Kendry Morales and Chone Figgins accounted for over 67% of Corona's runs created this season.  The Confederates wrapped up the 2010 season with a 96-64 record.  With a magic number of four, they are simply waiting for the New Milford Blazers and Salem Cowtippers to wrap up their final series to claim the division title.

October 18, 2010
St. Louis is Wild
ST. LOUIS, MO - The St. Louis Apostles wrapped up the Eck League wild card this week, and will likely face their division rivals, the SoCal Slyme, in the Eck League Division Series.  This will mark just the second time in BDBL history that Bob Sylvester, Sr. and Jr. will face each other in the playoffs.  (Well, the third time, if you count the 1999 ELCS, when Jr. managed the Oakville Marauders.)

October 13, 2010
20/20/20
LOS ALTOS, CA - The Los Altos Undertakers became the first team in BDBL history to have three 20-game winners in their starting rotation when Matt Garza (20-9) joined Jon Lester (21-5) and C.C. Sabathia (21-9) in the 20-win club after a series against San Antonio on Wednesday.

Before all is said and done, the Ravenswood Infidels could join that exclusive club, as Javier Vazquez (19-6) needs just one more win to join Wandy Rodriguez (22-7) and Mark Buehrle (21-6.)

Not coincidentally, the Undertakers (107-45) and Infidels (105-45) own the best records in the BDBL, and are battling for the #1 seed in the playoffs.

October 13, 2010
Mauer Still Holding Steady at .400
CORONA, CA - Corona MVP Joe Mauer is still holding steady with a .400 batting average, with just two weeks (and two series) remaining in the 2010 season.  The current single-season record for batting average (.396) was set by Albert Pujols of the Wapakoneta Hippos back in 2004.

Another single-season record may be in jeopardy, as the Ravenswood Infidels pitching staff owns a 3.10 team ERA with a dozen games remaining on their schedule.  The all-time record of 3.26 was set by the Los Altos Undertakers in 2002, and was nearly broken (by less than .001 of a point) by the Salem Cowtippers in 2008.

October 9, 2010
One Race Remaining
SALEM, NH - With only 19 days remaining in the 2010 season, only one true race remains to determine the final spot in the playoffs.  Ravenswood, Los Altos and Allentown have captured their divisions, and Corona and Southern Cal own comfortable leads in theirs.  And the St. Louis Apostles are just days away from capturing the EL wild card.

That leaves only the Butler Division and, by extension, the OL wild card, to be decided.  Corona has held the division lead all season, and remains three games ahead of the New Milford Blazers.  And on Friday night, the Salem Cowtippers pulled within three games of New Milford in the wild card race.

September 23, 2010
Allentown Clinches Higuera Title
ALLENTOWN, NJ - After a brief one-year hiatus, the Allentown Ridgebacks are returning to the BDBL playoffs after officially clinching their fifth Higuera Division title this week.  The Ridgebacks currently sport the best winning percentage in the Eck League (.664), and have outscored their opponents by an impressive 260 runs.

September 22, 2010
Yawn...Another Los Altos No-Hitter
LOS ALTOS, CA - A little more than two weeks after the New Milford Blazers threw the first multi-pitcher no-hitter in BDBL history, the Los Altos Undertakers did the same, shutting down the Bear Country Jamboree in the final game of a meaningless series.  Jon Lester combined with four of the Undertakers' countless closers to deliver the franchise's second no-hitter this year, and third in the past two years.  Lester also tossed a no-hitter in 2009, though he did that one all by himself.

Full box score

September 14, 2010
BDBL: The Final Chapter
SALEM, NH - Five chapters are now officially in the books, and several races look to be played out right down to the wire.  In the wild-and-wooly Butler Division, the Corona Confederates are tenaciously clinging to a three-game lead over the New Milford Blazers (who themselves own a four-game lead in the OL wild card race.)

In the EL, just three games separate the first-place SoCal Slyme and the St. Louis Apostles, with the loser of that division most likely becoming the EL wild card winner.

The Ravenswood Infidels led the way in Chapter Five, with a league-best 23-5 record.  They also own the best record overall this season, at 95-37 (.720).  The surprising Cleveland Rocks (20-8) owned the second-best record last chapter, and Los Altos and Allentown unsurprisingly went 19-9.

Your Hitters of the Chapter were SoCal's Jacoby Ellsbury (.405/.431/.552) and (surprise, surprise) Corona's Joe Mauer (.394/.500/.657.)  Pitcher of the Chapter honors went to SoCal's Josh Beckett (5-1, 0.91 ERA) and Undertaker Jon Lester (4-0, 0.55 ERA.)

September 14, 2010
Ho-Hum...Los Altos Wins Another Division Title
LOS ALTOS, CA - Chapter Six has not yet begun, yet the Los Altos Undertakers have already secured the Griffin Division title.  As expected, the defending champions have dominated their division once again, and hold a commanding 32-game lead in the division with just 28 games remaining.  This is the eighth division title for Los Altos -- a mark that ties the BDBL record held by the Salem Cowtippers.

September 6, 2010
A Team Effort
SALEM, NH - Pitching against a lineup that murders left-handed pitching, in a ballpark that also punishes lefties, lefty Clayton "Asswipe" Kershaw combined with FIVE suck-ass middle relievers to no-hit the Salem Cowtippers in the fourth and final game of a pivotal series between the OL's two wild card contenders.

That win made it a split series and preserved New Milford's four-game lead in the wild card over Salem.  It also closed out the chapter for both teams, who finished with identical 16-12 records.

Box score

August 30, 2010
One Game Away
NEW MILFORD, CT - The New Milford Blazers unexpectedly swept the Bear Country Nine on Monday, putting them just one game out of first place in the Butler Division.  New Milford's cavalcade of stars (including Landon Powell, Maicer Izturis, Skip Schumaker, Ryan Roberts, Everth Cabrera, Dioner Navarro and the great Eli Whiteside) are now 13-7 on the chapter, and sport an overall winning percentage of nearly .600.

August 22, 2010
The "JA" Stands For Just Awesome
CORONA, CA - JA Happ became the 14th pitcher in BDBL history, first this year, and second in Corona franchise history to throw a no-hitter, which he did on Saturday evening against the San Antonio Broncs.  Happ (now 8-9 with a 4.55 ERA on the season) walked three and struck out ten.  His stellar effort helped Corona pad their lead in the Butler Division to five games.

