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reds1 · 10-01-2021, 03:54 PM

February 1, 1955

Western League: Cannons Power Their Way to the Top

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Offense: .277/.350/.412 (2nd/1st/2nd)
Pitching: 3.90/3.87/4.07 (5th/5th/3rd)
Defense: .686 (8th)

The Cambria Cannons caught fire in January, going 16-2 during one stretch before dropping 2 of 3 to the lowly Wellington Athletics to end the month. That surge catapulted them from 4.5 games back on December 31 to first place one month later. The reason is the offense. In 4 weeks, it has gone from 3rd or 4th in several offensive categories to either 1st or 2nd in at least 10.

28-year old 1B Carlos Corea (.371/.432/.604, 18 HR, 97 RBI, 40 BB, 4.9 WAR) has yet to experience a slump. In January his AVG/OPS was .337/.983; in December it was .436/1.172. Only his defense remains sub-par (8.89 RNG, -13.0 ZR, .865 EFF).
But he is far from alone. The lineup is clicking, with 23-year old sophomore LF Calvin Hanbridge (.307/.443/.437, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 92 BB, 3.4 WAR), 25-year old CF Sam Tite (.306/.398/.479, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 61 BB, 3.8 WAR) and 23-year old sophomore 2B Doug Martin (.284/.350/.434, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 38 BB, 2.3 WAR) batting in front of Corea, the No. 4 hitter. 30-year old 3B Luis Torres (.279/.351/.462, 16 HR, 58 RBI, 38 BB, 3.1 WAR), the No. 6 hitter, got hot in January as well.

The pitching is a slightly different matter. Up until January, the pitching staff was merely adequate. But with a powerful offense supporting them, the entire staff benefited, especially 35-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (10-9, 2.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 136 ERA+), who went 5-1, 1.56 ERA that month.

All-Star Selections:

SP Ricardo Cruz (4th)
1B Carlos Corea (4th)
LF Calvin Hanbridge (2nd)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 6 – 3B Luis Torres (.550, 11 H, 3 HR, 12 RBI)
January 14 – CF Sam Tite (.533, 16 H, 2 HR, 14 RBI)

Key Trade: January 25 with the Cobourg Redlegs:

To Cambria – 31-year old C Jason Lymer (53/53)
To Cobourg – 22-year old minor league RF Xavier Mackey (33/41) and 22-year old minor league RF Allen Lafferty (32/42)

Knee-jerk reaction: Cambria receives a still serviceable catches for essentially pittance in this deal. Lymer (.289/.322/.413, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 14 BB, 1.6 WAR) represents a marginal improvement over 28-year old Min-gook Lee (.258/.318/.356, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 18 BB, 0.7 WAR), who had taken over full-time catching duties last season from 37-year old Heung-su Park (38/38). Lymer is defensively sound but doesn’t have the greatest eye or contact ability. Still, the Cannons got him for next to nothing and obviously they feel he can help them in their playoff run.

Cobourg appears committed to 24-year old C Yoshiake Ikeda (48/51), who isn’t much better than Lymer at this point, but is considered a leader, which the Redlegs sorely need. In return, Cobourg get two utility players. Mackey does have the making of an above average power hitter (55) and a good judge at discerning balls and strikes. Lafferty is a very similar player to Mackey offensively but is not as strong in the field. If they develop, Cobourg should have a couple of solid bench players at best.

Current Injuries:

November 13 – RF Zhu Liao – broken kneecap. Out for: 8 weeks.
December 27 – RF Seung-jae Park – torn abdominal muscle. Out for: 7 weeks.
January 20 – RF Eddie Jeeps – back tightness. Out for: DtD, unknown.

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Offense: .282/.346/.416 (1st/2nd/1st)
Pitching: 3.74/3.61/4.29 (3rd/2nd/5th)
Defense: .724 (1st)

After a fast start in October and November that moved them into first place, the Pulberry Trolleys are in danger of squandering it. Playing .500 ball over the course of the last two months is not going to cut it and the Cambria Cannons just proved it, having overtaken the Trolleys back on January 22nd. There is nothing that jumps out as to the reason why the Trolleys are scuffling. Its not as if 25-year old closer LHP Dermott Rathbone (3-4, 12 SV, 2.96 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 135 ERA+) is giving up blown saves left and right (just two over the last two months) or that the offense has run dry.

