July 8, 2008
When Bears Attack!
BEAR COUNTRY - The Bear Country Jamboree not only swept the New Hope Badgers this week, but they pounded them mercilessly, outscoring the Badgers 55-16.  Rubbing salt into New Hope's wound, the Jamboree scored a BDBL-tying record 27 runs in the second game en route to a 27-5 win.  The Jamboree's lead in the Griffin Division now stands at three games over the Los Altos Undertakers.

June 29, 2008
Falling Like Rocks
CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Rocks are off to a 1-7 start in Chapter Four, dropping them four games behind the Chicago Black Sox in the Hrbek Division.  Cleveland lost three of four to the Kansas Law Dogs, and were swept by the St. Louis Apostles.  Cleveland has managed to stay in the race this season despite a back-end of the starting rotation that includes Edwin Jackson (6.48 ERA in 82 innings) and Cliff Lee (7.27 ERA in 52 IP.)

June 28, 2008
Almost Perfect
ALLENTOWN, NJ - With his robot manager lovingly calling the shots from the dugout, Jake Peavy became the 12th player in BDBL history to pitch a no-hitter on Saturday.  If not for a fifth inning walk to Assdrubal Cabrera, Peavy's no-hitter would have been the first perfect game in league history.  As it was, Cabrera was later retired on a double-play, allowing Peavy to face the minimum number of batters to record his historic accomplishment.  Peavy struck out eight in the game, and needed just 84 pitches to seal the deal.

June 14, 2008
Ozzie Rules...Again
AKRON, OH - The Ozzie League upped their all-time all-star record to 6-4 by thrashing the Eck League by a score of 9-2 in the midsummer classic.  Las Vegas' Chase Utley and Bear Country's Alex Rodriguez share the game's MVP award, as both delivered multi-hit games, with A-Rod hitting the game's only home run.  The Ozzie League has now won the last three all-star games in a row.

June 13, 2008
Atlanta Fired Up Over Beckham
SALEM, NH - The Atlanta Fire Ants made Gordon Beckham the first player selected in the ever-popular, always fun Chapter Four free agent draft.  Beckham, a shortstop from Atlanta GM Gene Patterson's home state, was the eighth player selected in MLB's June draft.

June 13, 2008
Put Another One in the Books
SALEM, NH - Chapter Three came to an official close today, and the 2008 season officially reached its halfway point.  The Salem Cowtippers (18-6), Ravenswood Infidels (17-7) and Cleveland Rocks (17-7) enjoyed the best chapters, while the Manchester Irish Rebels (7-17) and Great Lakes Sphinx (7-17) suffered through the worst chapters.

After suffering through a humiliating year in 2007, the Ozzie League redeemed themselves this season by going 103-81 in interleague play.

There are two tight division races at the moment.  In the Griffin Division, the Bear Country Jamboree took full advantage of a horrendous chapter by the Los Altos Undertakers (9-15), posting a 14-10 record to capture first place in the division by a game.  And in the Hrbek Division, the Chicago Black Sox stumbled with a 12-12 record, allowing the Akron Ryche and Rocks to creep within a game of the division lead.

In the Higuera Division, the Allentown Ridgebacks also stumbled in Chapter Three, going just 10-14.  But the Kansas Law Dogs were unable to take advantage, and went just 11-13 to increase their lead to only four games.

New Hope's David Ortiz (.398/.486/.892) and Cleveland's Jim Thome (.421/.511/.791) won the OL and EL Hitter of the Chapter awards, respectively.  New Hope's Chris Young (4-0, 0.82 ERA) and Chicago's Roy Oswalt (3-0, 2.45 ERA) were the Pitchers of the Chapter.

June 2, 2008
Undertakers Bury the Lead
LOS ALTOS, CA - The Los Altos Undertakers have stumbled on the way to their seventh division title, as they have gone just 7-13 in Chapter Three.  They held a four-game lead in the Griffin Division heading into this chapter, but that lead has disappeared, and they are now tied atop the division with the Bear Country Jamboree.

May 22, 2008
Red Hot Rocks
CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Rocks are the hottest team in the BDBL right now, with a record of 13-3 this chapter.  (Of course, that's what happens when you play the pathetic Griffin Division.)  Cleveland's hot streak has placed them in a virtual tie with the Chicago Black Sox atop the Hrbek Division, despite being outscored by their opponents by a whopping 44 runs this season.  The Rocks are outperforming their Pythagorean record by a league-high six games.

May 18, 2008
Smoltz Schmoltz
NEW HOPE, PA - The New Hope Badgers were announced tonight as the winners of the annual Great Lakes Sell-a-thon.  In exchange for Joe Blanton and a trio of fliers, the Badgers added new staff ace John Smoltz, with Justin Germano and Michael Cuddyer thrown in, just to make it worth their while.

May 16, 2008
Infidels Burning Hot
RAVENSWOOD, IL - The hottest team in the BDBL right now is the Ravenswood Infidels, who are off to a 15-5 start this chapter.  That record has given them a 13-game lead in the Benes Division -- by far, the largest lead in the Ozzie League.

Ravenswood has posted a 2.72 team ERA this chapter, but that's not the only good news for the pitching staff, as the team announced they have acquired Greg Maddux through a trade with the Nashville Funkadelic this week.

May 12, 2008
Corona Rents a Ria
CORONA, CA - The Corona Confederates sent flavor-of-the-month rookie pitcher Max Scherzer to the Atlanta Fire Ants today, getting all-star shortstop Edgar Renteria in exchange, as part of a seven-player trade.  The Confeds also received outfielder Jeff Francoeur, pitcher Kevin Correia and Jorge Cantu, while Atlanta received lil' Davey Eckstein and prospect Matt Latos.  Corona currently trails the Salem Cowtippers by three games in the Butler Division.

April 29, 2008
Two Down
SALEM, NH - Chapter Two of the 2008 season came to an end Monday night, with the Corona Confederates, Allentown Ridgebacks, Kansas Law Dogs and SoCal Slyme sharing the honor of having the best record of the chapter at 19-9.  The Atlanta Fire Ants, at 5-23, enjoy the sole honor of worst record in the chapter.

Salem's Miguel Cabrera (13 HR, 30 RBIs) and Cleveland's Chipper Jones (.398/.492/.786) won the Hitter of the Chapter awards for their respective leagues, while Manchester's C.C. Sabathia (5-2, 1.59 ERA) and Allentown's Jake Peavy (6-1, 2.00 ERA) won the Pitcher of the Chapter awards.

April 28, 2008
Chicago Breaks From the Pack
CHICAGO, IL - After a sub-par (13-15) first chapter, the Chicago Black Sox wrapped up Chapter Two with a record of 17-11, capturing first place in the Hrbek Division.  They now hold a three-game lead over the Akron Ryche, and are the only team in the division with a record above .500.

April 17, 2008
Neck-and-Neck
SALEM, NH - The Butler Division race continued to heat up this week when the New Milford Blazers swept the Marlboro Hammerheads to pull within one game of the division leader, the Salem Cowtippers.  All four teams in the division are now separated by just two games, and all four teams are at least four games over .500.

But that's not the only tight race in the BDBL at the moment.  The Manchester Irish Rebels had crept to within one game of the Ravenswood Infidels in the Benes Division before getting swept by Marlboro on Wednesday, dropping them to three games behind.

In the Griffin Division, the Undertakers, Broncs and Jamboree are all separated by just two games.  In the Higuera Division, the red-hot Allentown Ridgebacks (16-8 this chapter) now trail the .700 Kansas Law Dogs by just two games.  And in the Hrbek Division, the Akron Ryche and Chicago Black Sox are tied with .500 records.