Full box score...

August 2, 2010
BDBL Weekend, 2010
DENVER, CO - BDBL Weekend, 2010, took place in Denver this year, with eight BDBL GM's (and one future GM) participating in the festivities.  The game between the Rockies and Cubs was highlighted by a walk-off home run by Carlos Gonzalez (which completed the cycle), and the day was highlighted by a total of nine trades involving 56 players, including some huge names such as Evan Longoria, Justin Upton and Zack Greinke.

Read all about it.

July 26, 2010
Pulling Ahead
ATLANTA, GA - The Atlanta Fire Ants began this chapter tied with the Akron Ryche atop the Hrbek Division.  But thanks to a 12-6 start to Chapter Four, coupled with a 11-13 performance by the Ryche this chapter, the Fire Ants now own a comfortable four-game lead.

July 26, 2010
Spinning the Wheels
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers wrapped up Chapter Four with a 16-8 record, and are playing .646 baseball since the start of Chapter Three.  Yet, because New Milford (.591 during that time) and Corona (.568) refuse to stumble, the Cowtippers remain eight games back in the division with just two chapters left to play.

July 6, 2010
C.C. No No
LOS ALTOS, CA - Los Altos ace C.C. Sabathia became the 14th player in BDBL history to toss a no-hitter with a stellar effort against the Corona Confederates on Monday.  It was the third no-hitter thrown by a Los Altos pitcher in franchise history.  It was also the only win of the series (a 1-0 victory, won on a walk-off homer by Adrian Gonzalez) for the Undertakers in the series, as the Corona Confederates' stunning roll toward a division title continues unabated.

June 20, 2010
All-Star Festivities Celebrated
SOUTHERN CAL - The 12th annual BDBL All-star game took place on Father's Day, with Papa Glander managing the Ozzie League all-stars to a 17-6 win over the EL stars.  The OL's 17 runs scored and 22 hits are a new BDBL all-star record.

Read all about it.

June 17, 2010
Halftime
SALEM, NH - The 2010 season has officially reached its halfway point, with the conclusion of Chapter Three.  The big winners of the chapter were the always-dominant SoCal Slyme (19-5), Allentown Ridgebacks (17-7), Ravenswood Infidels (16-8) and Los Altos Undertakers (15-9.)  The surprising Salem Cowtippers also managed a 15-9 record for the chapter, as did the Atlanta Fire Ants.

The final tally for interleague play was a 101-91 victory by the Eck League, thanks in no small part to the woeful performances by Kansas City (3-13) and New Hope (2-14.)

Hitters of the Chapter were Corona's Joe Mauer (.404/.500/.649) in the OL and Allentown's Ryan Braun (.398/.495/.634) in the EL.  Salem's Felix Hernandez (surprise!) won the OL Pitcher of the Chapter award, thanks to a 4-0 record and 1.44 ERA, and Allentown's Scott Baker (4-0, 1.01 ERA) took home EL honors.

June 1, 2010
The Russian is Cut!
SOUTHERN CAL - For the past year and a half, the Los Altos Undertakers have rolled over the opposition unlike any team in league history.  But for one day, at least, the mighty Undertakers met their match in the Southern Cal Slyme.  Backed by pitching from guys with names like Stammen and Jabubauskas, the Slyme held the powerful Los Altos offense to just seven runs in four games, sweeping the Undertakers right out of town, and handing them their first series defeat of the season.

The Undertakers and Slyme now own identical 49-23 (.681) records on the season.  While Los Altos' lead shrunk to "just" 13 games over the second-place Padawans, the surprising Slyme now own a formidable seven-game lead over the heavily-favored St. Louis Apostles.

May 4, 2010
Two-Thirds to Go
SALEM, NH - For the second chapter in a row, the Ravenswood Infidels dominated the BDBL with a 21-7 record.  Division rival Mississippi (19-9) was right on the Infidels' heels, and the SoCal Slyme (20-8) dominated in that "other" league.

Corona's Shin-Soo Choo (.400/.512/.700) and South Carolina's Nick Swisher (14 HR, 27 RBI) won the Hitter of the Chapter awards, while Ravenswood's Javier Vazquez (5-1, 2.70 ERA) and Allentown's Tim Lincecum (4-1, 1.97 ERA) took home Pitcher of the Chapter honors.

May 3, 2010
Cleveland Loading Up
CLEVELAND, OH - Trailing by one game in the Hrbek Division, Cleveland Rocks GM Mike Stein has been the most active GM of the season thus far.  This past chapter, Stein made a total of four trades, adding Manny Ramirez, Phil coke, Bronson Arroyo, Mike Lowell, Leo Nunez and Mark Lowe in an effort to overtake the first-place Akron Ryche.

April 19, 2010
Like Father, Like Son
SOUTHERN CAL - Don't look now (okay, go ahead and look), but the Southern Cal Slyme are once again sitting on top of the Person Division with a three game lead over the St. Louis Apostles.  The Slyme, you may remember, won the division in 2008 with the best record in BDBL history.  But they then lost in the Division Series, while the Apostles (who won the wild card) also lost in seven games.

In 2009, St. Louis won the divison, and was heavily favored to win the EL title.  But they, too, lost in the Division Series, while SoCal took the wild card and rode it all the way to the BDBL World Series.

This year, the Apostles were expected to run away with the division.  But after an 18-8 chapter, the Slyme sit atop the division roughly one-third of the way into the season.

April 8, 2010
Ravenswood on a Roll
RAVENSWOOD, IL - 35% of the precincts have reported, and we are now calling this race.  The Ravenswood Infidels have won the Benes Division.  The Infidels have followed up their 20-8 first chapter with a 21-7 record in Chapter Two.  They now sit 15 games ahead in first place, with a runs differential of 131.  The next best record in the division belongs to the 18-22 Meatballs, who own a differential of -11.

April 8, 2010
Salem Continues to Slide
SALEM, NH - The worst record in the BDBL in Chapter Two belongs to the Salem Cowtippers, who are now 4-14 on the chapter.  Salem is now 15 games behind in the division, with a winning percentage of .391 despite being outscored by just one run so far this season.

