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reds1 · 09-02-2015, 05:54 PM

February 1, 1940

Eastern League – Embro, Stratford Make Their Moves

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The Braeland City Monarchs maintained their hold on top spot in the Eastern League, putting up an impressive 16-10 record in January and have won 9 of their last 10 games. That said, they remain just 4 games up on the Wellington Athletics and have seen two teams, the Embro Suns and Stratford Barons, make moves both on and off the field that have seen them surge up the standings and present a serious threat in the latter part of the season.
Eight Monarchs were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP David Cooling (1st selection); SP Lenny Freke (2nd); SP Jin-man Kim (1st); C Kane Broom (2nd); 3B Louie Hetherington (3rd); SS Adam Ashley (2nd); CF Jay Atwood (2nd) and RF Dwayne Hollinshead (2nd).

Top Position Player: SS Adam Ashley (.336/.388/.509, 4 HR, 54 RBI, 90 R, 38 BB, 22 SB) had a tremendous month in January, batting .369/.391/.515 and had a 22-game hitting streak come to an end. But C Kane Broom (.349/.381/.471, 7 HR, 50 RBI, 66 R, 24 BB) was even hotter, going .412/.435/.578, with 3 HR, 15 RBI and 19 R.

Top Pitcher: A toss-up between SP Lenny Freke (15-7, 1.82 ERA, 1.02 ERA) and SP David Cooling (15-7, 3.02 ERA, 1.19 WHIP). I’ll go with Cooling, who went 6-0, 2.33 ERA, with 36 K, 11 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: LF Scott Kessler (.276/.361/.455, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R, 18 BB) suffered and hamstring strain on January 4; he is out a further 8-9 weeks.

3B Louie Hetherington (.332/.413/.466, 6 HR, 53 RBI, 70 R, 48 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum as a result of a collision on January 7. He is out of action for another 3 weeks.

LF Trevor Bolen (.295/.325/.418, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 19 R, 7 BB, 7 SB), who has been battled injuries all season, injured himself while running the bases in a game on January 12. He was diagnosed with a strained quad and missed 2 weeks.

Key Trade: On January 20, the Monarchs traded 31-year old 1B Tim Ambrose (66/66 – .263/.345/.394, 11 HR, 67 RBI, 57 R, 51 BB) and 18-year old minor league SS Kansaburo Sato (20/34) to the Cobourg Red Stockings.
Braeland City received 27-year old IF Damian Davis (41/51 – .298/.368/.394, 3 HR, 46 RBI, 47 R, 36 BB).

Knee-jerk analysis: The injuries to Kessler and Hetherington necessitated a move on Braeland City’s part. With Braeland City already having placed Ambrose on waivers in late December, it was clear that he was not going to be part of their long-term plans. Davis takes over 3B until Hetherington returns and Trevor Bolen moves to LF while Scott Kessler is on the mend. Bench player Ronald Goff (.250/.368/.375, 2-2B, 2 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB) takes over 1B for the Monarchs.
Ambrose moves from a playoff caliber team to the basement with Cobourg. Ambrose is not a complete player but he was having a productive season, so he is not exactly a happy camper.
Cobourg has already signaled a major sell-off with other moves they made this month, so this trade can be categorized as a wash.

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The Athletics lost some ground, falling 4 games back of Braeland City and now find themselves being chased by a couple of hot teams in the Embro Suns and Stratford Barons. Wellington has struggled on offense so far this season and made a couple of moves before the deadline to try and shore it up. The pitching staff meanwhile has been much more consistent.
Five Athletics were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Clyde Boney (3rd); C Dylan Watkins (3rd); 3B Ryley McLarnon (2nd); LF Bob Boynton (3rd) and RF Quentin Stubber (3rd).

Top Position Player: C Dylan Watkins (.303/.365/.485, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 57 R, 35 BB) had his best month of the season, batting .356/.408/.567 with 4 HR, 27 RBI and 14 R.

Top Pitcher: SP Clyde Boney (17-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.16 ERA) was solid once again, going 3-1, 1.72 ERA, with 22 K, 16 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade #1: Wellington received 27-year old 1B Jeaic Risbrough (42/43 – .327/.394/.436, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 35 R, 29 BB) from the Downie Chiefs on January 9. In return, Downie received two minor league players:
- 28-year old RP Ross Selby (43/43) and
- 18-year old C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (22/71).

Knee-jerk analysis: From October through to December, Risbrough hit .326, .345 and .372 in 228 total at-bats. And yet he is struggling to keep his starting position at 1B. Downie finally decided to go with Francis Pynchon full-time at 1B after acquiring him back in October. But instead of starting for Wellington, Risbrough is backing up Byron Tope (.264/.312/.382, 9 HR, 58 RBI, 48 R, 27 BB) for now at least, even though Risbrough is rated higher at that position. In return, Downie gets a middling relief pitcher for a middling bullpen. Deang is more intriguing, an 8th round sleeper pick from the 1939-40 amateur draft. A capable hitter, he will need to work hard to improve his lackluster defensive skills.

Key Trade #2: On January 30, Wellington completed a deal with the Cambria Cannons. The Athletics received 25-year old 2B Charles Halse (46/49 – .279/.363/.508, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 26 BB). Cambria received 2 minor league players:
- 27-year old RP Connor Mossop (20/21) and
- 18-year old C Anoi Hoalohonani (21/54).