April 15, 2008
The End of an Era
SALEM, NH - For the first time since 2004, the BDBL is experiencing a change in ownership following the announced departure of Ken "Sharky" Kaminski.  Kaminski, who was most famous for his waffling, his voracious appetite for trading and his anti-steroids ranting, was one of the 24 original owners of the BDBL.  He served as owner, GM and manager of the Marlboro Hammerheads for nearly a decade, with the exception of a seven-month period in which he resigned from the league and then asked to return shortly thereafter.  His presence in this league will be missed by all.

Succeeding Kaminski as owner of the Marlboro franchise will be 20-year-old college student (and friend of St. Louis Apostles owner Bobby Sylvester), Nic Weiss.  Despite his youth, Nic is a Diamond Mind veteran, and has waited patiently on the BDBL's waiting list since 2006.

April 5, 2008
The Duke of Whiffs
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez became the 11th pitcher in BDBL history to record a no-hitter, blanking the Sylmar Padawans on Saturday night.  Hernandez allowed five walks and struck out ten in his 115-pitch effort.

San Antonio joins Chicago and Corona as the only franchises in the BDBL with multiple no-hitters.  Following his historic start, Hernandez pitched 6 1/3 innings against the New Milford Blazers without allowing a hit, bringing his hitless streak to 16 innings.  His scoreless streak currently stands at 19 innings.

After getting off to a 1-7 start, the Broncs have gone 8-8 in their next 16 games, and now trail the front-running Los Altos Undertakers by only two games in the Griffin Division (tied with the Bear Country Jamboree.)

April 5, 2008
The .700 Club
SALEM, NH - Roughly 35 games into the 2008 season, two teams in the BDBL are dominating the league with winning percentages above .700: the Kansas Law Dogs (.719) and SoCal Slyme (.833.)  While the Law Dogs are outscoring their opponents by only 38 runs (second-best in their division), the Slyme are demolishing their opponents, and have already outscored them by 113 runs.

SoCal is hitting a remarkable .307/.379/.505 as a team, and own a 3.06 team ERA, and are only allowing an average of seven hits per game.

March 30, 2008
Buckling Broncs
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Talk about a rough chapter.  The San Antonio Broncs led the Griffin Division with a 17-11 record in Chapter One, but so far this chapter, they are just 1-7.  They now trail the Los Altos Undertakers by three games.

Also 1-7 are the New Milford Blazers, who surprised everyone last chapter by going 19-9.  But I don't think anyone didn't see this turnaround coming.  Two weeks into the chapter, three teams (New Milford, Corona and the front-running Salem Cowtippers) in the Butler Division are separated by just one game.

March 21, 2008
Red-Hot Rebels
MANCHESTER, NH - After a 7-1 start to Chapter Two, the Manchester Irish Rebels are now tied atop the Benes Division standings.  Manchester swept the Las Vegas Flamingos, and took three of four from the Corona Confederates, while the Ravenswood Infidels are 5-3 on the chapter.

March 13, 2008
That's a Wrap
SALEM, NH - The most bizarre chapter in the history of the BDBL officially came to a close Wednesday night.  The SoCal Slyme own the best record of the chapter -- not to mention league history -- at 24-4.  The Kansas Law Dogs, who were expected to struggle in their attempt to defend their BDBL championship title, own the second-best record in the league at 20-8 (four games ahead of the heavily-favored Allentown Ridgebacks.)

The woefully pathetic New Milford Blazers and their high-powered lineup (led by all-star sluggers Sammy Sosa, Jeff Keppinger, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jack Cust, Josh Phelps, Carlos Delgado, Eric Munson and Alex Gonzalez) lead the Ozzie League in runs scored by a wide margin, and finished with a record of 19-9.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Marlboro Hammerheads (9-19), Great Lakes Sphinx (9-19), South Carolina Sea Cats (8-20) and Las Vegas Flamingos (6-22) each suffered through a miserable chapter despite lofty expectations for some.

Corona's Prince Fielder (.316/.426/.737 w/ 11 HR and 30 RBIs) and SoCal's Magglio Ordonez (.373/.422/.678 w/ 9 HR and 30 RBIs) won the Hitter of the Chapter awards, while Bear Country ace Brandon Webb (6-1, 2.47 ERA, 44 K's) and SoCal's Ted Lilly (2.29 ERA, .183/.246/.254 against) are your Pitchers of the Chapter.

March 1, 2008
Talkin' Prospects
SALEM, NH - The annual BDBL Farm Report was released on Saturday, and for the first time in franchise history, the Marlboro Hammerheads claimed the #1 spot.  Jay Bruce of the Salem Cowtippers was nearly a unanimous selection as the #1 prospect in baseball, and the Cowtippers ranked among the top ten farm systems in the league for the ninth year in a row.

February 23, 2008
Kansas Cookin'
KANSAS - With 20 games in the books, the BDBL defending-champion Kansas Law Dogs own the second-best record in the BDBL at 16-4 (.800.)  Kansas has hit just .248/.332/.391 so far this season, but with the revival of the dead-ball era in the BDBL, the team still ranks fourth in the Eck League in runs scored.  The pitching staff, led by Johan Santana (5-0, 2.79 ERA), owns an EL-best 2.15 ERA, and has allowed just 127 hits in 184 innings.

The question is: Will Kansas GM Chris Luhning abandon his plan to trade Santana and defend his title?  Or will he wave the white flag despite his winning record, as so many have done in the past? 

February 13, 2008
24-4
SOUTHERN CAL - The SoCal Slyme wrapped up the first chapter of the season with a 24-4 record.  It is the best Chapter One record of any team in BDBL history, and it is just the third time in BDBL history that a team won 24 games in one chapter.  SoCal tied for the second-highest winning percentage for a team in any single chapter, behind only the Stamford Zoots' 23-3 record in Chapter Five of 2003.

February 10, 2008
SoCal Slaughter
SOUTHERN CAL - The Southern Cal Slyme have gotten off to a blistering 20-4 start to the 2008 season.  They are one of the few teams in the BDBL that is hitting this season, as they average .306/.373/.501, with 69 doubles and 29 home runs in 24 games.  They have scored 151 runs this season -- an average of 6.3 per game.  And the SoCal pitching staff owns a team ERA of 2.99, with only 171 hits allowed in 217 innings.

February 7, 2008
How You Spell Relief
LOS ALTOS, CA - The Los Altos Undertakers have gotten off to a 7-1 start, thanks to their world-beating bullpen, which has compiled an ERA of 0.89 over their first 40 innings.  Jon Broxton, Pedro Feliciano, Aaron Heilman, Mariano Rivera and Jack Taschner have combined for nearly 25 innings without allowing a single earned run.

Overall, the Undertakers pitching staff owns a 2.41 ERA, and its starting staff has averaged just 5.2 innings per start.

February 2, 2008
This Game Sucks
NEW MILFORD, CT - For the past nine years, Billy Baseball has proclaimed that the DMB software sucks.  This year, his team has proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt, as the woefully atrocious Blazers are off to the hottest start in the league with a record of 12-4.  This win total represents roughly 12 more wins than the Blazers were expected to have at the end of Chapter One.

After winning the Opening Day Series against Salem, the Blazers then SWEPT the Corona Confederates, split a series with Ravenswood, and then took three of four from the Sylmar Padawans.

New Milford's atrocious offense is hitting .282/.334/.434 as a team, and their laughably ridiculous pitching staff owns a 2.64 ERA.  Yes, this game truly does suck.