The Cowtippers lineup, which includes the likes of Mark Teixeira, Matt Holliday, Chipper Jones, Brian Roberts, Matt Kemp and Josh Willingham, is batting just .242 on the season, with a .328 OBP and .379 slugging percentage.  Felix Hernandez owns an ERA of 5.31, and has allowed 11 homers in 12 starts.  Dan Haren owns a 4.55 ERA, with a whopping 21 homers in a dozen starts.  And Jeff Niemann has posted a rosy 6.04 ERA in 10 starts.

March 25, 2010
Who's #1?
SALEM, NH - The eleventh annual BDBL Farm Report has arrived.  This year, the #1 overall spot is shared between two players: Salem's Stephen Strasburg and Los Altos outfielder Jason Heyward.  The #1 overall farm system?  You'll have to click the link to find out...

March 13, 2010
One Done
SALEM, NH -Chapter One officially came to a close on Friday night, with the surprising Corona Confederates leading the way with a 21-7 record.  Ravenswood and Los Altos each went 20-8 on the chapter, and Akron went 19-9.  At the other end of the spectrum, the woeful New Hope Badgers went just 5-23.

The OL Hitter of the Chapter award is a no-brainer, as Corona's Joe Mauer (.479/.536/.677) completely dominated the competition.  In the EL, just about any one of the St. Louis Apostles could have won the award.  Eenie, meenie, miny...Nick Markakis (.396/.431/.673).

On the mound, Ravenswood's Wandy Rodriguez (7-0, 2.14 ERA) was just about perfect, while in the EL, Allentown's Tim Lincecum (7-0, 1.26 ERA) was even...errr...more perfect.

March 7, 2010
A-Rod Clubs #500
SYLMAR, CA - Sylmar star Alex Rodriguez joined an exclusive club on Sunday night when he hit his 500th career home run in a game against the Manchester Irish Monarchs.  After being stuck at 499 for several games, A-Rod then launched #501 and #502 shortly thereafter.  He now sits 57 home runs away from #2 on the all-time list, Manny Ramirez (445.)

March 5, 2010
An Historic Start for New Hope
NEW HOPE, PA - The New Hope Badgers are off to an historic start...but not in a good way.  Through their first 16 games, New Hope is sporting a record of 1-15.  The Badgers are hitting .210 as a team, own a 6.11 ERA, and have been outscored by their opponents by a margin of 75 runs (114-39) -- that's a difference of nearly five runs per game!

March 1, 2010
The .700 Club
SALEM, NH - With two weeks remaining in the first chapter, several teams are standing heads and shoulders above the rest with winning percentages north of .700.  The Corona Confederates lead the BDBL with an .800 mark (16-4), while Ravenswood (17-7, .708) and Los Altos (15-5, .750) have been equally dominant.  In the Eck League, the 19-9 Akron Ryche currently own the best record in the league, just missing the .700 mark at .679.

February 7, 2010
Break Up The Confederates
CORONA, CA - The Corona Confederates have gotten off to a blazing-hot 10-2 start to the 2010 season, including two series victories against division rivals New Milford and Salem.  The Corona pitching staff has carried the team thus far.  They own a 2.19 team ERA, and have allowed just 74 hits and only 3 homers in 107 innings.  And Joe Mauer has been a one-man wrecking machine offensively, as he is hitting .500/.540/.727 overall, with 4 doubles, a pair of homers, 11 runs scored and 9 RBI's.

January 26, 2010
Are You Ready for Some Baseball?
SALEM, NH - With the selection of Garrett Olson at 8:48pm on Saturday night, the 2010 free agent draft finally came to a conclusion.  Opening Day is now just around the corner, which means the annual Season Preview is here!

January 10, 2010
Black Sox Bonanza
SALEM, NH - The Chicago Black Sox went into the free agent auction with a BDBL-high $52.1 million to spend, and GM John Gill has taken advantage of that position by signing six players in the auction: Ryan Dempster, Cliff Lee, Paul Maholm, Victor Martinez, Carlos Zambrano and Jose Reyes.  Incredibly, the team still has more than $9 million left to spend, and only a dozen roster spots left to fill.

January 3, 2010
Halladay Falls to Niagara
SALEM, NH - The Niagara Locks made huge waves in the free agent market on Sunday night when they signed the #1 free agent available, Roy Halladay, to a $19 million salary.  Halladay will join a starting rotation that includes Kyle Lohse, Vicente Padilla, Ian Snell and David Price. (And yes, that is just the first of many corny headline puns you'll be seeing this season about the Locks franchise.)

January 1, 2010
Draft Day Has Arrived
SALEM, NH -The 2010 draft officially kicked off at 8:50am Eastern when Tony DeCastro of the South Carolina Sea Cats made Cuban refugee/phenom Aroldis Chapman the first pick of the farm draft.  Starlin Castro, Simon Castro, Jameson Taillon, Wil Myers, Chris Withrow and Jarred Cosart then followed with the next six picks.

December 23, 2009
Flurry of Deadline Deals
SALEM, NH - Wednesday night's winter trading deadline resulted in a flurry of trades, capped by the Chicago Black Sox dealing their MVP third baseman (and two relievers!) to the St. Louis Apostles in exchange for three minor league prospects.

The Apostles had a busy day, as that was just one of four trades made by GM Bobby Sylvester during the final day of winter trading season.  In another deal, Sylvester added all-star catcher Brian McCann from the Villanova Mustangs.  With a lineup filled with the likes of Albert Pujols, Longoria, McCann, Nick Markakis and Dustin Pedroia, the Apostles are nearly a lock to score 1,000+ runs for the second season in a row.  It will indeed by a merry Christmas (and happy birthday) for Sylvester this year.

December 6, 2009
And the Winners Are...
SALEM, NH - The Sylvester family dominated the 2009 BDBL awards balloting, as father Sylvester won his fourth Manager of the Year award, and third GM of the Year award, and son Bobby finished second and third (respectively) in the voting for each award.  The younger Sylvester also dominated the EL MVP balloting, as the three top vote-getters, including the winner, Dustin Pedroia, are all St. Louis Apostles.  Pedroia also captured the EL Babe Ruth award, while Atlanta ace Ervin Santana won the EL Cy Young award.

In the Ozzie League, the voting for Manager of the Year ended in a tie for the first time in league history, with division rivals Greg Newgard and Jeff Paulson sharing the honor.  Newgard does have the GM of the Year award all to himself, however.  Los Altos ace C.C. Sabathia, who set a new BDBL record with 29 wins in 2009, was the runaway winner of the Cy Young award, while New Milford overachiever Jack Cust took home both the MVP and Babe Ruth awards.

