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Matt from TN · 05-17-2003, 10:37 AM

This first set of updates will take us up to the current date. Here are some of the biggest storylines so far this season:

Note: this post is now obsolete because the season crashed... I'll leave it here for posterity...

1. The Tennessee Mockingbirds and South Carolina Ocenics started the season at 6-0 before they faced each other in Nashville on April 8-10. Tennessee swept the series 4-0, 10-4, 6-4 on their way to an amazing 12-0 start, the best start of any franchise in NBL history. Their first loss came April 15 in Nebraska when they lost 7-6 in the 12th inning. Nebraska took 3 of 4 games from the Mockingbirds, dropping them to 13-3. After that series, Tennessee went on a 6-game winning streak. South Carolina, meanwhile, lost 4 of their next 5 games after being swept in Tennessee. After that, they got back on track and went 8-3 through the remainder of April.

2. After winning 105 games in 2002, Alabama got off to a rocky start. They finished April 12-14. Much of that start could be blamed on the offense. No regular starter was hitting over .265.

3. Nebraska jumped out to a commanding lead in the SL Central. They proved they were for real when they took 3-of-4 games from a super-hot Tennessee club in mid-April. They finished the month at 17-10.

4. Most of Oregon’s top pitchers got off to an ugly start. The team currently boasts a 5.23 team ERA. Meanwhile, Nevada is out to prove that last season was an off-season for their talented club. They are leading the SL West, thanks mostly to the offensive leadership of former MVP Jerry Cevericks (.304, 10, 27). The Goldminer rotation has been solid, but their bullpen has been iffy. New ace Rusty Catlin has not earned his paycheck yet, but he has been dominant in 2 of his last 3 starts.

5. Four of five teams in the NL East are over .500. New Jersey leads the way. They are 2nd in the league in home runs, but they are not among the top of any other category. Opponents are only hitting a combined .233 against New York. Credit much of that to ace Lucas Alford, who has a 1.46 ERA. Third-place Connecticut is among the top 10 in many offensive and pitching categories. They are 3rd in the league in both home runs and runs scored.

6. The NL Central has been disappointing. Michigan leads the division at a measly 19-18. Their 5.29 team ERA will not keep them on top for long without improvement. Pennsylvania, 18-19, has looked sharp at times. Offensively, they’re among the top 10 in home runs and walks, and they lead the league in stolen bases. As for pitching, they are in the top 10 in almost every category. They lead the league with only 88 walks allowed, but they are 23rd in the league in home runs allowed.

7. The NL West has been a pleasant surprise with three teams well above .500. Washington’s amazing offense leads the NBL with a .302 team batting average, but amazingly, they are also among the top 10 in every major pitching category. Second place Alaska has stunned the league with it’s pitching. They lead the league in ERA and runs allowed, and they are 2nd in the league in homers and walks allowed. Leading the way, as usual, are Greg Rymon (4-3, 2.69) and Paul Van Jander (4-2, 2.98). The team has been pleasantly surprised by the early performance of 26-year-old Anthony Coursen (3-2, 3.12), who should pitch his first full season in the majors this year.

05-17-2003, 10:37 AM	#11 (permalink)
Matt from TN Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: In a funk.... Posts: 3,413	First Report: This first set of updates will take us up to the current date. Here are some of the biggest storylines so far this season: Note: this post is now obsolete because the season crashed... I'll leave it here for posterity... 1. The Tennessee Mockingbirds and South Carolina Ocenics started the season at 6-0 before they faced each other in Nashville on April 8-10. Tennessee swept the series 4-0, 10-4, 6-4 on their way to an amazing 12-0 start, the best start of any franchise in NBL history. Their first loss came April 15 in Nebraska when they lost 7-6 in the 12th inning. Nebraska took 3 of 4 games from the Mockingbirds, dropping them to 13-3. After that series, Tennessee went on a 6-game winning streak. South Carolina, meanwhile, lost 4 of their next 5 games after being swept in Tennessee. After that, they got back on track and went 8-3 through the remainder of April. 2. After winning 105 games in 2002, Alabama got off to a rocky start. They finished April 12-14. Much of that start could be blamed on the offense. No regular starter was hitting over .265. 3. Nebraska jumped out to a commanding lead in the SL Central. They proved they were for real when they took 3-of-4 games from a super-hot Tennessee club in mid-April. They finished the month at 17-10. 4. Most of Oregon’s top pitchers got off to an ugly start. The team currently boasts a 5.23 team ERA. Meanwhile, Nevada is out to prove that last season was an off-season for their talented club. They are leading the SL West, thanks mostly to the offensive leadership of former MVP Jerry Cevericks (.304, 10, 27). The Goldminer rotation has been solid, but their bullpen has been iffy. New ace Rusty Catlin has not earned his paycheck yet, but he has been dominant in 2 of his last 3 starts. 5. Four of five teams in the NL East are over .500. New Jersey leads the way. They are 2nd in the league in home runs, but they are not among the top of any other category. Opponents are only hitting a combined .233 against New York. Credit much of that to ace Lucas Alford, who has a 1.46 ERA. Third-place Connecticut is among the top 10 in many offensive and pitching categories. They are 3rd in the league in both home runs and runs scored. 6. The NL Central has been disappointing. Michigan leads the division at a measly 19-18. Their 5.29 team ERA will not keep them on top for long without improvement. Pennsylvania, 18-19, has looked sharp at times. Offensively, they’re among the top 10 in home runs and walks, and they lead the league in stolen bases. As for pitching, they are in the top 10 in almost every category. They lead the league with only 88 walks allowed, but they are 23rd in the league in home runs allowed. 7. The NL West has been a pleasant surprise with three teams well above .500. Washington’s amazing offense leads the NBL with a .302 team batting average, but amazingly, they are also among the top 10 in every major pitching category. Second place Alaska has stunned the league with it’s pitching. They lead the league in ERA and runs allowed, and they are 2nd in the league in homers and walks allowed. Leading the way, as usual, are Greg Rymon (4-3, 2.69) and Paul Van Jander (4-2, 2.98). The team has been pleasantly surprised by the early performance of 26-year-old Anthony Coursen (3-2, 3.12), who should pitch his first full season in the majors this year. Last edited by Matt from TN : 05-20-2003 at 01:38 PM.