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.