January 26, 2008
Opening Day Upset
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers began the 2008 season in much the same way as they finished the 2007 season: with an utterly inexplicable, jaw-dropping, laughably ridiculous series loss.  On Saturday night, the Cowtippers dropped three of four to the New Milford Blazers in the annual Opening Day Series.  'Nuff said.

January 23, 2008
On Your Mark...Get Set...
SALEM, NH - The 2008 season is just days away, with the traditional Opening Day Series between the Salem Cowtippers and New Milford Blazers set for Saturday night at 8:00.  For all the details of the coming season, see the 2008 Season Preview.

January 12, 2008
Salem Signs Beckett
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers wrapped up the 2008 free agent auction by signing ace pitcher Josh Beckett to a $17M/year, 3-year contract.  Beckett joins Erik Bedard, Kelvim Escobar, Ian Snell and Dustin McGowan in what may be the deepest starting rotation since...well, the 2007 Cowtippers.

January 8, 2008
Allentown Loads Up
SALEM, NH - Barry Bonds, the five-time BDBL MVP, is returning to the Allentown Ridgebacks after signing a $14 million/year contract on Tuesday night.  Bonds joins newly-signed Jorge Posada and Troy Glaus, Moises Alou, Ryan Braun, Kelly Johnson, Ken Griffey, Aaron Rowand and Cody Ross in what has become the most ridiculously loaded lineup in recent BDBL history.  And that lineup will join a ridiculously loaded starting rotation and bullpen, making the Ridgebacks the favorite to win it all in 2008.  Again.

January 5, 2008
Another Record is Set
SALEM, NH - On Saturday night, San Antonio Broncs GM Greg Newgard shocked the BDBL establishment by signing ace pitcher John Lackey to a $17 million salary.  This guarantees that Lackey will be paid at least $51 million over the next three years -- a new BDBL record.

January 4, 2008
Posada Signs With Evil Empire
SALEM, NH - Jorge Posada signed an $11 million ($33M over three years) contract with the Allentown Ridgebacks on Friday night, giving Allentown another potent bat in the middle of an already potent lineup.

January 3, 2008
Slyme Win Ordonez Sweepstakes
SALEM, NH - The top-ranked free agent in the Class of 2008 went to the SoCal Slyme on Thursday night.  Magglio Ordonez, who hit .363/.434/.595 in MLB '07, was signed to a $14M ($42M over 3 years) contract by GM Bob Sylvester.  Ordonez becomes the centerpiece in a SoCal lineup that includes Hanley Ramirez, Victor Martinez, Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche.

December 28, 2007
Let the Frenzy Begin
SALEM, NH - The New Milford Blazers officially signed the first free agent of the 2008 season on Friday, naming Hideki Kuroda as the #1 pick in the farm draft.  Then, in trademark Anthony Peburn style, they immediately announced that Kuroda has already been traded.

December 19, 2007
Loaded for Bear
BEAR COUNTRY - The Bear Country Jamboree made a major move toward the playoffs on Wednesday with the acquisition of A.J. Burnett.  Burnett, acquired from the New Milford Blazers in exchange for prospects Homer Bailey and Jason Hirsch (among others), will join Brandon Webb and Tim Hudson in a formidable starting rotation for the Jamboree in '08.

December 13, 2007
Doyle Does It Again
MANCHESTER, NH - Manchester Irish Rebels GM Jim Doyle made another bone-headed trade on Thursday, sending $100,000 ace Matt Cain (along with "throw-in" Carlos Quentin) to the Kansas Law Dogs in exchange for Jonathan Papelbon and Eric Bruntlett.

December 4, 2007
Back in Black
CHICAGO, IL - Vladimir Guerrero returned to the Chicago Black Sox on Tuesday, in a trade with the St. Louis Apostles (nee Wapakoneta Hippos.)  Guerrero, who played for Chicago in 2004 and 2005, joins a classic high-powered Chicago lineup that includes J.D. Drew, Khalil Greene and Mark Teixeira.  He was acquired, along with Placido Polanco, in exchange for Dustin Pedroia, Barry Zito, Jose Valverde, Vernon Wells and Jose Castillo.

It was one of four trades announced by the Apostles, who also announced a change in their franchise name (again), and a re-org of their coaching staff.

December 3, 2007
It's Been a Slowey News Month
SALEM, NH - In the midst of a relatively quiet news month, the Atlanta Fire Ants caused a minor ruckus when they traded closer Jason Isringhausen to the New Hope Badgers for Sean Marshall and Kevin Slowey.  Leading up to that deal, several weeks had passed, where the only trades made involved minor role players and farm prospects.

November 23, 2007
Trader Jeff
LOS ALTOS, CA - Jeff Paulson of the Los Altos Undertakers has been the busiest GM of the winter so far, making six of the eleven trades announced thus far.  To date, the Undertakers have added Jeremy Bonderman, Francisco Cordero, Andruw Jones, Pedro Feliciano, Jason Jennings, Josh Hamilton, Eric Gagne and John Patterson, among others.  And in exchange, Los Altos has parted with Alex Rios, J.D. Drew, Jon Rauch, Ben Sheets, Jonny Gomes and Juan Salas, among others.

November 23, 2007
And the Winners Are...
SALEM, NH - The 2007 post-season awards were announced today, and not surprisingly, David Ortiz of the New Hope Badgers emerged as the winner of both the OL MVP and Babe Ruth award.  Salem's Erik Bedard took home the OL Cy Young, while OL champ Tony Badger won both the OL GM and Manager of the Year.

In the Eck League, Cleveland's Jim Thome won the MVP, while Kansas ace Johan Santana took home the Cy Young award.  Villanova slugger Travis Hafner won the Babe Ruth award, while BDBL champion Chris Luhning took home the GM of the Year award.  And for the first time ever, an award is being shared between two people, as the EL Manager of the Year is shared by co-winners Luhning and SoCal manager Bob Sylvester.

November 13, 2007
'Dog Days of Autumn
KANSAS - The Kansas Law Dogs are the new reigning champions of the BDBL.  In just five games, the Law Dogs rolled over the New Hope Badgers in the ninth annual BDBL World Series to emerge with the coveted BDBL Trophy.

In the first game of the series, New Hope held a 3-1 lead heading into the eighth inning, but relievers John Grabow, Scott Proctor and Ron Villone then surrendered six runs in the eighth inning, and the Law Dogs walked away with an easy 7-4 win.  In Game Two, New Hope starter Sean Marshall was pounded by the Kansas offense, leading to an 8-5 Kansas win.

The series then shifted to Kansas for Game Three, and this time the Kansas bullpen collapsed in the eighth inning, with New Hope scoring two runs to tie the game and eventually force extra innings.  Finally, in the bottom of the 15th inning, Carlos Beltran strode to the plate to face New Hope reliever Matt Kinney and blasted a walk-off three-run homer.

The Badgers put up a fight in Game Four, scoring four first-inning runs off of Johan Santana en route to a 7-3 victory.  But Kansas then wrapped up the series in Game Five by a score of 3-2, as Takashi Saito and Jonathan Papelbon slammed the door with two shutout innings.

November 9, 2007
Funk Fought the Law and the Law Won
KANSAS - The Kansas Law Dogs emerged victorious over the Nashville Funkadelic in the Eck League Championship Series, sending the 'Dogs to the BDBL World Series for the second time in league history.

The series began with Kansas ace Johan Santana pitching a gem in Game One, allowing just five hits and a walk through 7+ innings, with 11 K's.  Nashville then evened the series in Game Two, thanks to 6+ shutout innings from starter Jason Jennings.