However, No. 5 starter, 25-year old LHP Ramón Castro’s (6-8, 4.79 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 83 ERA+) struggles that began last season continue. Since the end of November, he has gone 1-6, 5.87 ERA, 1.87 WHIP. But Pulberry remains one of the ULB’s most balanced teams and if they can shake off the doldrums, they can certainly keep pace with the red-hot Cannons and even overtake them.

26-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.359/.467/.584, 16 HR, 77 RBI, 75 BB, 14 SB, 6.4 WAR) remains one of the most dominant players in the United Leagues (No. 2 overall), while 27-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.314/.395/.468, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 50 BB, 11 SB, 5.6 WAR) and 27-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.300/.340/.488, 12 HR, 62 RBI, 25 BB, 8 SB, 3.0 WAR) are each enjoying one of their finest seasons, both at the plate and in the field.

While the bullpen is still seeking some stability, the Trolleys’ pitching strength remains their top three starters: 27-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (14-6, 3.24 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 123 ERA+), 33-year old RHP Robin Medellin (11-8, 3.13 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 128 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Harley Rodman (14-5, 3.35 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 119 ERA+).

All-Star Selections:

SP Taylor Folkard (3rd)
SP Robin Medellin (2nd)
SP Harley Rodman (1st)
CL Dermott Rathbone (1st)
3B Makani Kahale (4th)
LF Aidan Thirkettle (3rd)
CF Cooper Tyson (5th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 13 – SS Francis Jones (.484, 15 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R)
January 3 – RHP Taylor Folkard (1 W, 9.0 IP, 5 K, 0.00 ERA)
January 31 – 1B Gerard Koerner (.550, 11 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI)

Current Injuries: None

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Offense: .275/.334/.392 (3rd/4th/3rd)
Pitching: 3.88/3.74/4.74 (4th/4th/7th)
Defense: .718 (2nd)

The Sherburn Tigers put the rest of the League on notice that they were not about to fade after a difficult November. They racked up 31 wins over the next two months, bettered only by Cambria (36) and the Stratford Barons (34). It appears that the Tigers have finally put things together to become a serious playoff challenger this season – they are ranked 3rd in the West in over 10 batting and pitching categories.

The resurgence of 32-year old C Christopher Dainty (.322/.424/.521, 13 HR, 56 RBI, 56 BB, 4.7 WAR) is real. After five forgetful seasons in which he was dumped by the Braeland City Monarchs after the first two, Dainty leads his team in seven batting categories and is rated the second-best catcher in the ULB, behind Stratford’s Aaron Skidmore. But he is far from alone. The 8-year veteran is joined by a slew of promising youngsters who are delivering on that promise: 25-year old 1B Marcus Timberlake (.328/.394/.484, 14 HR, 56 RBI, 41 BB, 3.7 WAR), 25-year old sophomore SS Dwayne Vick (.301/.336/.413, 24-2B, 56 RBI, 21 BB, 3.4 WAR) and 24-year old RF Albert Sulley (.280/.379/.389, 7 HR, 39 RBI, 62 BB, 14 SB, 2.8 WAR).

While the bullpen is a work in progress, the top 3 in the rotation have given the club solid outings. After missing most of last season due to injury, 28-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (15-8, 2.67 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 154 ERA+) has returned as an ace in every sense of the word. He is joined by 31-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (10-6, 3.83 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 107 ERA+), who has rebounded after a slow start (just like he did last season) as well as 25-year old LHP Brendan Wombell (10-11, 3.70 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 111 ERA+). The Tigers have promoted 21-year old LHP Kozue Saito (2-3, 6.30 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 65 ERA+ - 40/69) to the rotation as well, a second-round pick from 1951-52 who shows a lot of promise.

All-Star Selections:

SP Ben Buschlen (2nd)
C Christopher Dainty (4th)
1B Marcus Timberlake (1st)
SS Dwayne Vick (2nd)
RF Albert Sulley (1st)

Key Trade: January 10 with the Brunswick Legends:

To Sherburn – 25-year old RF Quincy Woolescroft (49/51)
To Brunswick – 29-year old LHP Luke Henty (49/49) and 24-year old 2B Jim Hamel (46/49).

