GYBL

Our top stories through September are as follows:

(1) Our top story has to be the Division winners and wildcard teams:

Alston Division: Dallas Hilltoppers – this team just keeps winning as they win the division by 9 games making it 5 straight division crowns.

Anderson Division: Pittsburgh Crawfords – win their 1^st division crown and make their 1^st playoff appearance as they beat out Sleepytown by 9 games.

Weaver Division: Wellington Boots – also win their 1^st division crown and make their 1^st playoff appearance in the process ending Cincinnati’s streak of 2 consecutive crowns as the Chilis fall 2 games short.

Martin Division: Burbank Barnstormers – win their 4th division crown and 2^nd in a row as they beat Fremont by 7 games.

WJL wildcard #1: Sleepytown Dukes – enter the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive time as they went all the way to the World Series last year.

WJL wildcard #2: Hunnefield Flyers – enter playoffs for 3rd time in franchise history (1^st time was in 1970 as Motor City Cobras & again in 1973 as Chicago White Stockings).

BRL wildcard #1: Cincinnati Chilis – 3^nd time in the playoffs but 1^st time as a wildcard. Looking to repeat as World Champs.

BRL wildcard #2: Fremont Indians – 5^th straight visit to playoffs (2nd time in BRL & as wildcard) looking to win their 3^rd World Championship.

(2) Oregon’s Von Joshua hangs on the batting crown by .002 over Boog Powell as the finishes at .352. Bubank’s Mike Schmidt gets his 1^st homerun crown as he passes George Scott to win it 47 to 46. Schmidt also led the BDWL in RBI with 158 setting a new record in the process. He is also the 1^st player to repeat as RBI leader. Fremont’s Rod Carew duplicates last seasons league leading runs scored with 138 to be the 1^st player to repeat win in this category. For the 3^rd time, Burbank’s Gaylord Perry ties with the wins leader as both he and John Montefusco finish with 25 wins. Oregon’s Goose Gossage finishes the season with 40 saves which not only leads the league but ties the BDWL record set by Sparky Lyle last season.

Batting Leaders: Current BDWL Record

BA Joshua, ORP .352 - Carty (1970) .374

HR Schmidt, BKB 47 - Evans (1973) 51

RBI Schmidt, BKB 158 NEW RECORD – old record was McCovey (1970) 148

Runs Carew, FMI 138 - Morgan (1972) 161

Hits Carew, FMI 227 - Rudi (1972) 238

OB% Morgan, DLH .450 - Morgan (1972) .464

SLG Scott, WLB .588 - McCovey (1970) .663

SB Rivers, DLH 63 - North (1973) 87

Pitching Leaders: Current BDWL Record

Wins Perry, BKB 25 - Carlton (1972) 35

Montefusco, SLD

K’s Tanana, SLD 247 - Ryan (1973) 365

ERA Falcone, NGW 2.36 - Carlton (1972) 1.46

BA Warthen, WLB .174 - Wilson (1971) .166

CG Perry, BKB 21 - Niekro (1972) 25

Shutouts Perry, BKB 6 - Carlton (1972) 12

Sutton, ALC

Saves Gossage, ORP 40 TIES RECORD - Lyle (1974) 40

Holds Hausman, NGW 21 - Parker (1973) 22

August

Our top stories through August are as follows:

(1) It looks like Dallas has wrapped up their unprecedented 5^th straight Division Crown as they end August with a 9 game lead over 2^nd place Hunnefield. Interestingly, The Hunnefield franchise, while playing in Motor City in 1970, is the only other franchise to win the Alston Division. Dallas broke it open in August by winning 20 of 24 games while Hunnefield stumbled winning only 13 of 27 games. If Hunnefield can get back on track in September, they will have a shot at a wildcard spot as they currently sit in a 2 way tie for the 2^nd wildcard spot and only a ½ game behind the #1 wildcard spot. In this division we also wanted to acknowledge that Wisconsin after a 14-11 August, seemingly, will end up with a 3^rd place finish which would be the best finish for an expansion team.

(2) Baring a major collapse in September, Pittsburgh should get their 1^st Division Crown and 1^st playoff appearance as they lead Oregon by 7 ½ games and Sleepytown by 8 games. The Anderson Division still has 3 teams in the wildcard hunt. Oregon currently owns the #1 wildcard spot by a slim ½ game over Hunnefield and Sleepytown, while St. Louis is only 1 ½ back of the 2^nd wildcard spot.