In Game Three, the Funk jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning, but Kansas then pounded out 11 runs over the next four innings against starter Freddy Garcia and reliever Joe Nathan (6 ER in 1.2 IP.)  Nashville then took an early lead in Game Four as well, but Kansas then scored five runs in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach.

Finally, in Game Five, the Law Dogs broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning by scoring five runs off of starter Greg Maddux, capped by a three-run home run by Mark Grudzielanek.

The Law Dogs will now face the New Hope Badgers in the ninth BDBL World Series.

November 6, 2007
Badgers Head to the Series
NEW HOPE, PA - The New Hope Badgers defeated the Ravenswood Infidels on Tuesday night, and are now heading to the BDBL World Series for the first time in franchise history.

The series began with a decisive 10-4 New Hope win in Game One.  Ravenswood evened the series with a 6-1 win in Game Two, behind the pitching of Randy Johnson.  In Game Three, New Hope pounded out 13 runs against Brad Penny and the Ravenswood bullpen.

But Ravenswood once again bounced back to even the series with a 6-2 win in Game Four, backed by the pitching of Luke "Mr. November" Hudson.  In Game Five, the Infidels crept within one game of the World Series with a 5-2 win, thanks to a clutch home run by Jose Valentin.  But the Badgers then evened the series once again with a 10-5 win in Game Six, as Johnson was pounded by the relentless Badgers offense.

Finally, in Game Seven, series MVP Barry Bonds put the Badgers in the lead in the third inning, and Grady Sizemore added to that lead with a two-run blast in the fifth.  Mariano Rivera then slammed the door in the ninth for the series victory.

November 2, 2007
Swept
NEW HOPE, PA - The New Hope Badgers swept their way into the OLCS at the expense of the higher-seeded Los Altos Undertakers.  In Game One, a two-run blast by series MVP Barry Bonds put the Badgers ahead 3-2 in the eighth inning.  Mariano Rivera then earned the four-out save.

Game Two was tied at two apiece heading into the ninth.  But a three-run single by Ronny Paulino off Aaron Heilman gave the Badgers their second win of the series.  When the series shifted to New Hope in Game Three, the Badgers jumped all over Undertakers starter Ben Sheets, scoring eight runs in five innings.  Andy Pettitte not only earned the victory on the mound for New Hope, but went 3-for-3 with a home run and four ribbies at the plate.

Finally, in Game Four, the Undertakers tied the game with a two-run rally in the top of the ninth.  But in the bottom half of the inning, Morgan Ensberg connected off of Heilman for a walk-off, series-winning home run.  New Hope will now face the Ravenswood Infidels in the OLCS.

November 2, 2007
'Dogs Roll into ELCS
SOUTHERN CAL - The Kansas Law Dogs won the EL Division Series in six games over the Southern Cal Slyme, setting up an ELCS match-up against the Nashville Funkadelic.  Kansas won Game One by a score of 7-2, as Johan Santana outdueled Ervin Santana.  In Game Two, the 'Dogs scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.  SoCal's Torii Hunter then drove in a run with a base hit in the top of the 12th, and Ted Lilly and Guillermo Mota slammed the door in the bottom half of the inning for the win.

In Game Three, Roger Clemens (who was traded by the Slyme to Kansas earlier this year) was absolutely dominant, pitching a complete game one-hit shutout against his former team.  Kansas then held a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning of Game Four, but SoCal scored three runs -- two on a two-run blast by former Law Dog Adam LaRoche.

But Kansas then pounded Slyme pitching in Game Five, scoring 13 runs on 14 hits.  And in Game Six, Mike Mussina dominated for Kansas, allowing just four hits while striking out 11, giving the Kansas rotation two complete game shutouts in the series.

October 29, 2007
Upset
RAVENSWOOD, IL - The #4-seeded Ravenswood Infidels took down the #1-seeded Salem Cowtippers in the OLDS on Monday night in five relatively easy games.  The Infidels now advance to the OLCS for the second time in franchise history.

The series began with a convincing 11-4 Salem win in Game One, but it was all downhill from there for the hapless Cowtippers.  In Game Two, Salem batters left five runners stranded in scoring position, and Eric Hinke's two-run blast in the first inning turned out to be the game-winner.  In Game Three, Derek Jeter was gunned down trying to score from third on a soft roller to a third baseman who was playing behind the bag.  An inning later, Bobby Abreu's double gave the Infidels the win over Brandon Webb.

In Game Four, the Cowtippers led by a score of 2-1 in the fifth inning, but Miguel Cabrera tripped over the pitcher's mound on an infield pop-up and Jeremy Bonderman responded by allowing ten runs to score in the inning, as Ravenswood walked away with a laugher.  And in Game Five, Roy Halladay outpitched Erik Bedard to give the Infidels four wins in a row -- a feat that had only been accomplished once during the regular season.

October 29, 2007
Funk Sweep
CLEVELAND, OH - The Nashville Funkadelic swept the Cleveland Rocks in the Division Series Monday night to advance to the EL Championship Series.

In Game One, Nashville overcame a 3-1 deficit by scoring four runs in the seventh inning.  A two-run triple by Jose Reyes gave the Funk a lead they never relinquished.  The Rocks and Funk each battled fiercely in extra innings in Game Two, with Cleveland scoring a run in the top of the tenth, and Nashville answering with a run in the bottom half of the inning.  Cleveland scored again in the top of the 11th, and Nashville answered with another run in the bottom half.  Finally, with the bases loaded and two outs, reliever Keith Foulke hit Tadahito Iguchi with a pitch, forcing home the game-winning run.

In Game Three, Nashville broke a 3-3 tie in the ninth with a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly off of Mike Timlin.  Joe Nathan then nailed down the win by striking out the side in order.  Nashville then completed the sweep with a 6-1 victory in Game Four, as Paul Byrd pitched seven shutout innings.

October 26, 2007
Slyme Sneak into Playoffs
SOUTHERN CAL - The Southern Cal Slyme -- the team that spent most of this season trying not to win a spot in the playoffs -- did just that on Friday night, wrapping up the EL wild card with a win over the Wapakoneta Hippos.

Despite trading away several impact players throughout the year (Roger Clemens, Paul Konerko, Anibal Sanchez, Raul Ibanez and Jose Contreras, among others), the Slyme finished the 2007 season with the third-best record in the Eck League.  They will face the Kansas Law Dogs in the EL Division Series next week.

October 25, 2007
Rocksvember!
CLEVELAND, OH - After eight long seasons, and several near misses, the Cleveland Rocks are going to the post-season.  Cleveland officially clinched the Hrbek Division on Thursday night, when the Chicago Black Sox took three of four from the Akron Ryche.

Cleveland wrapped up their season earlier in the week, finishing with a record of 89-71 -- three games ahead of Akron, and six ahead of Chicago.  The Rocks will now face the Nashville Funkadelic in the EL Division Series next week.

October 21, 2007
Kansas, Nashville Clinch
KANSAS - The Kansas Law Dogs officially clinched the Higuera Division title after taking three of four from the Allentown Ridgebacks this weekend.  This is the third division title for Law Dogs owner Chris Luhning, and the first since 2003.

The Nashville Funkadelic also clinched the Person Division title this weekend, with a four-game split against the Ridgebacks, giving this franchise their third division title.  It is the second playoffs appearance for Funk owner Steve Osborne, and the first playoffs appearance for this franchise since the team moved to Nashville.