Knee-jerk reaction: Sherburn strengthens their lineup without surrendering too much. The British-born Woolsescroft (.392/.435/.572, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 13 BB, 2.3 WAR) provides a definite boost to the Tigers’ offense, a very good hitter with great contact, gap power and patience (all 65 potential). His defense and speed are above average as well. Although he was blocked from starting regularly in Brunswick, he will not have that problem in Sherburn – he is now their No. 3 hitter.

In return, the Legends receive an underachieving groundballer with decent stuff and movement (55) and slightly below average control (45). He throws 3 respectable pitches: changeup, slider and sinker. Scouts consider him more suited to the back-end of a rotation; indeed, Brunswick have fitted him in the No. 4 spot. Brunswick also receives infield reserve player Hamel, a fantastic defensive second baseman with incredible speed and base stealing abilities. While is contact is mediocre (45), he is capable of drawing plenty of walks.

Its not entirely clear why Brunswick targeted Henty. Its doubtful that he will improve their woeful pitching staff much and he has a huge ego, which should only add more fuel to an already combustible clubhouse.

Current Injuries:

December 26 – 3B Tyler MacGugan – tender shoulder. Out for: DtD, 4 days.
January 21 – RF Albert Sulley – back tightness. Out for: DtD, unknown.

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Offense: .270/.336/.388 (4th/3rd/4th)
Pitching: 3.54/3.55/3.50 (1st/1st/1st)
Defense: .715 (3rd)

Like the Sherburn Tigers, the Balmoral Giants are proving that they have staying power, riding strong performances on both sides of the ball to remain in contention. There is just a 1-game difference between their expected records (57-48) and their actual, so they are not overachieving. It will be interesting to see if either of them can overtake the Cannons or Trolleys for a playoff spot down the stretch in what is shaping up to be an exciting playoff race.

34-year old LF Ángel Costa (.351/.425/.554, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 49 BB, 4.2 WAR) is enjoying a terrific sophomore season in the ULB, but what has really boosted the Giants this year is the nice bounce season 26-year old 1B Erik Perry (.332/.377/.457, 3 HR, 52 RBI, 28 BB, 6 SB, 3.0 WAR) is enjoying. Perry was a 7th overall pick from 1950-51. Also, 27-year old CF Brock Renshaw (.305/.388/.416, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 42 BB, 5 SB, 2.8 WAR) continues to establish himself as an all-round player. Finally, 29-year old C Alexander Pyatt (.311/.330/.452, 7 HR, 50 RBI, 10 BB, 2.6 WAR) has gotten stronger as the season has worn on. But there is a bit of a drop after them, creating some doubts about whether they have the lineup to really compete with the heavyweights right now.

The pitching staff has been one of the best, but it is dealing with some injuries right now that could jeopardize things further. Balmoral’s best pitcher, 31-year old LHP Ron Albin (7-5, 2.84 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 142 ERA+) is gone for the season and 29-year old RHP Rodrigo González (9-12, 3.83 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 106 ERA+) is also nursing an injury, necessitating some juggling. Fortunately, 30-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (12-3, 3.47 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 117 ERA+) has returned to the rotation (No. 4) to provide a steady hand and the bullpen has been impressive, with 35-year old stopper RHP Lorenzo Morales (2-2, 18 SV, 3.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 123 ERA+) leading the way.

All-Star Selections:

C Alexander Pyatt (3rd)
2B Erik Perry (1st)
LF Ángel Costa (2nd)
CF Brock Renshaw (1st)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 27 – C Alexander Pyatt (.476, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, .476 OBP)
January 17 – CF Danny Jevons (.556, 5 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)

Current Injuries:

December 26 – LHP Ron Albin – torn rotator cuff. Out for: 3-4 months.
January 7 – CF Yo Yoshida – broken kneecap. Out for: 5-6 months.
January 14 – RF Cedric Bristow – chronic back soreness. Out for: 2-3 weeks.
January 29 – RHP Rodrigo González – sore elbow. Out for: DtD, 2 weeks.

