2016 WORLD SERIES
The Detroit Crime making their first ever Mid-West Baseball League World Series hosts the Bandicoots of Bethesda who are also making their Mid-West Baseball League debut in the World Series. Some evenly matched teams square off for the best of seven series.
Game #1: Jake Arrieta (17-10 1.66) vs. Stephen Strasburg (13-3 2.62)
The Bandicoots come to Detroit to play before a fired up crowd as this is the first World Series appearance for both teams.
The crime take the field on this beautiful 75 degree day hoping Steven Startburg has brought his A game as he will need it against the mighty Jake Arrieta. The first inning went as planned for both starters but in the top of the second Bethesda had other plans after a fly out by Andre Eithier, Chris Colabello lined a single to CF Alex Rodriguez grounded out moving the runner over and with Brad Miller at the plate Stburg fired a 54 footer right by the catcher Salty as Colabello scored easily on the WP, Miller ended the inning on a flyout Bandicoots lead 1-0…In the top of the 3rd after a K Lorenzo Cain lined a single into left and then AJ Pierzynski clocked a HR to deep right center making the score now 3-0
but Bethesda was not done yet…after a David Peralta walk and Gonzalez fly out Eithier rocked a triple off the center field wall making it Bethesda 4 Detroit 0, Scott Kazmir would come into the game and get out of the inning, he would pitch 3 scoreless innings, Arrieta was just dealing in this one , the only trouble he managed was in the 6th, a Machado double got the crowd on there feet and after a ground out by Ben Zobrist moved the runner over then a pop out from Kendrys Morales a two out RBI single from Prince made it 4-1 Bethesda;The Crime fans would not have much to cheer about as Detroit would only manage one more batter getting to second base as Jake Arrieta would scatter 6 hits striking out 7 and walking 2 only facing 34 in this complete game,
Final Score: Bethesda 4 – Detroit 1 Continue reading
2017 DRAFT LOTTERY
The 2017 MWBL Draft Lottery will take place on Sunday Night October 2nd, at 9:00 PM ET.
The following four Franchises will have a shot at the #1 Pick in the 2017 MWBL Draft on Saturday February 18th, 2017.
The Commissioner’s Office will send out a join.me link around 8:45 PM on Sunday night if you would like to watch the event live.
| AMERICAN LEAGUE FRANCHISE | W | L | PCT | RANDOM NUMBERS |
| SOUTHWEST DETROIT FIGHTING CHIHUAHUAS | 40 | 122 | .247 | 1- 40 |
| COCONUT CREEK CRUSHERS | 45 | 117 | .278 | 41-70 |
| NATIONAL LEAGUE FRANCHISE | W | L | PCT | RANDOM NUMBERS |
| TRIPLE CREEK PATRIOTS | 49 | 113 | .302 | 71-90 |
| SELKIRK STEELERS | 50 | 112 | .309 | 91-100 |
2016 WORLD SERIES PREVIEW
After toiling 5 years in the American League East never winning more than 62 games Bethesda moved over to the National League 
East in 2015 and discovered winning baseball under the DH-less NL rules. After winning 90 games in their first season the Bandicoots came back and won 96 under the leadership of Nik Malatestinic in 2016.
After a hard fought division series that went the full 7 games against Sacramento Bethesda faced off against MWBL’s best team during the 2016 season. The Columbus Explorers, who went 126-36 during the regular season. Based on how the regular season played out things looked gloom for Bethesda going into the NLCS against Columbus. The Explorers were 70 – 11 at home, 32-10 in one run games, and 19-0 in extra-inning games. However, the Bandicoots weren’t bedazzled by the Explorers regular season accomplishments even though they only won once in 12 tries against Columbus. The Bandicoots of Bethesda – a small neighborhood in the town of Innisfil, Ontario 
surprised the mighty Columbus Explorers by taking the series 4 game to 1 including three 1 run victories to move on to the World Series.
The 2016 season saw the Detroit Crime win over 100 games for the third time in franchise history in route to a franchise record setting 123 win season. Detroit under the leadership of Sergio Ivone had been to the ALCS twice before losing in 6 games in 2000 and 2004. This season marked their first division title since 2004.