October 16, 2007
New Hope Heading to the Post-season
NEW HOPE, PA - Just three years after the franchise was left for dead by Phil Geisel, the New Hope Badgers are heading to the post-season.  The Badgers closed out the year with a record of 95-65.  Team (and likely league) MVP David Ortiz finished the season with 79 home runs and 205 RBIs, shattering two hallowed BDBL single-season records.

October 16, 2007
Ravenswood Wins the Benes
RAVENSWOOD, IL - For the third time in four seasons as GM of the Ravenswood Infidels, Brian Potrafka has won the Benes Division.  The Infidels officially captured the flag with a 12-8 record this chapter, while the second-place Las Vegas Flamingos have posted a mirror-image 8-12 record.  The Infidels are currently the #4 seed in the playoffs with an overall record of 88-64.  With eight games remaining, they'll need to go 7-1 to tie the Badgers for the #3 seed.

October 9, 2007
Los Altos Captures the Flag
LOS ALTOS, CA - For the first time since 2004, the Los Altos Undertakers have won the Griffin Division.  The team's sixth divisional crown was officially clinched on Tuesday night, when the Undertakers swept the Manchester Irish Rebels to begin the chapter with an 11-1 record.

October 2, 2007
Seventh Time's a Charm?
SALEM, NH - For the seventh time in nine seasons, the Salem Cowtippers are heading to the post-season.  On Tuesday night, the Cowtippers officially clinched their BDBL-record seventh division championship with a win over the Marlboro Hammerheads.  The Cowtippers have made it to the OL Championship series four times, and have played in two World Series, but have yet to win it all.

September 26, 2007
Rules Record Reached
SALEM, NH - In what is believed to be a league record, the BDBL passed seven new rule changes during the past week's balloting period.  Among them, the awards and penalties in Rule 7.16 will now be assigned on a per-win basis, and will roll over from one year to the next, beginning with the 2010 season.  Also, teams must now sign "Type H" free agents to a minimum of a two-year contract, with a one-year no-trade clause.  The draft order is reverting back to the original worst-to-first order, and the league is now allowing customized ballparks.

September 24, 2007
Cowtippers Win #100
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers won their 100th game of the season on Monday, becoming the first team in BDBL history to win 100 games five times.  Earlier this chapter, Salem clinched a spot in the post-season for the seventh time in nine seasons -- also a BDBL record.

September 13, 2007
One to Go
SALEM, NH - Chapter Five of the 2007 season officially ended Thursday night, with the Salem Cowtippers (22-6), Ravenswood Infidels (19-9), Cleveland Rocks (19-9) and Nashville Funkadelic (18-10) emerging with the best records of the chapter.  On the other side, the Villanova Mustangs -- who began the chapter just one game behind the Kansas Law Dogs in the Higuera Division -- sported the worst record in the BDBL at 7-21, with the New Milford Blazers (9-19) and Manchester Irish Rebels (9-19) not far behind.

New Hope's David Ortiz (14 HR, 33 RBIs in the chapter) once again captured the OL's Hitter of the Chapter award, while Villanova's Travis Hafner (15 HR, 31 RBIs) took home the EL award.  On the mound, Bear Country's reliever-turned-starter Francisco Liriano (1.89 ERA, .186/.256/.221 against) won the OLPOC award, while Cleveland's Curt Schilling (2.32 ERA, .174/.196/.367 against) won the EL award.

With 28 games remaining, all six of the division leaders are enjoying a lead of at least five games.  The tightest race remaining is the EL wild card race, where the "white-flag-waving" SoCal Slyme lead the Wapakoneta Hippos by two games.

September 8, 2007
New Home Run King is Crowned
NEW HOPE, PA - In the final series of Chapter Five, New Hope's David Ortiz tied the BDBL's all-time single season home run record at 68.  He reached 69 in his next at-bat.  Then, he hit number 70 in his following at-bat.  In that same at-bat, Ortiz tied the BDBL single-season RBI record as well.  ...And there are still 28 games left to play!

September 6, 2007
Battle of Ohio Rages On
CLEVELAND, OH - In the first week of September, the Cleveland Rocks and Akron Ryche have continued their season-long shuffle at the top of the Hrbek Division.  Earlier this week, the Ryche held a one-game advantage over the Rocks.  But on Wednesday night, the Rocks swept four games from the South Carolina Sea Cats, and now hold a two-game lead.

Cleveland is now 13-7 this chapter, with two series remaining against the Chicago Black Sox and Allentown Ridgebacks.  The Ryche are 14-10 this chapter, with four games remaining against the Nashville Funkadelic.

August 20, 2007
I-77 Showdown
CLEVELAND, OH - The Akron Ryche took a two-game lead over the Cleveland Rocks in the Hrbek Division race last week, thanks to Cleveland losing six of eight games against EL bottom-feeders Great Lakes and Atlanta.  But the Rocks regained their lead this week by sweeping the Ryche in an exciting four-game series.

The Rocks won by scores of 4-2, 3-2, 3-2 and 4-1, as their pitching held Akron's hitters to a .225/.280/.304 average.  Cleveland hit just .207/.284/.413 in the series, but came through with more clutch hits and left fewer runners stranded on base.

Cleveland now leads the division by two games over Akron and five games over the Chicago Black Sox.

In other Eck League news, the Villanova Mustangs were swept by the lowly Allentown Ridgebacks this week, putting them three games behind in the Higuera Division race, and two games behind the Wapakoneta Hippos in the EL wild card.

August 17, 2007
60!
NEW HOPE, PA - New Hope Badgers slugger David Ortiz clubbed his 60th home run of the season this week, becoming only the fifth player in BDBL history to reach that number.  With 48 games remaining on New Hope's schedule, Ortiz needs just 8 more homers to tie the all-time single season record, held by Mark McGwire (2000.)

August 17, 2007
Flamingos in the Rear View
LAS VEGAS - Despite dropping three of four to the Salem Cowtippers this week, the Las Vegas Flamingos are 9-3 in Chapter Five, and just two games behind the Ravenswood Infidels in the Benes Division.  Ravenswood is 8-4 on the chapter.

August 1, 2007
Chapter Five, Here We Come
SALEM, NH - With several pennant races still up in the air (all in the Eck League), the fourth chapter of the 2007 season came to a close this week.  The Las Vegas Flamingos (17-7) owned the best record of the chapter, while the Corona Confederates, Sylmar Padawans and South Carolina Sea Cats all brought up the rear at 8-16.

Manchester's Ivan Rodriguez (.438/.517/.740) and Kansas' Jermaine Dye (.417/.484/.857) were the Hitters of the Chapter, while New Hope's John Lackey (4-1, 3.35 ERA, 47 Ks) and Kansas' Johan Santana (4-0, 2.72 ERA, 49 Ks) won Pitcher of the Chapter honors.

July 29, 2007
Midwest Mixer
KANSAS CITY, MO - The Midwest is famous for three B's: baseball, barbeque and beer.  This weekend, the BDBL celebrated all three in style.  A total of nine members took in two games in two different cities this weekend: one in St. Louis and another in Kansas City.  Along the way, they enjoyed a visit to the Budweiser brewery, and tons of good food, beer and trade talk.  Full story...

July 28, 2007
Cabrera Comes to Salem
SALEM, NH - Most people would view a five-hour car ride with Jim Doyle as the very definition of Hell on earth.  But Salem GM Mike Glander saw it as an opportunity.  And after four long hours of excruciating negotiation, he emerged with former Manchester mainstay Miguel Cabrera.  Cabrera was acquired in a three-team deal involving the San Antonio Broncs (whose owner just happened to be sitting in the vehicle at the time), with 11 players changing places between the three teams, including former Salem franchise player B.J. Upton.  Full story...