Full balloting results...

December 2, 2009
Blazers Also Add an Ace
NEW MILFORD, CT - After watching their division rivals add an ace at the trading table this week, the New Milford Blazers did the same, adding Gavin Floyd from the Great Lakes Sphinx at the expense of...Martin Prado??  Really??

Really.

November 30, 2009
Cowtippers Add an Ace
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers made a pair of announcements today to kick off the 2010 trading season.  In the first trade, Salem added ace Dan Haren from the San Antonio Broncs, along with Brian Roberts and John Baker, in exchange for prospects Brian Matusz, Aaron Hicks and others.  In another deal, Salem offloaded Josh Beckett's $17 million salary to Southern Cal, getting closer Trevor Hoffman in exchange.

Full story...

November 29, 2009
Undertakers are Your 2009 BDBL Champions
SALEM, NH - All too rarely, the team that is supposed to win actually wins in the end.  But in 2009, the Los Altos Undertakers fulfilled all pre-season expectations by defeating the Southern Cal Slyme in the BDBL World Series.

Los Altos jumped out to a two-games-to-none lead in the series, but then lost two out of three in Southern Cal.  When the series shifted back to Los Altos for Game Six, former Salem Cowtipper Justin Duchscherer took the hill and shut down the dangerous SoCal offense for five-plus innings.  The stellar Undertakers bullpen then took over and did what they have done all season, stifling the opposition to close out the Undertakers' 125th win of the season, clinching Jeff Paulson's long-overdue first BDBL championship trophy.

Full details available on the Playoffs page...

November 27, 2009
Slyme Advance to World Series
SALEM, NH - Ten years after their first BDBL World Series appearance, the Southern Cal Slyme are returning to the big stage after defeating the Atlanta Fire Ants in the ELCS in five games.

The Slyme pummeled Atlanta ace Ervin Santana for 11 runs on 17 hits in his two starts, and outscored the Fire Ants by a margin of 23-18.  SoCal will now face the Los Altos Undertakers for the 2009 BDBL championship trophy.

November 25, 2009
Undertakers Clear Another Hurdle
SALEM, NH -After losing two of the first three games of the OLCS to the woeful New Milford Blazers, the Los Altos Undertakers won the next three games of the series to advance to the BDBL World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Los Altos accomplished this feat despite hitting just .241/.288/.414 as a team, and despite outscoring the Blazers in the series by a margin of just 28-26.  Thankfully, another BDBL tragedy was averted when pinch hitter Ryan Shealy launched a walk-off, grand slam home run off of Brian Bruney in Game Six.  It seems we all have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

November 9, 2009
Stage is Set for LCS
SALEM, NH - The Los Altos Undertakers breezed past the Las Vegas Flamingos in four games in the OL Division Series, setting the stage for an OLCS match-up against the New Milford Blazers.  Los Altos outscored Las Vegas 32-15 in the series and hit .329/.404/.527 with 18 extra base hits in the four games.

November 8, 2009
Tragedy Strikes the BDBL
SALEM, NH - The New Milford Blazers have defeated the San Antonio Broncs in the OL Division Series.  After taking a three-games-to-two lead in the series, the San Antonio offense simply failed to show up for the final two games.  They were on the losing end of a 1-0, one-hit shutout in Game Six, and were then destroyed in the seventh game by a score of 10-2.

San Antonio hit just .220/.272/.313 in the seven games, with just four home runs, 19 runs scored and 15 walks.  New Milford's hitting (.229/.346/.330, 25 runs, 5 HR, 38 BB) wasn't much better, but in the end it was enough.

The Blazers now head to the OLCS for the second time in franchise history.  Once again, we're reminded that there is no such thing as justice in the BDBL.

November 6, 2009
ELCS Match-up is Set
SALEM, NH -On Thursday night, both the Atlanta Fire Ants and Southern Cal Slyme completed a four-games-to-one Division Series victory, sending the two teams into the EL Championship Series.

Atlanta defeated the favored St. Louis Apostles, as the Fire Ants' vaunted pitching staff stymied the powerful Apostles offense.  Although St. Louis scored over 1,000 runs during the regular season, they were held to just 17 runs in five games, as Atlanta's stellar pitching held them to a .207/.272/.348 batting line as a team.

Southern Cal's Division Series pitching performance was every bit as impressive, as the Slyme posted a 2.60 ERA in the series, and held Kansas hitters to just 13 runs in five games and a batting line of .229/.299/.318.

The Fire Ants and Slyme will meet in the ELCS for the second time in league history.  Their first meeting came during the league's very first season in 1999, back when the Fire Ants were known as the Oakville Marauders.

October 29, 2009
It's Over, Johnny
SALEM, NH - At long last, the 2009 season is officially over.  The season ended on Thursday night, with two races being decided on the final day of the season.  The Las Vegas Flamingos officially clinched the Benes Division after sweeping the Marlboro Hammerheads in their final series of the season, and the St. Louis Apostles officially clinched the Person Division after sweeping the South Carolina Sea Cats in their final series of the season.

The BDBL post-season is now set.  Please see the 2009 Playoffs page for all post-season match-ups and results.

October 27, 2009
Atlanta Out in Front, Vegas One Step Closer
ATLANTA, GA - The Atlanta Fire Ants took a major step toward the playoffs by taking three of four from the Chicago Black Sox on Tuesday night to take a one game lead in the division with just one day remaining in the season.  Each team has four games left to play.

In other news, the Las Vegas Flamingos have taken a commanding lead in the Benes Division, and now lead by three games over the Marlboro Hammerheads.  The two teams face off for one final series, and Marlboro must sweep that series in order to win the division.

October 25, 2009
Lester No-hits San Antonio
LOS ALTOS, CA - On Sunday night, Los Altos ace Jon Lester became the 13th pitcher in BDBL history -- and the first this season -- to pitch a no-hitter.  Lester's no-no came in the fourth game of a series against the San Antonio Broncs, giving Los Altos the series victory.  It was the final game of the season for the Broncs, who wrapped up a remarkable year with a record of 102-58.  Los Altos, at 109-47, have four games remaining.

October 25, 2009
Wade Breaks Saves Record
SAN ANTONIO, TX - San Antonio Broncs closer Cory Wade fulfilled his year-long pursuit of the BDBL single season saves record, notching #63 on the season with a win over the Los Altos Undertakers.  The record was formerly held by Undertakers legend Eric Gagne.