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Offense: .255/.318/.365 (6th/7th/6th)
Pitching: 3.70/3.67/3.87 (2nd/3rd/2nd)
Defense: .702 (4th)

While the Giants and Tigers show signs of returning to relevance, the Fort Richmond Generals on the other hand, appear to be fading, if ever so slightly. They played barely above .500 ball over December/January and are being left behind in the wild card chase. They have some young promising talent in the lineup and the pitching staff is still one of the better ones in the United Leagues. Still, the rotation isn’t getting any younger and the Generals have the second-worst ranked farm system in the ULB. Thus, they may not have enough talent in the pipeline to avert a slide that appears inevitable.

But their offense has a chance to get better, with some fine young players establishing themselves. 23-year old C Scott Sheelah (.280/.387/.450, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 48 BB, 3.4 WAR) has taken a big step forward in his third season. He is currently ranked as the 4th-best catcher league-wide. Others, like 26-year old 3B Mason Geake (.270/.349/.383, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 40 BB, 2.5 WAR), 25-year old rookie LF Tom Lind (.317/.366/.432, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 27 BB, 9 SB, 2.4 WAR) and 26-year old CF Greg Cusack (.288/.354/.375, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 40 BB, 11 SB, 2.3 WAR) are providing able support. But they need more if they want to get back in the playoff race.

The pitching remains a strength. The question is though, for how much longer. 32-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (9-9, 3.21 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 124 ERA+), 27-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (7-7, 3.35 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 118 ERA+) and 34-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes (9-8, 3.36 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 118 ERA+) are stalwarts in the heart of the rotation. However, last year’s Satchel Paige Award winner, 32-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (6-6, 3.99 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 100 ERA+), has lost a step. The bullpen has been terrific, with 30-year old stopper, RHP José Rodríguez (8-5, 8 SV, 2.29 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 174 ERA+) leading a strong unit.

All-Star Selections:

SP Ch’ang-chieh Li (4th)
CL José Rodríguez (6th)
C Scott Sheelah (1st)
LF Tom Lind (1st)

Noteworthy:

December 31 – The Hespeler Stars were leading the Generals 3-0 heading into the 8th inning, when Fort Richmond stormed back with 3 runs in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to spoil Hespeler’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. Lead off hitter CF Greg Cusack did much of the damage, going 5 for 5, one more than his teammates hit collectively. All his hits were singles, producing 1 R and 3 RBI – all three coming in the fateful final two innings.

Player of the Week Award:

January 10 – C Scott Sheelah (.571, 12 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R)

Current Injuries: None

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Offense: .255/.331/.376 (5th/5th/5th)
Pitching: 4.53/4.55/4.48 (8th/8th/6th)
Defense: .692 (6th)

For the first half of the season, it appeared that the Hespeler Stars were going to battle for a spot in the first division, something they haven’t enjoyed in 12 years. But a complete collapse in January appears to have scuttled any hope. While the lineup has remained fairly competitive, the entire pitching staff imploded last month, causing the free fall.

The No. 1 shortstop in the United Leagues remains in Hespeler, as 31-year old Zhao-hui Qian (.342/.424/.504, 11 HR, 63 RBI, 56 BB, 5.1 WAR) is enjoying another sensational season. He is Hespeler’s only player to be appear in any Top 20 rankings (8th overall).
Besides him, 29-year old 2B Vic Lewis (.307/.366/.467, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 32 BB, 2.8 WAR) is enjoying a nice bounce back after a bit of a down year last season, and 23-year old CF Jack Foulsham (.311/.382/.419, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 38 BB, 5 SB, 2.3 WAR) has impressed in his rookie campaign. But the rest of the lineup has been largely missing in action.

The pitching has collapsed and its hard to imagine it getting any worse. So perhaps they will put January behind them and recover. Overall, only 29-year old RHP Wayne Nesling (7-8, 3.12 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 132 ERA+) has provided consistent outings.

All-Star Selections:

2B Vic Lewis (4th)
SS Zhao-hui Qian (4th)
CF Jack Foulsham (1st)

Player of the Week Award:

December 20 – SS Zhao-hui Qian (.560, 14 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI)

Noteworthy:

December 9 – The Stars came into Kingston for a 4-game set and silenced the Pelicans’ bats in game 1, defeating them 5-0 on a 2-hitter pitched by 26-year old RHP Battista Corotta (12-11, 4.31 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 96 ERA+). The Italian-born Corotta struck out 4 and walked 3 on 96 PI (GS: 84).