(3) The closest division race is in the Weaver Division, as Wellington (like Pittsburgh) is looking for their 1^st Division Crown and playoff appearance. After a 17 win August, the Boots have pulled 3 games ahead of 2^nd place Cincinnati who continue to confound the pundits with their success. Even if Wellington beats out Cincinnati for the division, the Chilis have a 5 game lead over San Diego for the 2^nd wildcard spot.

(4) Burbank has a 6 ½ game lead over 2^nd place Fremont in the Martin Division as they look to win their 4^th Division Crown and 2^nd in a row. Fremont has a 2 ½ game lead over Cincinnati for the 1^st wildcard spot and San Diego is currently sits 5 games back of Cincinnati for the 2^nd wildcard spot.

(5) There are several players who have a legit shot setting some new records. Wellington’s George Scott has been mashing the ball and with 11 more homeruns will break Evans record of 51 set in 1973. Burbank’s Mike Schmidt came within 1 RBI last season of catching McCovey’s record of 148 set way back in 1970 (in 150 game season) and Schmidt has another shot this season. He needs 24 RBI in September to do it. Oregon’s Goose Gossage saved 10 games in August which brought him to 35 for the season leaving him only 5 behind Lyle.

Batting Leaders: Current BDWL Record

BA Joshua, ORP .359 - Carty (1970) .374

HR Scott, WLB 41 - Evans (1973) 51

RBI Schmidt, BKB 125 - McCovey (1970) 148

Runs Carew, FMI 127 - Morgan (1972) 161

Hits Carew, FMI 208 - Rudi (1972) 238

OB% Morgan, DLH .448 - Morgan (1972) .464

SLG Scott, WLB .604 - McCovey (1970) .663

SB Rivers, DLH 51 - North (1973) 87

Pitching Leaders: Current BDWL Record

Wins Perry, BKB 21 - Carlton (1972) 35

K’s Tanana, SLD 187 - Ryan (1973) 365

ERA Freisleben, BKB 1.91 - Carlton (1972) 1.46

BA Holtzman, ORP .218 - Wilson (1971) .166

CG Perry, BKB 17 - Niekro (1972) 25

Shutouts Perry, BKB 6 - Carlton (1972) 12

Saves Gossage, ORP 35 - Lyle (1974) 40

Holds Hausman, NGW 17 - Parker (1973) 22

July

Our top stories through July are as follows:

(1) In the history of the BDWL, the most teams in a season that finish at .500 or better was 10 in our 1^st season 1970. Through July, there are now 13 teams at .500 or better which leaves only 7 teams below .500. When you also consider the fact that both Wisconsin and Cooperstown are at .457% and .451%, this is turning out to be the most competitive season in the history of the BDWL.

(2) In April, we highlighted the Anderson Division as being the division to watch for the most exciting race, but Pittsburgh heads into August with a 6 ½ game lead over Oregon, 8 ½ game lead over Sleepytown and 9 ½ game lead over St. Louis. Pittsburgh has never won a division or even reached the playoffs but could finally end this season if they can continue to hold on. Pittsburgh was only 13-13 in July but they benefitted from off months by Oregon (12-14) and Sleepytown (13-16). The darkhorse is still St. Louis who continues to alternate good and bad months with July being a good one at 16-12 to get them back inot the mix.

(3) Our new division to watch is the Weaver Division, thanks to the emergence of the Wellington Boots who have pulled into a tie for the division lead with Cincinnati after winning 20 of 28 in July. Wellington was our preseason prediction to win this division, but a 10-15 April and hot starts by the Chilis and Great Whites had us doubting our prediction. However, since April they have gone 48-29 and like Pittsburgh are in the hunt for their 1^st division win and playoff appearance. Cincinnati who has been the biggest surprise of the season did not have a terrible July as they played .500 ball, but did lose 4 of 6 to Wellington. Northern who sat atop for division for the 1^st 2 months of the season posted their 2^nd straight sub .500 month at 14-15 and have fallen to 5 games back. The troubles for Northern can be found in their ace, Phil Niekro, who after starting the season 4-1 went on to lose 7 of his next 10 games. Niekro is one of the most successful pitchers in the history of the BDWL and Northern needs a very strong finish from him to grab a playoff slot.

(4) The BDWL world is right again as the Dallas Hilltoppers go 16-11 in July to retake the Alston Division lead which is where they have finished for the past 4 seasons. The Hunnefield Flyers finally tripped up a bit as they won only 14 of 29 as they managed only 1 win in 6 games against Dallas which leaves them ½ game back. There is still plenty of baseball left, but if Hunnefield is going to end Dallas’ stranglehold on the Division, they are going to have to have more success from their key acquisition, Randy Jones, who is only 3-4 with his new club.