July 18, 2007
Loadin' Up
CHICAGO, IL - Over the past two days the Chicago Black Sox have added Roy Oswalt, Andruw Jones and Scot Shields in their quest to overtake the Cleveland Rocks in the Griffin Division.  Chicago currently trails both the Rocks and Akron Ryche in the division, but are only three games behind first place.

In other Eck League trade news, the Kansas Law Dogs continued to add to their ridiculous arsenal of superstars by acquiring former Wapakoneta franchise player Jonathan Papelbon.  And the Villanova Mustangs, who trail the Law Dogs by only three games in the Higuera Division, have added Trevor Hoffman, David Ross, Brian Roberts, Clay Hensley, David Dellucci, Wes Helms and Tom Martin over the past 48 hours.

Yes, it's another wild-and-wacky BDBL trading season.  Rules and consequences be damned!

July 11, 2007
Flamingos in the Rear View
LAS VEGAS, NV - The Las Vegas Flamingos swept the Salem Cowtippers this past week, and are now just five games behind the Ravenswood Infidels in the Benes Division race.  Vegas is 9-3 on the chapter, and today added Miguel Batista and Jeff Karstens to the pitching staff, and Gary Sheffield and Mark Ellis to the lineup, in preparation for a late run at the playoffs.  The Flamingos fell three games short of the post-season last year, and haven't played November baseball since 2001.

July 1, 2007
Salem Widens the Gap
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers swept the Manchester Irish Rebels this week, increasing their lead in the Butler Division to a season-high six games over the New Hope Badgers.  At 63-29, the Cowtippers sport the best record in the BDBL.

June 15, 2007
Halfway There
SALEM, NH - The 2007 season reached its official mid-point, with the Salem Cowtippers sporting the best record in the league at 54-26.  The Ravenswood Infidels and Los Altos Undertakers each enjoy a comfortable eight-game lead at the break, while the New Hope Badgers' lead in the OL wild card race is a seemingly-insurmountable twelve games.

It's a far different story in the Eck League, however, where TWO of the divisions are currently tied.  In the Person Division, the Nashville Funkadelic and Wapakoneta Hippos are deadlocked with identical 49-31 records, while in the Hrbek Division, the Cleveland Rocks and Akron Ryche are each sporting the same record.

Finally, both the Kansas Law Dogs and Salem Cowtippers hold a three-game lead in their divisions, over the defending-champion Villanova Mustangs and New Hope Badgers, respectively.

In Chapter Three, Sylmar's Brandon Phillips (.413/.440/.721) and Wapakoneta's Vladimir Guerrero (.411/.436/.747) won the Hitter of the Chapter award for their respective leagues.  Brandon Webb (4-1, 1.46 ERA for Salem) and Aaron Sele (1.97 ERA, .179/.252/.250 against for Nashville) won the Pitcher of the Chapter awards for their leagues.

The Eck League pounded the Ozzie League in interleague play this past chapter, with a 110-82 record.  The Salem Cowtippers (12-4) were the only Ozzie League team who managed a winning record against the Eck League.

June 13, 2007
Cleveland Bags an Ace
CLEVELAND, OH - In their desperate chase for their first-ever playoffs appearance, the Cleveland Rocks have took a major step toward that goal on Wednesday night, just minutes before the deadline, when they acquired ace starter Curt Schilling from the Great Lakes Sphinx.  In exchange, the Rocks parted with a couple of "B"-grade prospects in Erick Aybar and Josh Fields.  At the halfway mark of the season, Cleveland is tied with the Akron Ryche atop the Hrbek Division.

June 12, 2007
Lackey Lacking
NEW HOPE, PA - For reasons that only GM Tony Badger could explain, the New Hope Badgers acquired useless waste of roster space, John Lackey, on Tuesday afternoon.  Lackey owns a woeful 3-9 record on the season, with an ERA of -- get this -- 5.84.  This is nothing new for this worthless excuse for a human being, as he came into this season owning a career ERA of 5.15 in the BDBL, with a 35-44 record.

In acquiring this putrid waste of DNA, the Badgers sacrificed several key impact players whose absences will cause irreparable harm to the franchise's long-term prosperity: Jake Westbrook (who owns a 7-4 record with a 4.02 ERA this season!!), flame-throwing, highly-regarded young stud pitching prospect Travis Blackley, gargantuan (yet speedy) young slugger Kyle Blanks, and immeasurably-valuable closer Michael Wuertz.  Thankfully, New Hope also received mediocre prospect Aaron Cunningham as a throw-in in the deal, just to remove some of the sting from those devastating losses.

June 7, 2007
Here Come the Hippos
WAPAKONETA - The Wapakoneta Hippos have captured first place in the EL wild card race, and are just one game out of the Person Division race, after starting Chapter Three with a 10-2 record.  This, despite the fact that their biggest star, Albert Pujols, is hitting just .260/.350/.489 on the season.

May 22, 2007
All Tied in Ohio
CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Rocks lost three of four to the Salem Cowtippers, dropping them into a tie with the Akron Ryche in the Hrbek Division.  The Rocks now own a 3-5 record in Chapter Three, while the Ryche stand at 9-3.

May 19, 2007
12-0!
KANSAS - After going just 13-15 in Chapter Two, the Kansas Law Dogs have begun Chapter Three with a perfect 12-0 record, with sweeps over the Las Vegas Flamingos, Manchester Irish Rebels and Ravenswood Infidels.  Their lead in the Higuera Division has grown to six games over the Villanova Mustangs, less than a month after Mustangs GM Tony Chamra "went for it" and added $20 million in salary in an effort to overtake the Law Dogs.

May 8, 2007
Salem Back in the Picture
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers have won six of their first eight games in Chapter Three to pull into a virtual tie for first place in the Butler Division with the New Hope Badgers.  Salem took three of four from the Akron Ryche, then won three of four against the Marlboro Hammerheads, thanks mostly to their pitching staff, which has posted a 3.30 ERA this chapter, with four saves.

April 27, 2007
'Nova "Going For It"
VILLANOVA - The BDBL defending champion Villanova Mustangs made a bold move today, taking on $20 million in salary for 2008 in an effort to bolster their 2007 pitching staff.  In two separate trades, the Mustangs added ace starters Pedro Martinez from the New Hope Badgers, and Jason Schmidt from the Los Altos Undertakers.  In addition to that $20 in salary (for two players who will likely miss a good chunk of the 2008 season), 'Nova parted with Esteban German, Brian Fuentes and Joe Blanton.

The Mustangs are currently tied with the Kansas Law Dogs atop the Higuera Division, and own the best team ERA (3.85) in the Eck League.

April 27, 2007
Chapter Two Ends
SALEM, NH - Chapter Two of the 2007 BDBL season officially came to a close on Friday night.  The Ravenswood Infidels dominated with a record of 22-6, and the New Hope Badgers continued their dominance at 20-8, while the Blazers (10-18), Fire Ants (7-21) and Hammerheads (5-23) brought up the rear.

New Hope slugger David Ortiz continued his "unconscious" hot streak, winning the EL Hitter of the Chapter award by hitting .376/.496/.960 on the chapter, with 18 HR and 43 RBIs.  Chicago slugger Mark Teixeira (.364/.412/.757, 10 HR, 31 RBIs) won EL honors.  On the mound, New Hope ace Andy Pettitte (5-0, 1.96 ERA) and Cleveland ace Derek Lowe (4-0, 1.31 ERA) won the Pitcher of the Chapter awards for their respective leagues.