Knee-jerk analysis: Practically a carbon copy of the first trade, an infielder for a middling reliever and a young catcher. Halse is decent hitter with some speed and good defense. He’s listed as the Wellington’s top 2B, but right now is taking a back seat to Alejandro Valdes (.274/.346/.333, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 65 R, 45 BB). I would expect that to change soon if Valdes regresses further, as he hit only .253/.340/.308 in January. In the meantime, Halse will come in handy in the late innings as a defensive replacement, as Valdes’ defense leaves something to be desired.

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After lingering just a few games above .500 for most of the season, the Embro Suns finally came alive in January, racking up 18 victories in 26 games. The late-season bloom catapults them into third spot, just 1 game back of the wild card.
The Suns’ strength this season has been its offense, which ranks 3rd in a slew of categories. Pitching meanwhile, has been below average overall, although the bullpen ERA is solid. Embro did not make any significant moves in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, so they are content with what they have now. It will be interesting to see if that is enough now that the League is entering the final push for the playoffs.
Six Suns were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Colm Soper (3rd); RP John Palm (3rd); 1B Jim Friend (1st); LF Anthony Stavely (2nd); CF Terence Durney (3rd) and RF Paul Hooks (2nd).

Top Position Player: RF Paul Hooks (.334/.440/.559, 23 HR, 91 RBI, 81 R, 77 BB) was a man possessed in January, and his performance earned him Batter of the Month honours. During the course of the month, Hooks hit 2 HR in a game against the Downie Chiefs (3-5, 5 RBI, 2 R) and 2 HR in a game against the Sherburn Tigers (2-5, 3 RBI, 3 R). On January 31, he went 5-6 against the Wolseley Unions, collecting 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R.
But he was not the only one with a hot month, as LF Anthony Stavely (.306/.415/.472, 12 HR, 70 RBI, 77 R, 75 BB) batted .427/.541/.640, with 3 HR, 32 RBI and 18 R.

Top Pitcher: The starting rotation has not been a particularly strong unit, but SP Rusty Mott (9-6, 4.01 ERA, 1.36 ERA) pitched very well, going 3-1, 2.16 ERA, with 8 K, 4 BB in 4 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Stratford Barons mean business. After sprinting out of the starting blocks in October, the Barons cooled off considerably in November and December, losing more games than they won and falling to just a game over .500 on the season. But after 5 transactions involving 20 players, some of them with BIG names, Stratford now finds itself right back in the mix for the playoffs.
Previously, I had opined that the Barons needed to do some soul-searching to determine whether they truly were up to the task to compete in East. It would appear that they did just that, and made the moves they felt were needed to get them into the Promised Land. It should be an exciting playoff chase as a result in the Eastern League this season.
Three Barons were selected to the All-Star game in January: C Gavin Hurley (3rd); 2B Brian Main (1st) and SS Jake Walker (1st).

Top Position Player: C Gavin Hurley (.323/.363/.500, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 48 R, 24 BB) was his usual outstanding self in January, batting .378/.424/.585 with 4 HR, 18 RBI and 15 R.

Top Pitcher: Although SP Joel Fearn won the Pitcher of the Month Award, he was still with the Cobourg Red Stockings when he earned it. It was not a great month for Stratford pitchers, but 35-year old SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji (9-7, 3.90 ERA, 1.35 ERA) put in a good performance, going 4-0, 2.45 ERA, with 21 K, 9 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade #1: Stratford traded 29-year old OF Tony Blakeney (47/51 – .290/.373/.412, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 60 R, 48 BB) to the Pulberry Trolleys on January 13. In return, Pulberry sent 29-year old IF Herbert Corrigan (23/23 - .211/.329/.253, 3-2B, 3 RBI, 5 R, 13 BB) and 21-year old minor league C Werner Hock (22/46).

Knee-jerk analysis: An interesting transaction on the Barons’ part. Blakeney is a productive player, with decent contact, very good power and good defense. His teammates consider him to be a selfish player, however. Whether OOTP factors the latter part in or not, I don’t know, but the Barons have decided to go with a young prospect of theirs, 21-year old OF Bart Wallwin (37/63 - .271/.324/.412, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 13 BB) in leftfield. Wallwin was rated the #15 overall prospect in the ULB at the start of the season.
Corrigan will be a utility player at most and Hock did not stay in the Barons’ organization for very long, as he was traded away later in the month.

Key Trade #2: On January 24, Stratford and Pulberry consummated another trade.

Stratford traded away 27-year old all-star IF Brian Main (75/77 - .304/.351/.467, 13 HR, 99 RBI, 66 R, 40 BB, 11 SB). In return, the Trolleys sent 28-year old 1B William Tozer (71/72 - .307/.399/.437, 9 HR, 63 RBI, 53 R, 61 BB) and 22-year old minor league OF William Wigmore (31/68 – 3rd round pick in 1937-38 draft).

Knee-jerk analysis: The Barons deemed that an upgrade at 1B was necessary and so went out and acquired William Tozer. Tozer is indeed a Top 5-1B in the ULB, but the price was steep, as Stratford surrendered Brian Main, a Top 2-2B. While Stratford has addressed the newly created vacuum at 2B with a subsequent trade, Brian Main was a great player that will be sorely missed in my opinion. Wigmore becomes Stratford’s top position prospect, an average hitter with no power whatsoever but with tremendous defense.