October 24, 2009
Go 'Dogs Go
KANSAS - The Kansas Law Dogs wrapped up their fourth division title on Friday, after a 10-6 start to Chapter Six.  If the season ended today, Kansas would face the Eck League wild card winner (currently Southern Cal) in the EL Division Series.  But with several games left to play over the next week, the situation is far from decided.

October 24, 2009
Los Altos Captures the Flag
LOS ALTOS, CA - The Los Altos Undertakers officially clinched their seventh division title on Friday night after taking three of four from the New Hope Badgers.  In Game One of the series, the Undertakers' $22 million investment from last winter, C.C. Sabathia, won his 27th game of the season, setting a new BDBL record.

Three of the four spots in the Ozzie League playoffs are now set, with only the Benes Division remaining undecided.  The Las Vegas Flamingos and Marlboro Hammerheads are deadlocked in that division race with identical 71-81 records.  The winner of that division will then face the Undertakers in the Division Series.

October 22, 2009
One Week to Go
SALEM, NH - Only one week remaining in this god-awful season, and there are a couple of interesting races still to be resolved.  In the Benes Division, the Marlboro Hammerheads own a slim one-game lead over the Las Vegas Flamingos.  Vegas has a dozen games remaining, while Marlboro has 16 left on the schedule.

In the Person Division, the SoCal Slyme and St. Louis Apostles are deadlocked with identical 93-55 records atop the Person Division.  With the EL wild card all wrapped up, the only thing at stake here is pride, with father and son battling for the title.  Both teams have a dozen games remaining.

And in the Hrbek Division, the Atlanta Fire Ants trail the Chicago Black Sox by one game, with a dozen games remaining for Chicago and 16 left for Atlanta.

October 5, 2009
Hey, Way to Go, Asshole!
NEW MILFORD, CT - The New Milford Blazers officially clinched their first division title on Monday night, taking three of four from the Las Vegas Flamingos.  With a dozen games remaining in the season, New Milford owns an 88-60 record, which virtually assures that they will face the San Antonio Broncs in the OL Division Series.  Have fun, Greg.

September 27, 2009
First (Err...Second) One Into the Pool
SAN ANTONIO, TX - The San Antonio Broncs clinched a spot in the BDBL post-season after an 8-4 start to Chapter Six.  The Broncs own a 92-52 record overall (eight wins away from a new franchise record), and sit six games behind the Los Altos Undertakers in the Griffin Division.

In other important San Antonio Broncs news, closer Cory Wade now has 57 saves on the season, and needs just six more (in 16 games) to surpass Los Altos legend Eric Gagne for the all-time BDBL single-season saves record.

September 15, 2009
BDBL 2009: The Final Chapter
SALEM, NH - Chapter Five officially came to a close on Sunday night, with the Kansas Law Dogs (22-6), St. Louis Apostles (21-7) and Los Altos Undertakers (20-8) enjoying a big chapter.  With one chapter of the season remaining, the Marlboro Hammerheads are clinging to a two-game lead in the Benes Division, the Apostles have opened up a three-game lead in the Person Division, and the Chicago Black Sox and Atlanta Fire Ants are all tied up in the Hrbek Division.

Corona's Joe Mauer (.441/.512/.631) won the OL Hitter of the Chapter award, as he gears up for what is certain to be a monster 2010 season.  St. Louis' Aubrey Huff (.417/.461/.774) won the EL award for the chapter.

On the mound, C.C. Sabathia (5-0, 3.18 ERA) and Carlos Zambrano (6-1, 2.79) are your Pitchers of the Chapter.

September 5, 2009
All Tied Up
SALEM, NH - With just seven weeks remaining in the 2009 season, no fewer than three divisions are currently tied.  In the Benes Division, the Las Vegas Flamingos and Marlboro Hammerheads sport identical 58-70 records atop the division.  In the Person Division, the St. Louis Apostles (76-44 overall) have caught up with the Southern Cal Slyme (68-36) in a virtual tie for first.  And in the Hrbek Division, the Chicago Black Sox (67-49) and Atlanta Fire Ants (65-47) remain virtually tied atop the division.

August 20, 2009
Hot Pink
LAS VEGAS, NV - After a 9-7 start to Chapter Five, the Las Vegas Flamingos have captured a share of first place in the Benes Division.  With the Marlboro Hammerheads losing three of four against the Salem Cowtippers, Vegas owns a share of first despite an overall record of 55-65.

August 2, 2009
We Left Our Hearts (and Our Bellies, and Our Livers) in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The tenth (yes, tenth) annual BDBL Weekend festivities were held in Oakland and San Francisco this past weekend, featuring nine BDBL owners, two MLB ballparks and countless trades.

Full story...

July 29, 2009
Put It In the Books
SALEM, NH - Chapter Four officially came to an end on Tuesday night, and for most teams in the BDBL it was a mediocre chapter.  15 of the 24 teams in the league finished the chapter with 11, 12 or 13 wins in the chapter.  Only the Los Altos Undertakers (20-4) enjoyed a dominant chapter, while the Sylmar Padawans (7-17) and South Carolina Sea Cats (7-17) brought up the rear.

Hitters of the Chapter were Jermaine Dye (BCJ, .406/.423/.740) and Manny Ramirez (NAS, .362/.439/.777), and Pitchers of the Chapter were A.J. Burnett (MAN, 5-1, 1.76 ERA, .186/.232/.297 against) and Andy Sonnanstine (ATL, 2.62 ERA, .197/.227/.339 against.)

With 56 games remaining in the season, plenty of playoff spots are still wide open, with only the Butler Division (where the New Milford Blazers have opened up an 11-game lead after seeing that lead dwindle to just five games earlier in the chapter) and Higuera Division (where Kansas owns an 8-game lead over Allentown) seemingly decided at this point.  The Marlboro Hammerheads cling to a two-game lead in the Benes Division, Los Altos has taken a three-game lead over San Antonio in the Griffin Division, St. Louis has closed the gap to four games behind the SoCal Slyme, and the Hrbek Division is all tied up between the Chicago Black Sox and Atlanta Fire Ants.