One-third of the way into the 2007 season, NINE games separate the OL wild card leaders from the next-best wild card contender, while 11 of the 12 teams in the Eck League are separated by just six games.

April 14, 2007
Hot 'Cats
SOUTH CAROLINA - The New Hope Badgers may be playing .800 baseball this chapter, but it is the South Carolina Sea Cats who are the hottest team in the BDBL.  The 'Cats are 10-2 so far this chapter, and now lead the Person Division by three games over the Wapakoneta Hippos.

The Person Division appears to be the only division in the BDBL where some tiny bit of drama remains, as all four teams are separated by just four games.

April 1, 2007
No Foolin'
KANSAS - Just weeks after adding Roger Clemens to the starting rotation, the first place Kansas Law Dogs have added Johan Santana on April Fool's Day...and it's no joke.  Santana joins Clemens and Mike Mussina in the Kansas rotation.

April 1, 2007
Running Away With It
NEW HOPE/RAVENSWOOD - The New Hope Badgers took three of four from the New Milford Blazers today, pushing their record to 28-12 (.700) on the season (9-3 on the chapter), and upping their lead in the Butler Division to three full games.

And in the Benes Division, the Ravenswood Infidels swept the Corona Confederates, giving them a 13-3 record in Chapter Two, and a SIX GAME lead in the division.

March 23, 2007
New Hope On Top
NEW HOPE, PA - The New Hope Badgers captured sole possession of first place in the Butler Division by handing their division rivals, the Salem Cowtippers, their first series loss of the season.  New Hope won the first game by one run, thanks in part to the continued dominance of Mariano Rivera.  In 20+ innings this season, Rivera has allowed just two runs (a 0.89 ERA.)

Game Two was a 12-1 blow-out, with Salem jumping all over New Hope starter Pedro Martinez.  In the third game, the Salem bullpen blew open a tied game in the seventh inning when "LOOGY" Will Ohman allowed a base hit, a sac fly and a two-run home run to the three lefties he faced.  And in the final game, New Hope's MVP monster David Ortiz added two more homers to his already ridiculous total, giving the Badgers the series victory.

In 36 games this season, Ortiz owns a .902 slugging percentage, with 23 home runs in 132 at-bats (or one every 5.7 at-bats.)  New Hope now leads the division by two full games.

March 21, 2007
Semper Infidelis
RAVENSWOOD - The Ravenswood Infidels have opened up a three game lead over the Manchester Irish Rebels in the Benes Division, after sweeping the Sylmar Padawans and splitting a four game set against the Salem Cowtippers.  The Ravenswood offense is hitting .308/.375/.503 as a team this chapter, and has scored 55 runs in 8 games -- including a 16-1 thrashing of the Cowtippers.

March 14, 2007
One Done
SALEM, NH - Chapter One of the 2007 is officially in the books.  The Los Altos Undertakers, who were favored to win the BDBL championship in the pre-season, led all teams with a 20-8 record in Chapter One.  Division rivals Salem and New Hope each finished at 19-9, and Kansas and Southern Cal each went 18-10.

On the flip side of the coin, the woefully pathetic Blazers went 4-24, which is the second-worst chapter by any team in BDBL history (Nashville 3-25 Chapter Six back in 2004 is the worst.)

The Hitters and Pitchers of the Chapter were David Ortiz (NHB), Erik Bedard (SAL), Mark Teahen (WAP) and Mike Mussina (KAN.)  Mussina was a perfect 7-0 on the chapter, which may be a BDBL record.

March 12, 2007
Hired Gun Fired Again
KANSAS - Southern Cal's $19 million off-season investment is on the move already -- from one first-place team to another.  In a trade that is raising more than a few eyebrows around the league, Clemens was traded by the first-place Slyme to the first-place Kansas Law Dogs, along with all-star slugger Paul Konerko, in exchange for prospect Adam Jones, rookies Adam LaRoche and Chris Shelton and lefty starters Ted Lilly and Wil Ledezma.

"This is a win-win for both the Dogs and Slyme," said SoCal GM Bob Sylvester, whose team currently leads the Person division by four full games, despite having not used Clemens at all in Chapter One.  Well, it's certainly a win for the second-place Nashville Funkadelic and South Carolina Sea Cats!

March 10, 2007
Irish Acquire Giambi
MANCHESTER, NH - With the trade deadline approaching, and one marketable player still remaining on his roster, Sharky Kaminski frantically accepted an offer to trade his star player, Jason Giambi, to the Manchester Irish Rebels in exchange for top prospect Andrew McCutchen and Ty Wigginton.  Giambi joins a Manchester team that is currently at .500 (14-14), but only one game behind the division leaders.

March 8, 2007
Worth Every Penny
CORONA, CA - Johan Santana, the Corona Confederates' $21 million investment this off-season, became the 10th pitcher in BDBL history to throw a no-hitter on Thursday night.  In the first game of a series against the Salem Cowtippers, Santana allowed only one walk and an error, and struck out nine.

Unfortunately for Corona fans, it was all downhill from there.  Salem won the next three games to end their chapter with a 19-9 record -- tied with the New Hope Badgers atop the Butler Division.  Corona finished with a record of 13-15, six games behind.

February 20, 2007
Badgers Take First
NEW HOPE, PA - After a four-game sweep of the Marlboro Hammerheads, the New Hope Badgers are now sitting comfortably in first place in the Butler Division with a record of 19-9.  The Badgers scored 173 runs in the chapter -- an average of over 6 runs per game, and hit 53 home runs.  18 of those longballs were hit by David Ortiz, who hit .295/.408/.857 this chapter, with a whopping 52 RBI's.  (At this pace, Ortiz would hit 103 homers and drive in 297 RBI's over a full season.)

February 11, 2007
Hot 'Dogs
KANSAS - Less than two weeks into the season, the Kansas Law Dogs have already played every game on their Chapter One schedule, resulting in an 18-10 record.  The 'Dogs are hitting a robust .280/.353/.461 as a team, and their pitching staff, led by Mike Mussina (7-0, 2.75 ERA), has compiled a team 3.70 ERA.

The Cleveland Rocks have also finished their first chapter, sporting a record of 16-12.  Unlike the Law Dogs, however, Cleveland's record appears to be a mirage, as they have been outscored by 14 runs so far this season.  At this point, Cleveland's record is a function of their 7-2 record in one-run games.  Kansas, on the other hand, has outscored their opponents by an EL-best 34 runs.

February 3, 2007
Ortiz on a Tear
NEW HOPE, PA - The New Hope Badgers own a 5-3 record so far this season, in large part thanks to their newest slugger, David Ortiz.  Through 31 at-bats, Ortiz has 14 hits (.452 batting average), and eight of those hits have gone over the wall.  Ortiz has knocked in 21 runs already this season, in just eight games.

After splitting a series against the Cowtippers in their home opener, the Badgers took three of four from the San Antonio Broncs.  In Game Two of that series, Ortiz hit three homers, and knocked in ten runs, tying the BDBL single-game RBI record.

January 28, 2007
Play Ball!
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers swept four games from the OL defending champion New Milford Blazers on Sunday night, kicking off the 2007 season.  Contrary to expectations, it was a very tight series, with the first three games being decided by one run each.

It took 12 innings for Salem to win the first game, with Conor Jackson knocking home the game-winning run to give the Cowtippers a 2-1 win.  New Milford carried a 2-0 lead into the ninth inning of Game Two, but the bullpen duo of Kyle Farnsworth and Brad Thompson blew it for them, as Salem scored three in the bottom half to win it.