On January 29, Stratford made 3 more deals:

Key Trade #3: Stratford acquired 27-year old 2B Rhett Curnow (59/60 – .333/.378/.473, 9 HR, 65 RBI, 73 R, 32 BB) from the Hespeler Stars. In return, Hespeler received 4 minor league players:
- 21-year old SP Carlton Sherrell (21/64 - #22 overall prospect);
- 19-year old RF Isaia Taworri (20/23);
- 20-year old 1B Gary Lindley (21/22) and
- 21-year old 3B Damien Dyson (22/23).

Knee-jerk analysis: Rhett Curnow is a fine player, but not the quite the player Brian Main was. Curnow is rated the 3rd best 2B in the ULB, while Main is rated 2nd overall. Thus, with Tozer at 1B, Stratford believes that they will have a stronger lineup and it’s hard to dispute that reasoning. Hespeler, which is clearly in rebuilding mode, receives in its haul a pitching prospect in the form of Sherrell, who has above-average stuff and terrific movement. If he can improve his control a bit (30/45), then the Stars should have a very fine SP for the future.

Key Trade #4: Stratford acquired 38-year old RP Larry Parrish (80/80 – 5-2, 7 SV, 2.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, Cobourg received 5 minor league players:
- 20-year old RF Adoniia Haoa (23/70 - #51 overall prospect);
- 21-year old C Werner Hock (22/46);
- 20-year old 2B Steve Walker (22/37);
- 21-year old SS Ralph Coyne (21/22) and
- 23-year old CF Kenneth Peck (29/30).

Knee-jerk analysis: Parrish is the No. 1 rated RP in the ULB and an all-star. For a team bent on winning now, this was a no-brainer. Kudos to Stratford for going out and getting him before any other team could. Cobourg gets some nice future depth in return; in particular, Haoa, who becomes Cobourg’s 5th highest-rated prospect in the organization.

Key Trade #5: Stratford also acquired 29-year old SP Joel Fearn (76/76 – 13-8, 3.43 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, Cobourg received 3 minor league players:
- 19-year old OF Miguel Rodriguez (22/66 - #10 overall prospect);
- 22-year old SP Pedro Gomez (21/46 - #77 overall prospect) and
- 19-year old C Henry Tofield (20/28).

Knee-jerk analysis: Fearn is rated #8 overall among pitchers and a perennial all-star. And he is also a coup. His acquisition, along with Parrish, transforms Stratford’s pitching staff to one that will rival both Braeland City’s and Wellington’s.
For Cobourg, Rodriguez becomes their top prospect, who should be an offensive force with great speed and solid defense in the outfield, especially in the corners. Overall, the Red Stockings have improved their farm system, rising from 10th to 5th. Stratford’s farm system, meanwhile, falls from 5th to 10th. But they are obviously in ‘win now’ mode. These transactions should put them in a good position to do just that.

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In stark contrast to the Stratford Barons, the Queensland Eagles have effectively thrown in the towel on this season. In fact, on January 29, they set their team focus to ‘rebuilding’ from ‘neutral’. The re-building will likely take place in the off-season, as the Eagles completed only one significant trade before the deadline, and that was to address a long-term injury.
Other than a 19-6 November, the Eagles have not looked like a playoff team and a 10-16 January only confirms that. Queensland is not an awful team by any means; it has some frontline talent on the pitching staff and in the lineup. But it is not a particularly deep team and the injuries have exposed that. Also, they have one of the weakest farm systems in the ULB (13th). No doubt, some tough decisions will be made once the season is over. It will be interesting to see whether the Eagles blow things up and start over or not.
Five Eagles were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Stewart Colcott (1st); SP Max MacColl (3rd); 1B Quentin Puddy (2nd); 2B Katsunan Chikafuji (3rd) and 3B Kian Meadmore (3rd).

Top Position Player: 3B Kian Meadmore (.281/.363/.538, 21 HR, 73 RBI, 64 R, 49 BB) had a fine month, hitting .290/.394/.559, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 16 R.

Top Pitcher: The pitching staff struggled over in January; however, SP Max MacColl (15-7, 3.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) did very well, going 3-1, 1.16 ERA, with 12 K, 7 BB in 4 starts.

Key Injuries: 30-year old SP Darren Stewart (5-6, 4.02 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) is out for another 6-7 months due to a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, suffered in a game back on December 8.

Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) remains out for 3 more weeks with a broken bone in his elbow suffered back on October 28.

SS Kastunan Chikafuji (.340/.407/.552, 12 HR, 83 RBI, 78 R, 41 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum on January 2. He is out for at least 5-6 weeks.

RF Toby Reakes (.312/.473/.387, 12-2B, 17 RBI, 66 R, 81 BB, 10 SB) suffered a quad strain on January 5 against the Cobourg Red Stockings. He is out another week.

Key Trade: On January 26, the Eagles acquired 27-year old IF Ninfa Puzon (59/64 – .296/.329/.443, 3 HR, 47 RBI, 78 R, 25 BB) from the Cobourg Red Stockings.
In return, Cobourg received 4 minor league players:
- 21-year old SS Antonio Pena (23/55);
- 21-year old 1B Brad Mitchinson (22/41);
- 21-year old C Benjamin Bertram (21/23) and
- 22-year old 2B Gavin Henderson (22/23).