December 16 – Hespeler was unable to even up their 4-game series against the Cambria Cannons, falling 8-6 as they allowed the Cannons to score 7 runs in the final two innings. But SS Zhao-hui Qian did his part, going 5 for 5 at the plate. Qian cranked out 4 singles and a solo home run, collecting 2 R and 3 RBI.

Current Injuries:

September 10 – RHP Rodney Gabrielson – torn labrum. Out for: 2 weeks.
January 30 – RHP Stephen Tindall – forearm soreness. Out for: DtD, 1 day.

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Offense: .252/.325/.361 (7th/6th/7th)
Pitching: 4.36/4.41/4.18 (6th/7th/4th)
Defense: .689 (7th)

The Kingston Pelicans have been remarkably consistent this season. Unfortunately, its not in a good way. They have won 11 games in each of the first four months. That’s good for only 44 wins. At that rate they will end up with just 65, which would be their worst showing in their 18-year history. They have never lost fewer than 70 in a season before. They got off to a good start following the All-Star break, going 6-1, but then nosedived, losing the next 7 games. That included sweeps at the hands of the Giants and Trolleys.

Neither the lineup nor pitching staff necessarily strikes fear in opposing teams right now. With the trade of 26-year old C Gareth Mawle (3.6 WAR) to the Embro Suns on January 20th, 24-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.297/.369/.465, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 39 BB, 13 SB, 2.9 WAR) is now Kingston’s best player this season. 27-year old 1B Harry Herold (.278/.333/.434, 14 HR, 67 RBI, 35 BB, 2.1 WAR) has also performed well. He has taken over first base full-time this season from 40-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.225/.376/.412, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 19 BB, 0.3 WAR).

The pitching staff doesn’t offer much to be encouraged about and there’s little in the pipeline to think things will get better anytime soon. 29-year old RHP Kieran Bunce (12-8, 3.62 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 113 ERA+) started the season off strong, but has begun to regress with the rest of the rotation. However, 30-year old stopper RHP Kaula Mafileo (7-3, 8 SV, 1.69 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 243 ERA+) remains one of the best relievers in the United Leagues.

All-Star Selections:

CL Kaula Mafileo (3rd)
C Gareth Mawle (1st)
CF Chris Ramsbottom (1st)
RF Mo Spenceley (3rd)

Noteworthy:

January 6 – In the first game of a four-game set against the Wolseley Unions just prior to the All-Star break, the two clubs battled one another until the Unions finally prevailed in the 13th, 7-6. But it wouldn’t have gotten that far without 30-year old RF Mo Spenceley (.269/.353/.419, 10 HR, 52 RBI, 48 BB, 13 SB, 1.8 WAR), who went 5 for 5. In addition to three singles and a walk, Spenceley connected on two home runs, a 2-run shot in the 4th and a 3-run blast in the 6th, both against RHP Aaron Saunderson. In all, he collected 2 R and 5 RBI.

Current Injuries:

December 19 – RHP Alistair Everest – shoulder inflammation. Out for: 1-2 weeks.

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Offense: .239/.312/.331 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 4.40/4.13/5.43 (7th/6th/8th)
Defense: .696 (5th)

The Wolseley Unions have quickly become a mere shadow of the powerhouse team they once were. This is a team that has gotten old quickly with little solid reinforcements to take up the slack. 54-year old Tony Hinton, Wolseley’s GM over the past 10 seasons, has his work cut out for him.

33-year old SS George Kimpton (.295/.356/.468, 10 HR, 44 RBI, 36 BB, 3.2 WAR) is now Wolseley’s top player, as 33-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.293/.415/.425, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 75 BB, 2.3 WAR) appears to have begun his inevitable decline. After struggling in December (.180/.281/.210), 25-year old 1B Carlos Ortíz (.294/.360/.415, 12 HR, 44 RBI, 43 BB, 2.2 WAR) recovered the following month (.317/.408/.500).

In the pitching department, 27-year old RHP Joseph Sellwood (9-9, 2.45 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 167 ERA+) has been the lone bright spot, a genuine ace on a bad staff where the age of five of the pitchers is north of 31 and two more are aged 29.