Winning the division definitely helped them get past the tough Chicago Mobsters, who won 119 regular season games themselves and were regulated to wildcard playoff entry due to Detroit’s strong season, as the Crime won 3 of the 4 games played at home during the Division series. In the ALCS Clayton Kershaw held Detroit to two hits while striking out 10 in a complete game 1 victory. Then the Crime won three straight including two in Hollywood before winning the pennant in game 6 at home. Lots of excitement for the 2016 MWBL World Series as this is the first appearance for both Bethesda and Detroit. It will be the first franchise title– no matter the winner. Here’s how the two teams matchup. Continue reading
2016 – NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Although the Columbus team carries the nickname Explorers, it’s perhaps more fitting for Bethesda (96-66) who entered the series in foreign territory never before having advanced to the League Championship Series. It was a match made in hell for Bethesda who would have rather faced any other team than Columbus (126-36) who pummelled them during the regular season winning 11 of 12 contests. Columbus featured an all-round attack of solid bats and solid arms on the mound. No Columbus regular hit less than Ben Revere’s .262. Dee Gordon hit an eye-popping .356 with 67 steals, Charlie Blackmon hit .308 with 23 HR, 115 RBI, and 50 steals (MVP candidiate maybe???), and Matt Carpenter hit .279, bashed 37 HR and drove in 124 runs. The Columbus starters were no slouches led by JA Happ’s 17-5 record with a miniscule 2.15 ERA and 192 Ks in 193 innings. Ervin Santana was 11-5, 2.57 ERA, Lance McCullers was 9-2 with a 2.21 ERA and Tom Milone was 10-5 with a 3.13 ERA. What the starters couldn’t finish the Columbus bullpen had no problem finishing. Darren O’Day (7-1, 0.91 20 saves), Sean Gilmartin (8-0, 1.05 ERA, 5 saves), Frank Rodriguez (9-0, 1.53 ERA, 25 saves), Andrew Chafin (7-1, 1.60 ERA, 1 save) were downright scary combining for over 250 innings of relief and allowing only 116 hits while striking out 255 batters.
Bethesda’s strength lay with its starting pitching led by Cy Young candidate Jake Arrieta (17-10, 1.66 ERA, 110 hits allowed in 222 innings, one no-hitter), Sonny Gray (17-8, 2.67 ERA, one no-hitter), Jake Odorizzi (13-2, 2.70 ERA) and Chris Young (8-3, 2.21 ERA). The bullpen relied on the ability of Ryan Madson (3-5, 1.57), Justin Miller (2-1, 2.14 ERA and Brain Matusz (2-6, 2.79 ERA) to hold the lead until converted starter Rich Hill (1-2, 1.17 ERA, 18 saves) could get the ball or on the off-chance he was unable to pitch the bizarrely effective John Axford (2-1, 2.67 ERA, 12 saves) was around. The Bethesda bats featured a few noteworthy performances in 2016 with Adrian Gonzalez once again leading the offense with a .311 
average, 33 homers and 104 RBIs. The supporting cast included another pleasant surprise in AJ Pierzynski with the veteran backstop hitting .319 and Alex Rodriguez whose final tour of duty included a .265 average, 34 homers and 90 RBIs.
Game #1: Jake Arrieta (17-10 1.66) vs. Lance McCullers (9-2 2.21)
Jake Arrieta staggered through the first round against Sacramento but got his crap together for the first game of the LCS tossing eight innings of three hit ball as the Bandicoots topped the Explorers 4-1 in Columbus.
Arrieta fanned 12 in the game including four Ks by Matt Carpenter. Only Ben Revere seemed to solve the Arrieta puzzle for Columbus as the speedy outfielder nabbed two hits and drove in the lone Columbus run in the 3rd inning when he brought in Dee Gordon after he smacked a triple.
Seldom-used catcher Carlos Ruiz paid dividends for Bethesda smacking a two-run homer in the 5th inning off Josh Tomlin who took over for Lance McCullers. McCullers was yanked early after giving up three runs on three hits in four innings. Bethesda counted their first runs with two in the 4th on RBI hits by Adrian Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez.
Plucky John Axford fanned two in a 3-up, 3-down 9th to earn the save.
Final Score: Bethesda 4 – Columbus 1 Continue reading
2016 – AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
The Hollywood Werewolves looking to make it back to the World Series take on the up & coming Crime from Detroit. Detroit won the most games in the American League in the 2016 Regular season with 123 victories.
Game #1: Clayton Kershaw (21-7 1.67) vs. Stephen Strasburg (13-3 2.62)
Kershaw is on fire in this one spinning a 2 hitter ( both hits coming from Ben Zobrist) only facing 29 batters striking out 10 with 0 walks and also has yet to give up any runs in this post season. A first inning single by Carlos Gonzalez then rbi dbl by Goldschmidt and that was all Hollywood would need as the game ends 1-0; Strasburg and 4 RPs pitched very well giving up 1 run on 7 hits.
Final Score: Hollywood 1 – Detroit 0
Game #2: David Price (22-7 1.85) vs. Carlos Carrasco (14-9 3.29)
Hollywood jumps out to an early lead with an RBI single from Cargo in the 1st, In the bottom of the 2nd Det gets there first runs of the series with a 2 run HR off of David Price coming from Franklin Guitierez making it 2-1 it would stay that way till the bottom of the 4th when Morales scores on an RBI single from Prince; In the 6th a single and SB from Cargo gets Detroits bullpen warming up as Benoit takes the hill with one out in the 6th, he walks Miggy then gets Goldschmidt to roll over on a change up and hit into a 4-6-3 DP to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the 8th Adam Jones with 2 outs hits a solo HR to make it 4-1, Britton enters the 9th and Ks his 3 batters for the save.
Final Score: Detroit 4 – Hollywood 1
Continue reading