Knee-jerk analysis: With the long-term injury to SS Chikafuji, Queensland acquires a fine player in Puzon to take up the slack. Puzon is not the player that Chikafuji is, but he can be productive at the plate, is decent fielding his position and quick on the base paths.
In return, the Red Stockings receive a bunch of 2nd-tier minor leaguers. Nothing to get excited about, but then perhaps Puzon is not the player he once was last season, when he earned an all-star selection. Queensland will be his third team in three seasons.

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It would appear the grand plan for getting back into the playoffs has fizzled. The flurry of activity that the Brunswick Legends engaged in back in November, where the club consummated 3 major trades has not improved their fortunes. The Legends have fallen 12 games back of first place and 8 games back of the wild card. The offense has regressed to be the worst or near worst in the Eastern League. The moves they made to acquire two new catchers (Maurice Evans - .218/.309/.332 and Henry Goddier - .254/.359/.313) and give CF Scott Orchard (.234/.288/.360) a starting job have not panned out.
Like Queensland, they have some incredible talent, but not much depth and the farm system is depleted (12th overall). The Legends did not make any deals in January, but some decisions will need to be made in the off-season, for sure.
Four Legends were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Matthew Monroe (3rd); 2B Matthew Shelley (2nd); LF Mark Elston (2nd) and RF Rovilson Valvevieso (2nd).

Top Position Player: Although teammate Mark Elston was out for most of January, RF Rovilson Valvevieso (.370/.402/.560, 13 HR, 66 RBI, 67 R, 25 BB) didn’t miss a beat, batting .398/.413/.650 with 5 HR, 21 RBI, 18 R.

Top Pitcher: 36-year old SP Song-Saeng Lee (10-9, 4.75 ERA, 1.58 ERA) had an outstanding month, going 3-1, 2.04 ERA, with 16 K, 7 BB in 5 starts.

Key Injuries: Back-up CF Jamie Thurgood (.404/.483/.635, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 7 BB) sprained his wrist in a game on December 23. He will be out for another 2-3 weeks.

SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 2 more weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair back in November.

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The Downie Chiefs imploded in January, staggering to an 8-18 record that included a 9-game losing streak. The Chiefs were putting up a fight to remain close to .500, but the bottom has fallen out to say the least. To me, January is indicative of the state of the Downie Chiefs. They are not very good overall on both pitching and offense; and the good players they do have are not getting any younger. Seven of their top players are 30 and older. The Queensland Eagles are next with 6.
The Chiefs sent one player to the All-Star game in January: SP Frank Leadbeater (3rd).

Top Position Player: After a sub-par December, RF Finlay Petty (.262/.296/.363, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 57 R, 23 BB) had his best month of the season in January, batting .308/.351/.510 with 4 HR, 10 RBI, 14 R.

Top Pitcher: Not a good month for Downie pitchers. SP Hidetada Kobayashi (4-4, 3.56 ERA, 1.32 ERA) had an OK month, going 1-1, 3.60 ERA, with 14 K, 10 BB in 4 starts.

Key Injuries: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) remains out for 3 more weeks due to a partially torn labrum suffered back on November 10.

RP Keith Mailes (0-5, 4 SV, 5.11 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) suffered a shoulder injury on January 15; he will be out for another 6-7 weeks.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings have embraced the ‘R’ word. On January 19, they changed their focus from ‘neutral’ to ‘rebuild’ and did not waste time; completing 5 trades that saw top veteran talent leave in exchange for valuable prospects. Most of the trades were discussed elsewhere in this post. But for all the upheaval, the Red Stockings actually enjoyed their first winning month of the season, going 14-12 in January, and are just a 0.5 game back of Downie for 7th place.
The Red Stockings sent 3 players to the All-Star game in January: SP Joel Fearn (3rd), RP Larry Parrish (2nd) and 2B Matthew Lane (2nd).

Top Position Player: CF Clint Jones (.330/.394/.510, 10 HR, 70 RBI, 89 R, 47 BB, 19 SB) is a terrific player, and he was terrific in January, batting .376/.448/.606 with 3 HR, 18 RBI, 24 R.

Top Pitcher: He’s no longer a Red Stocking, but SP Joel Fearn (13-8, 3.43 ERA, 1.35 ERA) left Cobourg on a high note, winning Pitcher of the Month honours.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade: In addition to all the other trades (discussed elsewhere), Cobourg completed the following transaction on January 19:
Cobourg acquired SP Jeff Hetzel (24/26 – 8-7, 4.01 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) from the Fort Richmond Generals. In return, the Generals received 23-year old SS Jamie Florey (34/67 - #53 overall prospect).

Knee-jerk analysis: I wonder if the Red Stockings would love to take back this deal, if they knew they were going into rebuild mode just a few days later. Florey was the 8th overall pick in the 1938-39 amateur draft, and while he is now considered the Generals’ #5 prospect, there are questions as to whether he will make it in the majors, as he has been struggling trying to make the jump from AA to AAA. That said it’s hard to know what Cobourg were expecting in Hetzel, a mediocre SP at best. Hetzel will serve as their No. 5 starter and while he may be a moderate upgrade in that spot, it’s not going to matter a whole lot at this point. Keeping the prospect would have been the better option in this case, whether a team was in rebuild mode or not. Sorry, Hetzel.