Game Three was another 2-1 Salem win, and the series concluded with a 7-3 Cowtippers win, as New Milford starter Bartolo Colon served up three home runs.

January 25, 2007
New Hope Adds Rivera
NEW HOPE, PA - Just when you thought it was safe...The Shark has struck again.  With the heavy weight of the Chapter One deadline bearing down upon him, a panic-stricken Ken Kaminski, suffering from serious trade withdrawal, has inserted himself into the Butler Division race once again by trading ace closer Mariano Rivera to the New Hope Hammerheads in exchange for wild thing Daniel "Ball Four" Cabrera, John-Olerud-wannabe James Loney and bullpen filler Chad Paronto.

January 22, 2007
Are You Ready For Some Baseball?
SALEM, NH - Over 400 free agents have been signed over the past three and a half weeks, and the 2007 season is now just days away!

Read all about the coming season in the ever-popular 2007 BDBL Season Preview.

January 16, 2007
Chapter One Trades Announced
SALEM, NH - After it was realized that there was no rule against it, a record number of Chapter One trades were announced mid-draft on Tuesday afternoon.  Among them was the acquisition of MVP candidate David Ortiz by the New Hope Badgers.  In exchange for Ortiz, New Hope traded Jason Giambi and two others to the Marlboro Hammerheads.

The Allentown Ridgebacks added a stud prospect to their arsenal, at the cost of the scraptastic scrappy little scrapster himself, David Eckstein.  Sylmar added two #4 starters from Marlboro at the expense of two top prospects.  Nashville added all-star Chipper Jones in exchange for an IHOP special.  Wapakoneta traded two of their best prospects for two inning-eaters.  And even Jim "Stand Pat" Doyle got into the act, and earned the dubious honor of having a forum named after him, after he traded three top prospects for Ivan Rodriguez.

January 9, 2007
Holy Sheets!
SALEM, NH - The Los Altos Undertakers continued to load up on pitching on an obscene rate on Tuesday night by signing free agent Ben Sheets to a $10 million salary.  Sheets joins a rotation that includes newly-signed $20 million ace Chris Carpenter, $10 million holdover Jason Schmidt, rookie phenoms Jared Weaver, Josh Johnson and Jeremy Sowers.

January 7, 2007
Sabathia = $20 million = Fiscal Insanity
SALEM, NH - The fiscal insanity that is the 2007 BDBL free agent auction grew exponentially when the Manchester Irish Rebels spent a whopping $20 million on #2 starter C.C. Sabathia.  Sabathia joins a Manchester rotation that includes right-hander Matt Cain and four other lefties: Scott Kazmir, Cole Hamels, Mark Hendrickson and Adam Loewen.

January 5, 2007
Los Altos Signs Carpenter
LOS ALTOS, CA - The Griffin Division race just became a lot less interesting.  On Friday night, the Los Altos Undertakers signed ace pitcher Chris Carpenter to a $20 million salary (a minimum of $40 million over the next two years) in day three of the 2007 BDBL auction.  Carpenter is the second free agent pitcher this winter to earn $20 million-plus, and he becomes only the third player in BDBL history to earn a $20 million salary.  He joins Jared Weaver, Jason Schmidt, Josh Johnson, Jeremy Sowers and Matt Garza in an Undertakers rotation that could dominate the division for the next decade.

On Thursday, the Marlboro Hammerheads made a huge splash into the free agent pool by signing four of the five players in Lot #2: David Ortiz ($10.5 million), Bobby Abreu ($8.5m), Rocco Baldelli ($6m) and Darren Oliver ($3m.)

January 3, 2007
FORTY-TWO MILLION DOLLARS
SALEM, NH - That is how much the Corona Confederates will be spending on one player over the next two seasons.  In the first day of the auction, the Confederates won the bidding war over reigning OL Cy Young award winner Johan Santana, at $21 million per season.  It is the highest salary paid to any player in BDBL history, and it represents over one-third of Corona's total team salary.  It also leaves the Confederates with only $7.6 million left to spend on the ten remaining spots on their 35-man roster this winter.

Also tonight, the Chicago Black Sox signed Barry Zito to an $8 million salary, the Atlanta Fire Ants won the rights to Carlos Delgado at $7 million, Allentown took home Moises Alou at the bargain-basement price of $5 million, and Akron won the Greg Norton Sweepstakes at $3.5 million.

December 29, 2006
Let the Drafting Begin!
SALEM, NH - With the first draft pick of the 2007 season, the Great Lakes Sphinx signed former Salem farmhand Kei Igawa in the farm draft.  Igawa, who will begin his MLB career this season with the Yankees, was Salem's 7th round farm pick back in 2005.  But he was released in Chapter Four of that season in order to make room for Jake Woods.

December 25, 2006
Mauer Signs Ten-Year Deal
CORONA, CA - Joe Mauer, the reigning Ozzie League batting champion, signed a ten-year contract with the Corona Confederates on Christmas day.  Mauer is one of just three players signed to a long-term (five-plus years) contract so far during Cutdown Week.  The other two are Garrett Atkins (Sylmar, 6 years) and Scott Kazmir (Manchester, 5 years.)

Cutdown Week ends December 29th at 10:00pm ET.  You can follow along with all the contract decisions here.

December 22, 2006
Clemens Traded at Deadline
SOUTHERN CAL - New Milford's $19 million investment, Roger Clemens, was traded on Friday afternoon, just hours before the deadline, to the Southern Cal Slyme in exchange for...Dioner Navarro??  Yep, it's true.

December 6, 2006
And the Winners Are...
SALEM, NH - The 2006 award winners for the Ozzie and Eck Leagues were announced today.  And for the first time since 1999, none of the winners were named "Bonds" or "Johnson."  In the Ozzie League, Corona's David Ortiz took home both the MVP and Babe Ruth awards, while Marlboro's John Garland edged out the more deserving Chris Carpenter for the Cy Young award.  Jeff Paulson took home his first OL Manager of the Year award, and Ken Kaminski took home his first GM of the Year award.

In the Eck League, BDBL champion Tony Chamra swept the GM and Manager of the Year awards.  Southern Cal's Victor Martinez won both the MVP and Babe Ruth awards, and Akron's Pedro Martinez took home his fourth Cy Young award.

Full voting results...

December 6, 2006
Vlad to Be in Wapakoneta
WAPAKONETA - $16 million superstar Vladimir Guerrero is on the move after a trade today by the Corona Confederates.  Guerrero was shipped off to the Wapakoneta Hippos as part of a seven-player deal.  In exchange, the Confederates received Shawn Green, Livan Hernandez, Elizardo Ramirez and Brandon Lyon.

In other news, the Los Altos Undertakers added all-star shortstop Michael Young from the Hippos, who traded Young to clear salary space for Guerrero.  Young was acquired by Los Altos at the cost of only part-time starter Robinson Tejada.

November 30, 2006
Infidels Enjoy an Early Halladay
RAVENSWOOD, IL - Following a salary-dump trade by the Sylmar Padawans, ace starting pitcher Roy Halladay will be calling Ravenswood his home for the next three seasons.  Halladay was acquired, along with several others, in exchange for Brandon Phillips and Cesar Carrillo.

November 30, 2006
Salem Reloads
SALEM, NH - The Salem Cowtippers made a total of seven trades during the playoffs, adding B.J. Ryan, Scott Rolen, Jeremy Bonderman, Brandon Webb, Orlando Hudson, Conor Jackson and Mike Cameron, among others.  After suffering through their first sub-.500 season in franchise history, the Cowtippers are looking to reclaim the Butler Division title in 2007.