July 28, 2009
Sylvester (Sr.) Bulks Up
SOUTHERN CAL - The SoCal Slyme have enjoyed a commanding lead in the Person Division throughout the season, but with the St. Louis Apostles nipping at his heels, SoCal GM Bob Sylvester made a major move today to keep that division lead intact.  In exchange for top prospect Carlos Santana and two others, the Slyme have added ace Jake Peavy to the starting rotation, and relievers Will Ohman and Carlos Marmol to the bullpen.

Ridgebacks GM Tom DiStefano, who announced his desire to scrap his team less than 48 hours ago, has unloaded several superstar impact players in a very short amount of time, significantly altering several of the division races.

July 28, 2009
Broncs Get Hudson
SAN ANTONIO, TX - In their quest to keep pace with the world-beating Undertakers of Los Altos, the San Antonio Broncs announced today that they have acquired pitcher Tim Hudson from the Allentown Ridgebacks, along with three others.  In exchange, San Antonio has parted with five players, including a couple of prospects and a couple of middle relievers.  San Antonio currently trails Los Altos by three games in the Griffin Division race.

July 27, 2009
Atlanta Makes Their Move
ATLANTA, GA - With the Atlanta Fire Ants losing their lead in the division and falling into a tie with the Chicago Black Sox, many were wondering whether Atlanta GM Gene Patterson would loosen the grip on some of his good, young talent and acquire enough firepower to propel the team to its second playoffs appearance in the Patterson Era.  That question was answered today when Patterson acquired Carlos Beltran, Oliver Perez and three others from the white-flag-waving Allentown Ridgebacks in exchange for Gary Sheffield and four others (including recently-injured Kevin Slowey.)

UPDATE: Due to VORP cap rules, this trade has been nullified, but is currently being reworked.

July 14, 2009
Undertakers On Top (For Good?)
LOS ALTOS, CA - It took a lot longer than most people expected, but the Los Altos Undertakers officially captured first place in the Griffin Division after sweeping the Salem Cowtippers on Monday night.  The Undertakers easily won all four games against Salem, giving them a one-game lead over the San Antonio Broncs.  The Broncs, who are 10-10 so far this chapter, held onto the division lead with the best record in the BDBL throughout the first half of the season.

July 8, 2009
Hrbek Fit to be Tied
CHICAGO, IL - The Chicago Black Sox have slugged their way into a virtual tie with the Atlanta Fire Ants atop the Hrbek Division after taking three of four from the Great Lakes Sphinx this week.  Newcomers Ichiro Suzuki and Geovanny Soto hit a combined 18-for-28 (.643) in the series, with three homers and 15 RBI's. Atlanta continues to thrive on its pitching, but the team is just 15-13 since the start of Chapter Three (the third-best record in the division.)

June 14, 2009
Another New Owner for the Funk
SALEM, NH - Mike Ranney, a 53-year-old veteran of Diamond Mind Baseball, was introduced today as the new owner of the Nashville Funkadelic franchise.  Ranney takes over for Ryan Melosi, who came into the BDBL less than a month ago.

June 12, 2009
Halfway There
SALEM, NH - The 2009 season officially reached its halfway point on Friday afternoon.  The Eck League crushed the Ozzie League in interleague play during Chapter Three, going 106-86 against their league rivals.  The SoCal Slyme and San Antonio Broncs were once again the winningest teams in the BDBL with 17 wins in the third chapter, with Kansas going 16-8 and Akron and Chicago each going 15-9.

On the flip side, the South Carolina Sea Cats and Las Vegas Flamingos (8-16 each) were just plain awful.  Jack Cust (.359/.510/.962) and Albert Pujols (.385/.475/.626) took home the Hitters of the Chapter awards, while Wandy Rodriguez (1.13 ERA, .170/.236/.207 against) and Shaun Marcum (1.62 ERA, .202/.267/.286) earned the Pitcher of the Chapter awards.  The always-thrilling Chapter Four free agent pick-up will take place Saturday night at 9:00pm ET.

June 3, 2009
Chicago Hope
CHICAGO, IL - Chicago Black Sox GM John Gill made a pair of trades this week to help erase the two-game deficit he faces in the Hrbek Division.  In a trade with the Sylmar Padawans, the Black Sox added Ichiro Suzuki and Geovanny Soto, costing the team top prospect Cameron Maybin, Jeremy Hermida and others.  Then, less than an hour later, Gill announced that he'd also acquired Jimmy Rollins from the Marlboro Hammerheads in exchange for prospect Josh Reddick and others.

Chicago owns a .574 winning percentage this season, yet trails the underdog Atlanta Fire Ants.  The Black Sox are 8-4 this chapter, while Atlanta is 7-5.

May 25, 2009
The Emperor Has No Clothes
ALLENTOWN, NJ - Tom DiStefano has lost his ever-loving mind.  That is the only explanation for the trade he made on Sunday night with the New Milford Blazers, whereby he sent one of the top young pitchers in the game of baseball, Yovani Gallardo, to New Milford in exchange for a collection of 29-year-old pinch hitters.  DiStefano, who is currently nine games behind in his division, believes this collection of pinch hitters (and a #5 starter) will make up the ground necessary to get back into the Higuera Division race.  Good luck with that.

May 20, 2009
Out Goes the Funk
SALEM, NH - After seven seasons at the helm of the Nashville Funkadelic, GM/owner Steve Osborne has stepped down.  Osborne, who entered the league in 2002 as the owner of the New York Knights, compiled a career record of 556-566 (.496) in the BDBL, and won a Person Division title in '02 and another in 2007.  Best known for his love of Ty Cobb and for masterminding some of the best practical jokes in league history, Osborne will be missed.

The league also announced on Wednesday that Osborne's replacement as GM/owner of the Funkadelic will be Bobby Sylvester's college roommate, Ryan Melosi.  Melosi is a long-time follower of the BDBL and a self-described "baseball nut" who will now be competing in the same division as his roommate.

May 20, 2009
Salem Reaches Nadir
SALEM, NH - It's been a bad week for the Salem Cowtippers.  On Sunday, Salem lost three of four to the Southern Cal Slyme to fall nine games behind in the Butler Division race.  Less than three hours later, newly-acquired "ace" Ryan Dempster was sent packing to the Manchester Irish Rebels in the first of what is expected to be several "firesale" trades.  After being roundly panned by the BDBL press for the trade, Glander then watched in horror as the 20-40 South Carolina Sea Cats took three of four from Salem on Tuesday night.