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09-02-2015, 05:54 PM	#136
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,929	February 1, 1940 Eastern League – Embro, Stratford Make Their Moves -------- The Braeland City Monarchs maintained their hold on top spot in the Eastern League, putting up an impressive 16-10 record in January and have won 9 of their last 10 games. That said, they remain just 4 games up on the Wellington Athletics and have seen two teams, the Embro Suns and Stratford Barons, make moves both on and off the field that have seen them surge up the standings and present a serious threat in the latter part of the season. Eight Monarchs were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP David Cooling (1st selection); SP Lenny Freke (2nd); SP Jin-man Kim (1st); C Kane Broom (2nd); 3B Louie Hetherington (3rd); SS Adam Ashley (2nd); CF Jay Atwood (2nd) and RF Dwayne Hollinshead (2nd). Top Position Player: SS Adam Ashley (.336/.388/.509, 4 HR, 54 RBI, 90 R, 38 BB, 22 SB) had a tremendous month in January, batting .369/.391/.515 and had a 22-game hitting streak come to an end. But C Kane Broom (.349/.381/.471, 7 HR, 50 RBI, 66 R, 24 BB) was even hotter, going .412/.435/.578, with 3 HR, 15 RBI and 19 R. Top Pitcher: A toss-up between SP Lenny Freke (15-7, 1.82 ERA, 1.02 ERA) and SP David Cooling (15-7, 3.02 ERA, 1.19 WHIP). I’ll go with Cooling, who went 6-0, 2.33 ERA, with 36 K, 11 BB in 6 starts. Key Injuries: LF Scott Kessler (.276/.361/.455, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R, 18 BB) suffered and hamstring strain on January 4; he is out a further 8-9 weeks. 3B Louie Hetherington (.332/.413/.466, 6 HR, 53 RBI, 70 R, 48 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum as a result of a collision on January 7. He is out of action for another 3 weeks. LF Trevor Bolen (.295/.325/.418, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 19 R, 7 BB, 7 SB), who has been battled injuries all season, injured himself while running the bases in a game on January 12. He was diagnosed with a strained quad and missed 2 weeks. Key Trade: On January 20, the Monarchs traded 31-year old 1B Tim Ambrose (66/66 – .263/.345/.394, 11 HR, 67 RBI, 57 R, 51 BB) and 18-year old minor league SS Kansaburo Sato (20/34) to the Cobourg Red Stockings. Braeland City received 27-year old IF Damian Davis (41/51 – .298/.368/.394, 3 HR, 46 RBI, 47 R, 36 BB). Knee-jerk analysis: The injuries to Kessler and Hetherington necessitated a move on Braeland City’s part. With Braeland City already having placed Ambrose on waivers in late December, it was clear that he was not going to be part of their long-term plans. Davis takes over 3B until Hetherington returns and Trevor Bolen moves to LF while Scott Kessler is on the mend. Bench player Ronald Goff (.250/.368/.375, 2-2B, 2 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB) takes over 1B for the Monarchs. Ambrose moves from a playoff caliber team to the basement with Cobourg. Ambrose is not a complete player but he was having a productive season, so he is not exactly a happy camper. Cobourg has already signaled a major sell-off with other moves they made this month, so this trade can be categorized as a wash. -------- The Athletics lost some ground, falling 4 games back of Braeland City and now find themselves being chased by a couple of hot teams in the Embro Suns and Stratford Barons. Wellington has struggled on offense so far this season and made a couple of moves before the deadline to try and shore it up. The pitching staff meanwhile has been much more consistent. Five Athletics were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Clyde Boney (3rd); C Dylan Watkins (3rd); 3B Ryley McLarnon (2nd); LF Bob Boynton (3rd) and RF Quentin Stubber (3rd). Top Position Player: C Dylan Watkins (.303/.365/.485, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 57 R, 35 BB) had his best month of the season, batting .356/.408/.567 with 4 HR, 27 RBI and 14 R. Top Pitcher: SP Clyde Boney (17-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.16 ERA) was solid once again, going 3-1, 1.72 ERA, with 22 K, 16 BB in 6 starts. Key Injuries: None. Key Trade #1: Wellington received 27-year old 1B Jeaic Risbrough (42/43 – .327/.394/.436, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 35 R, 29 BB) from the Downie Chiefs on January 9. In return, Downie received two minor league players: - 28-year old RP Ross Selby (43/43) and - 18-year old C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (22/71). Knee-jerk analysis: From October through to December, Risbrough hit .326, .345 and .372 in 228 total at-bats. And yet he is struggling to keep his starting position at 1B. Downie finally decided to go with Francis Pynchon full-time at 1B after acquiring him back in October. But instead of starting for Wellington, Risbrough is backing up Byron Tope (.264/.312/.382, 9 HR, 58 RBI, 48 R, 27 BB) for now at least, even though Risbrough is rated higher at that position. In return, Downie gets a middling relief pitcher for a middling bullpen. Deang is more intriguing, an 8th round sleeper pick from the 1939-40 amateur draft. A capable hitter, he will need to work hard to improve his lackluster defensive skills. Key Trade #2: On January 30, Wellington completed a deal with the Cambria Cannons. The Athletics received 25-year old 2B Charles Halse (46/49 – .279/.363/.508, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 26 BB). Cambria received 2 minor league players: - 27-year old RP Connor Mossop (20/21) and - 18-year old C Anoi Hoalohonani (21/54). Knee-jerk