(5) The Burbank Barnstormers seemly have recovered from their 10-13 May, as they have won 34 of 53 since to hold a 5 ½ game lead over Fremont in the Martin Division. Fremont finds themselves 5 ½ games back despite having the best record in the division after a 13-13 April. San Diego seems to keep winning but also seems to keep losing ground as they are 9 ½ games back now despite winning 16 games in both June & July. As a final note, the Asbury Park Rockers are 13 games back in the division but thanks to a 43-35 record since their terrible 9-17 April, are now only 7 games out of a wildcard spot. The Rockers are not pretty but just seem to find a way to win as 18 of their 43 wins were by 1 run which is the most in the league.

Batting Leaders: Current BDWL Record

BA Joshua, ORP .365 - Carty (1970) .374

HR Scott, WLB 32 - Evans (1973) 51

RBI Schmidt, BKB 108 - McCovey (1970) 148

Runs Carew, FMI 98 - Morgan (1972) 161

Hits Carew, FMI 163 - Rudi (1972) 238

OB% Morgan, DLH .443 - Morgan (1972) .464

SLG Scott, WLB .605 - McCovey (1970) .663

SB Rivers, DLH 48 - North (1973) 87

Pitching Leaders: Current BDWL Record

Wins Perry, BKB 17 - Carlton (1972) 35

K’s Tanana, SLD 161 - Ryan (1973) 365

ERA Strom, ORP 2.23 - Carlton (1972) 1.46

BA Strom, ORP .214 - Wilson (1971) .166

CG Perry, BKB 13 - Niekro (1972) 25

Shutouts Perry, BKB 5 - Carlton (1972) 12

Saves Apodaca, NGW 26 - Lyle (1974) 40

Holds Hausman, NGW 15 - Parker (1973) 22

June

Our top stories through June are as follows:

(2) We have reached the ½ way point in this season and what is most unusual about a very unusual season is that there are 12 teams that can legitimately say they can win it all! 6 of those teams made moves to improve their chances prior to the trade deadline. Here is our list of the 12 teams we believe could be standing at the end along with what moves they made if any:

1. Pittsburgh leads the Anderson Division with a .650 winning %. They were definitely working the phones at the trade deadline and it looked like they might come up empty but at the last moment landed Gary Nolan from Toronto. Nolan was only 6-7 with Toronto but had an impressive 2.45 ERA which should result in a lot more wins with the Crawford offense supporting him. Nolan filled a big need for Pittsburgh as they were running short on quality starts. Even before landing Nolan, the Crawfords appeared to have a lock in a playoff spot as they hold the best record in the BDWL and their division lead is 5 ½ games over Oregon & 7 games over Sleepytown.

2. Burbank leads the Martin Division with a .613 winning % and started as a buyer, became a seller and finished at the trade deadline as a buyer. They came very close to landing Mayberry in a blockbuster deal with Pittsburgh but the deal fell apart, so they started selling. Apodaca, Jorgensen, Willoughby, Joshua, Maddox and Phillips were moved in 2 separate deals. Then they turned around and landed North, Frisella and Oliva. Time will tell what the net results of these deals will be but they should have enough to grab a playoff spot as they currently have a 4 game lead over Fremont & a 6 ½ game lead over San Diego.

3. Hunnefield is the Alston Division leader with a .597 winning % and also started as a seller as they moved their ace Rogers to Fremont. However, they then turned around and added Jones and Jenkins in separate deals which might be enough to end Dallas’ strangle hold on the Alston Division for the past 4 seasons. Their lead is a slight 2 ½ games over Dallas but since April Dallas has really struggled.

4. Cincinnati might be the biggest surprise as they lead the Weaver Division with a .590 winning % despite a preseason ranking of #14 which had them predicted to finish 3^rd in the division. The Chilis presumably not wanting to mess with a chemistry that has produced this unexpected success stood pat at the trade deadline. Their lead is 4 ½ games over another surprise team, Northern, & 6 games over the team predicted to win the division, Wellington.

5. Oregon with a .584 winning % is currently the #1 wildcard team in the WJL and they bolstered their already solid offense by adding the BDWL leading hitter, Joshua, and their bench with CF Maddox (.389 vs. LHP) and SS Phillips (.328 vs. RHP). Combine there fortified offense with the #2 ranked pitching staff and the Pioneers will be tough to beat.