The Cowtippers, who were universally predicted to win their division in the pre-season, are now 6-10 on the chapter and 33-39 on the season -- 10 games behind the Blazers.

May 1, 2009
Onto Chapter Three
SALEM, NH - The San Antonio Broncs and Los Altos Undertakers led the way in Chapter Two, each sporting 20-8 records, while the St. Louis Apostles (18-10) also enjoyed a successful chapter.  At the other end of the spectrum, the Villanova Mustangs (8-20) and Corona Confederates (9-19) stunk up the joint.

San Antonio's newest rent-a-stud, Alex Rodriguez, took home the OL's Hitter of the Chapter award, after leading the league in average (.380), OBP (.496), slugging (.860) and several other categories in Chapter Two.  In the EL, it was a toss-up between St. Louis teammates Albert Pujols (.400/.455/.740) and Dustin Pedroia (.368/.429/.658.)

On the mound, Sylmar's Jonathan Sanchez (0.94 ERA, .159/.238/.212 against) won the OL Pitcher of the Chapter award, while Atlanta's Ervin Santana (1.51 ERA, .168/.238/.289) took home the EL honor.

April 28, 2009
Halladay!  Celebrate!
NEW MILFORD, CT - The feel-good story of the 2009 season continued today when the New Milford Blazers acquired Roy Halladay from the Ravenswood Infidels, parting with several budding superstars in exchange.  The Blazers are riding high after another stellar chapter, in which they finished 16-12.  They now enjoy a comfortable seven-game lead in the Butler Division, which will undoubtedly grow even healthier thanks to the addition of their new ace.

April 28, 2009
Flamingos Back on Top
LAS VEGAS, NV - Despite a .500 chapter (14-14), the Las Vegas Flamingos still remain atop the Benes Division by a one-game margin over the Marlboro Hammerheads.  Marlboro went 16-10 in Chapter Two, but is just 26-30 on the season.

April 16, 2009
Allentown in the Dog House
ALLENTOWN, NJ - Despite pre-season predictions of greatness and a roster filled with the likes of Tim Lincecum, Jake Peavy, Ryan Braun, Justin Morneau and Carlos Beltran, the Allentown Ridgebacks are wallowing in last place in the Higuera Division with a record of 15-25.  After a 3-9 start to the second chapter, Allentown now trails the division-leading Kansas Law Dogs by six games.

April 10, 2009
Parity Like It's 2009
SALEM, NH - Just five games separate all four teams in three different divisions in the BDBL, here in the middle of April.  The Benes, Higuera and Hrbek Divisions are all up for grabs, as five games or less separates the top team from last place.  Incredibly, only three teams in the Ozzie League own a record above .500, while the Hrbek Division includes three teams above the .500 mark.  Interleague play (which begins in Chapter Three) should prove interesting.

April 3, 2009
Just When You Thought It Was Safe...
MARLBORO, NJ - After a 12-4 start to Chapter Two, the Marlboro Hammerheads now own sole possession of first place in the Benes Division.  Marlboro (22-22 overall) is the only .500 team in the division, and the only team that has outscored their opponents.

In other news, the San Antonio Broncs (14-6 this chapter) continue to win, as their lead over the Undertakers now stands at three games.  And on the flip side of that coin, the Corona Confederates are off to a miserable 1-11 start to the chapter, and have now fallen 11 games out of first in the Butler Division.

March 13, 2009
One Away
SALEM, NH - The first chapter of the 2009 season mercifully came to an end on Friday with the SoCal Slyme in the familiar position of owning the best record in the league at 20-8.  The San Antonio Broncs (19-9), Atlanta Fire Ants (18-10) and New Milford Blazers (18-10) also enjoyed successful chapters.  On the flip side, the South Carolina Sea Cats have gotten out to a miserable 6-22 start to the '09 season, and have scored just 87 runs (an average of 3.1 per game.)

Allentown's Tim Lincecum led the EL in ERA (2.33) and strikeouts (53), and captured the coveted EL Pitcher of the Chapter award.  Marlboro's Tim Hudson (.158/.234/.257 against, and a 2.57 ERA) took home the OL honors.

At the plate, the Hitter of the Chapter awards for the OL and EL, respectively, went to Los Altos 3B/RF Kevin Youkilis, who led the league in all three triple-slash categories (.400/.461/.791), and SoCal's surprising Ryan Zimmerman (.420/.473/.667), who nearly did the same.

March 11, 2009
San Antonio Swept
LOS ALTOS, CA - In the most anticipated match-up of the season so far, the pre-season favorite Los Altos Undertakers faced the red-hot San Antonio Broncs in a Griffin Division match-up that may be a preview of the OLCS.

Los Altos starter Ryan Dempster has been a disappointment throughout the season, but he finally put it all together in Game One of the series, tossing seven shutout innings en route to a 3-0 Los Altos victory.  Undertakers slugger Josh Hamilton hit a walk-off homer in extra innings to give Los Altos the win in Game Two.  After another one-run win in the third game, and a 12-6 laugher in the final game, the Undertakers walked away with a sweep.

Los Altos wrapped up the first chapter with a record of 18-10 -- one game behind the Broncs.

March 10, 2009
A-Robbed
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Alex Rodriguez played for the same BDBL franchise for ten seasons.  But for the third time in the past three months, Rodriguez has been traded.  On Tuesday, San Antonio Broncs GM Greg Newgard happily announced that he had just acquired the all-star third baseman as part of a nine-player trade with the Marlboro Hammerheads.

"We're giving up a lot here," stated Newgard (who really didn't give up a lot), "but we feel like we're getting the best bat in the league and will be a key piece in keeping us in the thick of the playoff hunt.  [A-Rod] is the biggest name we've acquired since I've been here, and we can't wait for [Chapter Two] to start so we can see this team in action."

The Hammerheads were expected to win the Benes Division this year, but after a disappointing 10-18 start to the season (despite a league-leading +16 runs differential), Marlboro GM Nic Weiss has announced that he has begun looking toward the future.

"At the start of the season, I didn't think I'd be trading away my best player," stated Weiss, "but a 10-18 chapter forced me to begin thinking toward next season.  This trade still allows me to compete this season, while getting building blocks for next season."

March 6, 2009
BDBL Farm Report
SALEM, NH - The tenth annual BDBL Farm Report has arrived.  And you'll never guess which player ranks #1, and which BDBL team he plays for!