analysis: Practically a carbon copy of the first trade, an infielder for a middling reliever and a young catcher. Halse is decent hitter with some speed and good defense. He’s listed as the Wellington’s top 2B, but right now is taking a back seat to Alejandro Valdes (.274/.346/.333, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 65 R, 45 BB). I would expect that to change soon if Valdes regresses further, as he hit only .253/.340/.308 in January. In the meantime, Halse will come in handy in the late innings as a defensive replacement, as Valdes’ defense leaves something to be desired. -------- After lingering just a few games above .500 for most of the season, the Embro Suns finally came alive in January, racking up 18 victories in 26 games. The late-season bloom catapults them into third spot, just 1 game back of the wild card. The Suns’ strength this season has been its offense, which ranks 3rd in a slew of categories. Pitching meanwhile, has been below average overall, although the bullpen ERA is solid. Embro did not make any significant moves in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, so they are content with what they have now. It will be interesting to see if that is enough now that the League is entering the final push for the playoffs. Six Suns were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Colm Soper (3rd); RP John Palm (3rd); 1B Jim Friend (1st); LF Anthony Stavely (2nd); CF Terence Durney (3rd) and RF Paul Hooks (2nd). Top Position Player: RF Paul Hooks (.334/.440/.559, 23 HR, 91 RBI, 81 R, 77 BB) was a man possessed in January, and his performance earned him Batter of the Month honours. During the course of the month, Hooks hit 2 HR in a game against the Downie Chiefs (3-5, 5 RBI, 2 R) and 2 HR in a game against the Sherburn Tigers (2-5, 3 RBI, 3 R). On January 31, he went 5-6 against the Wolseley Unions, collecting 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R. But he was not the only one with a hot month, as LF Anthony Stavely (.306/.415/.472, 12 HR, 70 RBI, 77 R, 75 BB) batted .427/.541/.640, with 3 HR, 32 RBI and 18 R. Top Pitcher: The starting rotation has not been a particularly strong unit, but SP Rusty Mott (9-6, 4.01 ERA, 1.36 ERA) pitched very well, going 3-1, 2.16 ERA, with 8 K, 4 BB in 4 starts. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Stratford Barons mean business. After sprinting out of the starting blocks in October, the Barons cooled off considerably in November and December, losing more games than they won and falling to just a game over .500 on the season. But after 5 transactions involving 20 players, some of them with BIG names, Stratford now finds itself right back in the mix for the playoffs. Previously, I had opined that the Barons needed to do some soul-searching to determine whether they truly were up to the task to compete in East. It would appear that they did just that, and made the moves they felt were needed to get them into the Promised Land. It should be an exciting playoff chase as a result in the Eastern League this season. Three Barons were selected to the All-Star game in January: C Gavin Hurley (3rd); 2B Brian Main (1st) and SS Jake Walker (1st). Top Position Player: C Gavin Hurley (.323/.363/.500, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 48 R, 24 BB) was his usual outstanding self in January, batting .378/.424/.585 with 4 HR, 18 RBI and 15 R. Top Pitcher: Although SP Joel Fearn won the Pitcher of the Month Award, he was still with the Cobourg Red Stockings when he earned it. It was not a great month for Stratford pitchers, but 35-year old SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji (9-7, 3.90 ERA, 1.35 ERA) put in a good performance, going 4-0, 2.45 ERA, with 21 K, 9 BB in 6 starts. Key Injuries: None. Key Trade #1: Stratford traded 29-year old OF Tony Blakeney (47/51 – .290/.373/.412, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 60 R, 48 BB) to the Pulberry Trolleys on January 13. In return, Pulberry sent 29-year old IF Herbert Corrigan (23/23 - .211/.329/.253, 3-2B, 3 RBI, 5 R, 13 BB) and 21-year old minor league C Werner Hock (22/46). Knee-jerk analysis: An interesting transaction on the Barons’ part. Blakeney is a productive player, with decent contact, very good power and good defense. His teammates consider him to be a selfish player, however. Whether OOTP factors the latter part in or not, I don’t know, but the Barons have decided to go with a young prospect of theirs, 21-year old OF Bart Wallwin (37/63 - .271/.324/.412, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 13 BB) in leftfield. Wallwin was rated the #15 overall prospect in the ULB at the start of the season. Corrigan will be a utility player at most and Hock did not stay in the Barons’ organization for very long, as he was traded away later in the month. Key Trade #2: On January 24, Stratford and Pulberry consummated another trade. Stratford traded away 27-year old all-star IF Brian Main (75/77 - .304/.351/.467, 13 HR, 99 RBI, 66 R, 40 BB, 11 SB). In return, the Trolleys sent 28-year old 1B William Tozer (71/72 - .307/.399/.437, 9 HR, 63 RBI, 53 R, 61 BB) and 22-year old minor league OF William Wigmore (31/68 – 3rd round pick in 1937-38 draft). Knee-jerk analysis: The Barons deemed that an upgrade at 1B was necessary and so went out and acquired William Tozer. Tozer is indeed a Top 5-1B in the ULB, but the price was steep, as Stratford surrendered Brian Main, a Top 2-2B. While Stratford has addressed the newly created vacuum at 2B with a subsequent trade, Brian Main was a great player that will be sorely missed in