6. Sleepytown has a .566 winning % and is arguably the best 3^rd place team in the BDWL. They currently hold the #2 wildcard spot in the WJL by only a ½ game over Dallas and 4 ½ games over St. Louis. The Dukes did not make a deal at the deadline but if they already boast a balanced team with enough to talent to make a run at the WJL title.

7. Fremont holds the #1 wildcard spot in the BRL with a .558 winning % and just might be the most dangerous team based on their past history of playoff success. The Indians started slowly at 13-13, but then won 30 of 51 games thanks to the #1 offense in the BDWL. They added Rogers in June which immediately improved their pitching staff that was ranked #20 prior to the trade as Rogers went 4-1 with a 2.44 ERA.

8. Dallas is currently on the outside looking in on the playoffs as their .558 winning % has them ½ game behind Sleepytown for the #2 wildcard spot in the WJL. Dallas didn’t make a deal at the deadline but we aren’t ready to count them out just yet. They still have the core players that won them 4 straight division crowns so we expect July through September to be closer to the 18-8 April rather than the combined 25-26 for May & June.

9. Northern surprised most of us with their 17-9 start in April as they were predicted to finish 4^th in the division and #15 overall, but their 23-26 record over May & June brought them back closer to reality. With a .533 winning % they are 4 ½ games behind Cincinnati in the Weaver Division, but hold the BRL #2 wildcard spot by ½ game over San Diego and 1 ½ over Wellington. The Great Whites fearing the loss of momentum landed one of the top closers this season in Apodaca, a much needed bat in Jorgensen and bullpen depth in Willoughby. We expect this new blood will revitalize the Great Whites and keep them in the race till the end.

10. San Diego is currently at a .527 winning % which leaves them 6 ½ games back in the Martin Division, but only ½ game behind Northern for a wildcard spot. A 10-14 May looked like it might be time for the Conquistadors to back it in, but they recovered in June winning 16 of 26 games and landed 2 key players for July. For 3B they got the heart and soul from the Texas franchise in Bando and a huge power bat for 1B in Powell. Their pitching has been steadily improving and is now ranked #4 overall and now their offense has added some substantial pop making them a strong contender.

11. Wellington on the surface has been a bit of a disappointment so far as they sit at a .514 winning % 6 games out of 1^st in the Weaver Division and 1 ½ back in the wildcard race. However, the preseason favorite to win the Weaver Division is actually a victim of the unexpected success of Cincinnati and Northern as their predicted winning % was .518. After a 10-15 April, the Boots have gone 28-21 over May & June to climb back into the race. No moves at the deadline but as their pitching continues to perform closer to expectations they will continue to close the gap on the division leader.

12. St. Louis was right on the fence for us as they certainly have the talent to make a run, but they just can’t seem to get going. Bad April at 12-13, a comeback in May winning 15 of 24, but then a dismal June losing 15 of 26. Despite the ups and downs, they currently have a .507 winning % and are only 4 ½ games back in the wildcard race. They desperately needed a power bat as they only have hit 16 homeruns this season, but couldn’t close a deal. Therefore, they need their existing players like Brock, Maddox, May to step it up if they are to make their move.

Batting Leaders: Current BDWL Record

BA Joshua, BKB .379 - Carty (1970) .374

HR Scott, WLB 24 - Evans (1973) 51

Schmidt, BKB

RBI Schmidt, BKB 77 - McCovey (1970) 148

Runs Carew, FMI 69 - Morgan (1972) 161

Hits Carew, FMI 119 - Rudi (1972) 238

OB% Morgan, DLH .447 - Morgan (1972) .464

SLG Perez, SLD .599 - McCovey (1970) .663

SB Rivers, DLH 43 - North (1973) 87

Pitching Leaders: Current BDWL Record

Wins Perry, BKB 11 - Carlton (1972) 35

K’s Tanana, SLD 134 - Ryan (1973) 365

ERA Lee, CNC 2.27 - Carlton (1972) 1.46

BA Warthen, WLB .203 - Wilson (1971) .166

CG Lee, CNC 8 - Niekro (1972) 25

Kaat, SDC

Shutouts Sutton, ALC 3 - Carlton (1972) 12

Tiant, CNC

Saves Gossage, ORP 20 - Lyle (1974) 40

Holds 3 players tied 11 - Parker (1973) 22

May

Our top stories through May are as follows:

(1) The Preseason Power Index had the Burbank Barnstormers comfortably ahead of the rest of the BRL teams as the closest team was San Diego who were 13 games behind. Therefore, there was nothing surprising in April when the Barnstormers ran up 20 wins. However, May showed us why we play the games as Burbank crashed to a 10-13 record as their posted a league worse 5.58 ERA in May (over ½ run more than the 4 win Toronto club). The result is the other BRL contenders smell blood in the water and are scrambling to add players to make their run. Fremont who finished May only 3 games behind Burbank in the Martin Division after a solid 14-9 May, were 1^st to act as they added Steve Rogers which will be a huge boost to their 20^th ranked pitching staff. Fremont is scoring 5.7 runs per game and now have a legit ace which really makes them a force in the BRL. San Diego also stumbled in May winning only 10 of 24 games and fell to 6 ½ games out. However, if they can hang tough in June, they have closed a deal for a huge bat to come on board in July which should spark their sputtering offense. The Northern Great Whites and Cincinnati Chilis who currently sit 1^st and 2^nd in the Weaver Division have been working the phone lines trying to add some help while 3^rd place Wellington is finally starting to play the solid ball we expected. Northern sits at 29-20 (after a 12-11 May) with a ½ game lead over Cincinnati who won 16 of 25 games to finish at 29-21 and 5 ½ game lead over Wellington who went 13-10 to finish at 23-25. All in all, the BRL now looks to have 6 teams who now have their sights on winning the league and that doesn’t include what could be a huge story happening in Cooperstown. The Double Days won 13 of 25 games in May to pull within 4 games of a wild card spot … stay tuned!

(2) Is this finally going to be the year for the Pittsburgh Crawfords? They have teased us in the past but ultimately fell short as they are one of 2 (non-expansion) franchises never to make the playoffs. Wellington is the other. The Crawfords came up big in May winning 17 games to finish at 33-21 good enough for a 2 ½ game lead in the Anderson Division. Historically this team could always hit but now the addition of solid pitching has vaulted them to the best record in the WJL and the #1 ranking in the May Power Index rankings. Their staff is lead by Joe McIntosh and Don Gullet who have combined for a 11-3 record. Supporting them is Doug Rau, Reggie Cleveland and John Candelaria who have ERA’s of 2.76, 2.91 & 3.34 respectively. Their starting staff has a QS% of .722. The bad news is that they are in the toughest division in the BDWL, as collectively the teams in the division have a .532 winning %. Additionally, every team in the division had a .500 or better record in May lead by Pittsburgh’s 17-11. 2^nd place Oregon was 12-11, while Sleepytown just 3 games back went 13-10, surging St. Louis who is 3 ½ games back went 15-9 and even lowly Florida went 12-12.

(3) Finally we turn to the Alston Division, where the biggest story isn’t about success but rather what has gone wrong? The Dallas Hilltoppers went 12-13 in May which on its face is not terrible. However, what makes it significant is the fact that the Hilltoppers have not been under .500 in a month since July 1971! Their streak of 21 straight months of .500 or better ball finally ended. First of all we want to acknowledge a great job by Charles in accomplishing the streak but secondly we have to wonder if this is just a blip or the beginning of the end? The Preseason Power Index ranked them in the top 5 with a respectable index of 84.85, however through May they had dropped to #11 with a PI of 80.61. Despite the sub .500 month they still have a 30-21 record and lead the division by ½ game over Hunnefield who went 11-11 in May to finish at 27-19. Hunnefield got out of the gates fast but slowed in May, Atlanta is still MIA losing 10 of 23 in May and Wisconsin looks to be much improved but still a year or two away, so even if the Hilltoppers are weakened there might not be a team ready to take advantage … just yet.

Batting Leaders: Current BDWL Record

BA Joshua, BKB .386 - Carty (1970) .374

HR Scott, WLB 18 - Evans (1973) 51

RBI Schmidt, BKB 53 - McCovey (1970) 148

Runs Carew, FMI 48 - Morgan (1972) 161

Hits Munson, BKB 80 - Rudi (1972) 238

OB% North, APR .444 - Morgan (1972) .464

SLG Scott, WLB .655 - McCovey (1970) .663

SB Rivers, DLH 35 - North (1973) 87

Pitching Leaders: Current BDWL Record

Wins Perry, BKB 8 - Carlton (1972) 35

Curtis, WSG

K’s Tanana, SLD 99 - Ryan (1973) 365

ERA Warthen, WLB 2.08 - Carlton (1972) 1.46

BA May, SLS .163 - Wilson (1971) .166

CG Tanana, SLD 5 - Niekro (1972) 25

Jenkins, TXF

Shutouts 5 players tied 2 - Carlton (1972) 12

Saves Gossage, ORP 14 - Lyle (1974) 40

Holds Scott, BKB 8 - Parker (1973) 22

April