March 4, 2009
Look Who's Back
SOUTHERN CAL - Guess who has the best record in the Eck League at 20-8?  Yep, it's the same team that set a new BDBL for wins last season: the Southern Cal Slyme.  With two weeks remaining in the chapter, other top performers include San Antonio (19-5) and Atlanta (12-4.)

March 4, 2009
Cheesing Their Way to Victory
NEW MILFORD, CT - With their collection of #4 starters, part-time middle relievers, fourth outfielders and career pinch hitters leading the way, the New Milford Blazers are once again off to a hot start, going 18-10 in the first chapter.  New Milford now holds a 5-game lead over the 9-11 Cowtippers in what has become the most pathetic division in the BDBL.

February 16, 2009
Dogs On the Hunt
KANSAS - The Kansas Law Dogs have kicked off the season with an Eck League-best 13-7 record after taking three of four from the division rival Allentown Ridgebacks this weekend.  The Ridgebacks are now just 2-6 on the season -- tied with the Great Lakes Sphinx at the bottom of the Higuera Division.

February 14, 2009
Broncs Bust Out of the Gate
SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Broncs own the best record in the BDBL at 15-5 after taking three of four from the Marlboro Hammerheads this week.  As expected, their pitching has carried them.  In a year where the average BDBL team ERA is 4.67, the Broncs own a stellar 3.19 team ERA (second only to the Ridgebacks, who have only played four games thus far.)  San Antonio pitchers are allowing just 7.4 H/9 and 2.8 BB/9, and closer Cory Wade has already saved 11 games.

February 7, 2009
Hot Start for SoCal
SOUTHERN CAL - The Southern Cal Slyme, who set a record for wins last season, are off to another hot start in 2009.  Through their first dozen games, the Slyme are 9-3, and have outscored their opponents by a league-high 20 runs.  The only other teams in the BDBL sporting a record above .500 at this point are the Ravenswood Infidels (5-3), San Antonio Broncs (8-4) and Kansas Law Dogs (5-3.)

February 4, 2009
The Emperor Hires a New Apprentice
ALLENTOWN, NJ - BDBL defending champion Tom DiStefano (man, am I tired of typing that phrase) hired a new apprentice on Wednesday, announcing Kyle Mayes as his team's new manager, effective immediately.  Mayes, a 21-year-old industrial engineering student at the University of Missouri, is the second long-time friend of Bobby Sylvester's to join the BDBL over the past year.

January 22, 2009
Gearing Up for Opening Day
SALEM, NH - With the selection of Boone Logan in the 37th round of the free agent draft, the 2009 draft officially came to an end on Thursday afternoon, setting the stage for another exciting BDBL season.

Read all about it in the 2009 Season Preview!

January 8, 2009
Chicago Loads Up
CHICAGO, IL - After signing Vladimir Guerrero to a surprisingly low $7 million salary tonight, and Brandon Webb to an $18 million salary earlier this week, the Chicago Black Sox have positioned themselves to compete for another division title in 2009.  Webb becomes the ace of a rotation that includes Roy Oswalt, Carlos Zambrano and Jeff Francis, and Guerrero joins a lineup filled with the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Evan Longoria, Placido Polanco and Alex Rios.

January 4, 2009
And Johan Santana Goes To...Great Lakes??
GREAT LAKES - Scott Romonosky, GM of the Great Lakes Sphinx, is apparently tired of competing every single year without making it to the playoffs.  In an effort to bring that ten-year streak to an end, Romonosky has spent $20.5 million on one player: Johan Santana.  Is Santana enough to push the Sphinx into the playoffs?  Time will tell.

January 3, 2009
Paulson Sets Another Record
LOS ALTOS, CA - Jeff Paulson has made a habit out of setting new BDBL records, and he did it again today by paying $22 million for C.C. Sabathia on the first day of the BDBL auction.  Sabathia's $22 million salary tops Johan Santana's single-season record by $1 million, and his guaranteed three-year/$66 million contract (with no escape clause!) also sets a new BDBL record.  Sabathia joins an Undertakers rotation that already includes Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Jon Lester, Shaun Marcum and Joba Chamberlain.

December 31, 2008
Atlanta Robs the Cradle
ATLANTA, GA - The Atlanta Fire Ants selected 16-year-old phenom Bryce Harper with the #1 pick of the 2009 farm draft on Monday.  At 16 years and 76 days, Harper becomes the youngest US-born player ever selected to a BDBL roster, beating Justin Upton's record by 53 days.

December 18, 2008
A-Rod Sent Packing Again
MARLBORO, NJ - After ten seasons of playing for the same BDBL franchise, Alex Rodriguez was traded for the second time this winter, landing on the Marlboro Hammerheads squad. Rodriguez was acquired along with Colby Rasmus, Mat Gamel and numerous other former St. Louis Apostles prospects in exchange for Aubrey Huff, Chris Ianetta, Chris Perez and Eric Hurley.

December 9, 2008
Three Ain't Enough
ALLENTOWN, NJ - Less than a month after winning his third trophy in seven seasons, Allentown Ridgebacks GM Tom DiStefano made a major move toward trophy #4, acquiring Carlos Marmol, Carlos Lee and Arthur Rhodes from the Great Lakes Sphinx in exchange for Cody Ross and six prospects.

November 19, 2008
Sylvester Stocks Up
ST. LOUIS, MO - St. Louis Apostles GM Bobby Sylvester made the biggest splash of the winter trading season thus far by announcing three major trades today.  In all, the Apostles added Alex Rodriguez, Kyle Lohse, Vernon Wells, Wily Mo Pena, Adam Wainwright, J.J. Hardy and Hunter Pence at the expense of several young stars including Joba Chamberlain, Julio Teheran, Hiroki Kuroda and Desmond Jennings.

November 15, 2008
Trading Season Has Begun
SALEM, NH - Just a few hours after the 2008 season ended, the 2009 season began when a series of trades were formally announced.  The Salem Cowtippers announced three deals -- in one of which, they reacquired former franchise player Mark Teixeira and two others at the expense of Miguel Cabrera and top prospect Cameron Maybin.

The Los Altos Undertakers announced their acquisition of ace relievers Scott Downs and Billy Wagner, plus catcher Mike Napoli.  The Great Lakes Sphinx added Jered Weaver from the Undertakers at the expense of Napoli.  And the San Antonio Broncs managed to unload Austin Kearns' contract while sacrificing Jeremy Guthrie.