my opinion. Wigmore becomes Stratford’s top position prospect, an average hitter with no power whatsoever but with tremendous defense. On January 29, Stratford made 3 more deals: Key Trade #3: Stratford acquired 27-year old 2B Rhett Curnow (59/60 – .333/.378/.473, 9 HR, 65 RBI, 73 R, 32 BB) from the Hespeler Stars. In return, Hespeler received 4 minor league players: - 21-year old SP Carlton Sherrell (21/64 - #22 overall prospect); - 19-year old RF Isaia Taworri (20/23); - 20-year old 1B Gary Lindley (21/22) and - 21-year old 3B Damien Dyson (22/23). Knee-jerk analysis: Rhett Curnow is a fine player, but not the quite the player Brian Main was. Curnow is rated the 3rd best 2B in the ULB, while Main is rated 2nd overall. Thus, with Tozer at 1B, Stratford believes that they will have a stronger lineup and it’s hard to dispute that reasoning. Hespeler, which is clearly in rebuilding mode, receives in its haul a pitching prospect in the form of Sherrell, who has above-average stuff and terrific movement. If he can improve his control a bit (30/45), then the Stars should have a very fine SP for the future. Key Trade #4: Stratford acquired 38-year old RP Larry Parrish (80/80 – 5-2, 7 SV, 2.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, Cobourg received 5 minor league players: - 20-year old RF Adoniia Haoa (23/70 - #51 overall prospect); - 21-year old C Werner Hock (22/46); - 20-year old 2B Steve Walker (22/37); - 21-year old SS Ralph Coyne (21/22) and - 23-year old CF Kenneth Peck (29/30). Knee-jerk analysis: Parrish is the No. 1 rated RP in the ULB and an all-star. For a team bent on winning now, this was a no-brainer. Kudos to Stratford for going out and getting him before any other team could. Cobourg gets some nice future depth in return; in particular, Haoa, who becomes Cobourg’s 5th highest-rated prospect in the organization. Key Trade #5: Stratford also acquired 29-year old SP Joel Fearn (76/76 – 13-8, 3.43 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, Cobourg received 3 minor league players: - 19-year old OF Miguel Rodriguez (22/66 - #10 overall prospect); - 22-year old SP Pedro Gomez (21/46 - #77 overall prospect) and - 19-year old C Henry Tofield (20/28). Knee-jerk analysis: Fearn is rated #8 overall among pitchers and a perennial all-star. And he is also a coup. His acquisition, along with Parrish, transforms Stratford’s pitching staff to one that will rival both Braeland City’s and Wellington’s. For Cobourg, Rodriguez becomes their top prospect, who should be an offensive force with great speed and solid defense in the outfield, especially in the corners. Overall, the Red Stockings have improved their farm system, rising from 10th to 5th. Stratford’s farm system, meanwhile, falls from 5th to 10th. But they are obviously in ‘win now’ mode. These transactions should put them in a good position to do just that. -------- In stark contrast to the Stratford Barons, the Queensland Eagles have effectively thrown in the towel on this season. In fact, on January 29, they set their team focus to ‘rebuilding’ from ‘neutral’. The re-building will likely take place in the off-season, as the Eagles completed only one significant trade before the deadline, and that was to address a long-term injury. Other than a 19-6 November, the Eagles have not looked like a playoff team and a 10-16 January only confirms that. Queensland is not an awful team by any means; it has some frontline talent on the pitching staff and in the lineup. But it is not a particularly deep team and the injuries have exposed that. Also, they have one of the weakest farm systems in the ULB (13th). No doubt, some tough decisions will be made once the season is over. It will be interesting to see whether the Eagles blow things up and start over or not. Five Eagles were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Stewart Colcott (1st); SP Max MacColl (3rd); 1B Quentin Puddy (2nd); 2B Katsunan Chikafuji (3rd) and 3B Kian Meadmore (3rd). Top Position Player: 3B Kian Meadmore (.281/.363/.538, 21 HR, 73 RBI, 64 R, 49 BB) had a fine month, hitting .290/.394/.559, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 16 R. Top Pitcher: The pitching staff struggled over in January; however, SP Max MacColl (15-7, 3.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) did very well, going 3-1, 1.16 ERA, with 12 K, 7 BB in 4 starts. Key Injuries: 30-year old SP Darren Stewart (5-6, 4.02 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) is out for another 6-7 months due to a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, suffered in a game back on December 8. Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) remains out for 3 more weeks with a broken bone in his elbow suffered back on October 28. SS Kastunan Chikafuji (.340/.407/.552, 12 HR, 83 RBI, 78 R, 41 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum on January 2. He is out for at least 5-6 weeks. RF Toby Reakes (.312/.473/.387, 12-2B, 17 RBI, 66 R, 81 BB, 10 SB) suffered a quad strain on January 5 against the Cobourg Red Stockings. He is out another week. Key Trade: On January 26, the Eagles acquired 27-year old IF Ninfa Puzon (59/64 – .296/.329/.443, 3 HR, 47 RBI, 78 R, 25 BB) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, Cobourg received 4 minor league players: - 21-year old SS Antonio Pena (23/55); - 21-year old 1B Brad Mitchinson (22/41); - 21-year old C Benjamin Bertram (21/23) and - 22-year old 2B Gavin Henderson (22/23). Knee-jerk analysis: With the long-term injury to SS Chikafuji, Queensland acquires a fine player in Puzon to take up the slack. Puzon