Post All-Star Break Storylines

As the great Nuke LaLoosh once said, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." And sometimes it rains a lot. The 2013 NECBl season has been plagued by rainouts, delays and a bountiful amount of seven inning double headers. As of July 20th, 39 games have been cancelled this summer, and two were suspended and finished later due to rain. 

However, some great baseball has been played through all of this, and we sit a day from the All-Star game and a week from the playoffs. As the 13 NECBL teams finish their pre-All Star games tonight, a day off for some players transitions into a week of fast-paced division changes and fights for one of the eight playoff spots. 

Of the 13 NECBL teams, the farthest team from a playoff spot is the Plymouth Pilgrims who sit 10 games back. Ten games is a big margin, but you can't rule out a comeback because as you can see in the case of the Keene Swamp Bats, teams can get hot and others can get cold. The Bats started off 3-11 and have rattled off a 16-2 record to tie for first, as the Mountaineers have dropped seven of their last ten going into tonight's game.

As the frantic final week begins on Monday with a five game slate, here are the top storylines we can look forward to going into the postseason.

The Hitters

Oh boy. The Keene Swamp Bats are suddenly the most dangerous hitting team in the NECBL. They started 3-11, but thanks to some of the best hitters in the Western Division, they are once again where they've consistently been in their history - at the top of the league.

Led by their three all-stars (JP Sportman, Tommy Monnot and Brian O'Grady) the Swamp Bats are now tied for first in the Western Division. Sportman (right) is a probable finalist for the Rick Ligi Most Valuable Player Award, as he is hitting .356 with 26 RBIs, 23 runs scored and 11 stolen bases, and is tied for the league lead in home runs with four. Not to be lost outside Sportman's spotlight is O'Grady, who has been consistently getting the work done, with a .342 average and three home runs with 19 RBIs.

The Eastern Division leading Gulls also have a pair of top hitters - All-Star starters Ben Roberts and Steve Anderson. Roberts has arguably been the best hitter in the East, with his .336 average, 22 RBIs, and league leading runs scored (33) and doubles (15). Roberts is one double away from tying the NECBL record (16) which is shared by multiple players.

The Pitchers

The NECBL is filled with some great pitchers which will make selecting the recipient of the annual Robin Roberts Pitcher award extremely difficult this year. There are at least eight pitchers who are deserving of the award, and perhaps another 20 who have had great years for their respective teams.

Sanford's Steven Rice (left) leads the pack. Rice has been stellar as the Mainers closer, appearing in nine games, totaling 19.1 innings pitched. He holds a 0.93 ERA and has a 3-1 record with five saves. He is the best reliever so far this summer. 

The best starting pitcher up to this point is Vermont's John Miles. Miles has started four games and appeared in another two, as he's amassed 29 innings pitched with a 3-0 record and a league leading 0.31 ERA. He's also struck out 23 and walked just eight.

Other pitchers that have a shot at the award include Keene's Nathan Kirby; Newport's trio of Sean Hartnett, Brett Graves and Kyle Wilcox, as well as North Adam's Joeanthony Rivera. 

Pitching has been a huge part of the NECBL, as the three division leaders (two are tied in the West) rank near the top in all pitching categories. This year's NECBL season has been a mix of superb pitching and talented hitting. It will be intriguing to see what happens at the All-Star game tomorrow, as some of the best hitters take on the best pitchers.

Those Gulls

The Gulls are looking to repeat for the second time in their history and for the fourth time in NECBL history. Newport has the pieces to do it, as they sit in first place with a league leading 21-10 record, and are among the league leaders in team hitting and pitching categories.

They do have some roadblocks sitting in their way. First of all, the Ocean State Waves. The Waves have been nipping at the Gulls heels the whole season and we're even tied with them for a short time. A possible matchup in the Eastern Division finals awaits these two teams. Newport will have its hands full. The Waves are a powerful hitting team, with the trio of Christian Muscarello, Michael Gerber and Caden Bailey. Hitting .268 as a team, the Waves lead the league in hits and are second in home runs with 24.

The second roadblock will be a tough Western Division. It's still up in the air about who will emerge from the West, but frontrunners Vermont and Keene are both very dangerous. One of the Gulls strengths is their pitching, and the Mountaineers rival that with ace John Miles and company. A big double header approaches with these two on the 23rd in Vermont, and could possibly be a preview of a championship series. Not to be forgotten are the Swamp Bats, who are currently tied for first with the Mountaineers. Keene has the best hitting team in the league, lead by All-Stars JP Sportman, Brian O'Grady and Tommy Monnot. Hitting an impressive .281 as a team, the Swamp Bats also lead the league in home runs with 28 as well as total bases with 444.

Regardless, the Gulls are definitely a team to keep an eye on when August and the playoffs roll around.

The Western Division race

The Eastern Division race may be close, but the Western Division race is closer, and arguably more exciting. The mix of teams and how close they are makes it filled with intriguing storylines going into the last week of the season.

The Vermont Mountaineers held the best record in the NECBL for a while, but a string of losses and a 3-7 record over the last ten games have dropped them into a tie for first. The Mountaineers have stayed at the top for a while for one big reason. Their incredible pitching, the best in the West, lead by ace John Miles and a stellar bullpen.

The Keene Swamp Bats started off 3-11, and some wrote them off for making a run at the playoffs. That was before going 13-2 and holding a eight-game winning streak that currently has them tied for first in the division. Three All-Star starters and the best hitting team in the NECBL has them in the mix for the division title and a chance for their second championship in three years.

The Saratoga Brigade, currently in their first NECBL season, have done very well, as they sit in third place, just 3.5 games out of first and in line to grab a playoff spot. One game under .500, the Brigade have possibly one of the easiest schedules (click here for post) and could be the third team to make a play for first.

The North Adams Steeplecats have a 14-16 record and sit just a half game behind Saratoga and four back from first place Vermont and Keene. The Steeplecats were knocked out of the first round last season, and will have it tough again as they would have to play the top team if the playoffs ended today.

The other two teams, not currently in the playoffs are 5.5 and 6.5 games back, respectively. The Holyoke Blue Sox were in the hunt for a while, but a 2-8 record over the last 10 games have knocked them into fifth, and most likely out of the playoffs. The last place team, the Danbury Westerners have fallen far after making the playoffs and representing the West in the championship game in 2012.