is not the player that Chikafuji is, but he can be productive at the plate, is decent fielding his position and quick on the base paths. In return, the Red Stockings receive a bunch of 2nd-tier minor leaguers. Nothing to get excited about, but then perhaps Puzon is not the player he once was last season, when he earned an all-star selection. Queensland will be his third team in three seasons. -------- It would appear the grand plan for getting back into the playoffs has fizzled. The flurry of activity that the Brunswick Legends engaged in back in November, where the club consummated 3 major trades has not improved their fortunes. The Legends have fallen 12 games back of first place and 8 games back of the wild card. The offense has regressed to be the worst or near worst in the Eastern League. The moves they made to acquire two new catchers (Maurice Evans - .218/.309/.332 and Henry Goddier - .254/.359/.313) and give CF Scott Orchard (.234/.288/.360) a starting job have not panned out. Like Queensland, they have some incredible talent, but not much depth and the farm system is depleted (12th overall). The Legends did not make any deals in January, but some decisions will need to be made in the off-season, for sure. Four Legends were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Matthew Monroe (3rd); 2B Matthew Shelley (2nd); LF Mark Elston (2nd) and RF Rovilson Valvevieso (2nd). Top Position Player: Although teammate Mark Elston was out for most of January, RF Rovilson Valvevieso (.370/.402/.560, 13 HR, 66 RBI, 67 R, 25 BB) didn’t miss a beat, batting .398/.413/.650 with 5 HR, 21 RBI, 18 R. Top Pitcher: 36-year old SP Song-Saeng Lee (10-9, 4.75 ERA, 1.58 ERA) had an outstanding month, going 3-1, 2.04 ERA, with 16 K, 7 BB in 5 starts. Key Injuries: Back-up CF Jamie Thurgood (.404/.483/.635, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 7 BB) sprained his wrist in a game on December 23. He will be out for another 2-3 weeks. SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 2 more weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair back in November. -------- The Downie Chiefs imploded in January, staggering to an 8-18 record that included a 9-game losing streak. The Chiefs were putting up a fight to remain close to .500, but the bottom has fallen out to say the least. To me, January is indicative of the state of the Downie Chiefs. They are not very good overall on both pitching and offense; and the good players they do have are not getting any younger. Seven of their top players are 30 and older. The Queensland Eagles are next with 6. The Chiefs sent one player to the All-Star game in January: SP Frank Leadbeater (3rd). Top Position Player: After a sub-par December, RF Finlay Petty (.262/.296/.363, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 57 R, 23 BB) had his best month of the season in January, batting .308/.351/.510 with 4 HR, 10 RBI, 14 R. Top Pitcher: Not a good month for Downie pitchers. SP Hidetada Kobayashi (4-4, 3.56 ERA, 1.32 ERA) had an OK month, going 1-1, 3.60 ERA, with 14 K, 10 BB in 4 starts. Key Injuries: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) remains out for 3 more weeks due to a partially torn labrum suffered back on November 10. RP Keith Mailes (0-5, 4 SV, 5.11 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) suffered a shoulder injury on January 15; he will be out for another 6-7 weeks. -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings have embraced the ‘R’ word. On January 19, they changed their focus from ‘neutral’ to ‘rebuild’ and did not waste time; completing 5 trades that saw top veteran talent leave in exchange for valuable prospects. Most of the trades were discussed elsewhere in this post. But for all the upheaval, the Red Stockings actually enjoyed their first winning month of the season, going 14-12 in January, and are just a 0.5 game back of Downie for 7th place. The Red Stockings sent 3 players to the All-Star game in January: SP Joel Fearn (3rd), RP Larry Parrish (2nd) and 2B Matthew Lane (2nd). Top Position Player: CF Clint Jones (.330/.394/.510, 10 HR, 70 RBI, 89 R, 47 BB, 19 SB) is a terrific player, and he was terrific in January, batting .376/.448/.606 with 3 HR, 18 RBI, 24 R. Top Pitcher: He’s no longer a Red Stocking, but SP Joel Fearn (13-8, 3.43 ERA, 1.35 ERA) left Cobourg on a high note, winning Pitcher of the Month honours. Key Injuries: None. Key Trade: In addition to all the other trades (discussed elsewhere), Cobourg completed the following transaction on January 19: Cobourg acquired SP Jeff Hetzel (24/26 – 8-7, 4.01 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) from the Fort Richmond Generals. In return, the Generals received 23-year old SS Jamie Florey (34/67 - #53 overall prospect). Knee-jerk analysis: I wonder if the Red Stockings would love to take back this deal, if they knew they were going into rebuild mode just a few days later. Florey was the 8th overall pick in the 1938-39 amateur draft, and while he is now considered the Generals’ #5 prospect, there are questions as to whether he will make it in the majors, as he has been struggling trying to make the jump from AA to AAA. That said it’s hard to know what Cobourg were expecting in Hetzel, a mediocre SP at best. Hetzel will serve as their No. 5 starter and while he may be a moderate upgrade in that spot, it’s not going to matter a whole lot at this point. Keeping the prospect would have been the better option in this case, whether a team was in rebuild mode or not. Sorry, Hetzel. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 03:18 PM.