All-Star Selections:

SP Joseph Sellwood (1st)
SS George Kimpton (5th)
LF Carlton Hawking (10th)

Noteworthy:

January 17 – The Unions dropped a heartbreaker against the Cambria Cannons, losing 8-7 in 10 innings. But 1B Carlos Ortíz could not be kept off base all day. Ortíz went 5 for 5, with 5 singles and walk. He scored twice and drove in a run.

January 30 – Wolseley could also not keep pace with the Queensland Eagles, falling 11-8. But SS George Kimpton was hot at the plate, going 5 for 5, with 4 singles and a double. He drove in one and scored twice.

Current Injuries: None.

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10-01-2021, 03:54 PM	#686
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,929	February 1, 1955 Western League: Cannons Power Their Way to the Top -------- Offense: .277/.350/.412 (2nd/1st/2nd) Pitching: 3.90/3.87/4.07 (5th/5th/3rd) Defense: .686 (8th) The Cambria Cannons caught fire in January, going 16-2 during one stretch before dropping 2 of 3 to the lowly Wellington Athletics to end the month. That surge catapulted them from 4.5 games back on December 31 to first place one month later. The reason is the offense. In 4 weeks, it has gone from 3rd or 4th in several offensive categories to either 1st or 2nd in at least 10. 28-year old 1B Carlos Corea (.371/.432/.604, 18 HR, 97 RBI, 40 BB, 4.9 WAR) has yet to experience a slump. In January his AVG/OPS was .337/.983; in December it was .436/1.172. Only his defense remains sub-par (8.89 RNG, -13.0 ZR, .865 EFF). But he is far from alone. The lineup is clicking, with 23-year old sophomore LF Calvin Hanbridge (.307/.443/.437, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 92 BB, 3.4 WAR), 25-year old CF Sam Tite (.306/.398/.479, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 61 BB, 3.8 WAR) and 23-year old sophomore 2B Doug Martin (.284/.350/.434, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 38 BB, 2.3 WAR) batting in front of Corea, the No. 4 hitter. 30-year old 3B Luis Torres (.279/.351/.462, 16 HR, 58 RBI, 38 BB, 3.1 WAR), the No. 6 hitter, got hot in January as well. The pitching is a slightly different matter. Up until January, the pitching staff was merely adequate. But with a powerful offense supporting them, the entire staff benefited, especially 35-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (10-9, 2.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 136 ERA+), who went 5-1, 1.56 ERA that month. All-Star Selections: SP Ricardo Cruz (4th) 1B Carlos Corea (4th) LF Calvin Hanbridge (2nd) Player of the Week Awards: December 6 – 3B Luis Torres (.550, 11 H, 3 HR, 12 RBI) January 14 – CF Sam Tite (.533, 16 H, 2 HR, 14 RBI) Key Trade: January 25 with the Cobourg Redlegs: To Cambria – 31-year old C Jason Lymer (53/53) To Cobourg – 22-year old minor league RF Xavier Mackey (33/41) and 22-year old minor league RF Allen Lafferty (32/42) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Cambria receives a still serviceable catches for essentially pittance in this deal. Lymer (.289/.322/.413, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 14 BB, 1.6 WAR) represents a marginal improvement over 28-year old Min-gook Lee (.258/.318/.356, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 18 BB, 0.7 WAR), who had taken over full-time catching duties last season from 37-year old Heung-su Park (38/38). Lymer is defensively sound but doesn’t have the greatest eye or contact ability. Still, the Cannons got him for next to nothing and obviously they feel he can help them in their playoff run. Cobourg appears committed to 24-year old C Yoshiake Ikeda (48/51), who isn’t much better than Lymer at this point, but is considered a leader, which the Redlegs sorely need. In return, Cobourg get two utility players. Mackey does have the making of an above average power hitter (55) and a good judge at discerning balls and strikes. Lafferty is a very similar player to Mackey offensively but is not as strong in the field. If they develop, Cobourg should have a couple of solid bench players at best. Current Injuries: November 13 – RF Zhu Liao – broken kneecap. Out for: 8 weeks. December 27 – RF Seung-jae Park – torn abdominal muscle. Out for: 7 weeks. January 20 – RF Eddie Jeeps – back tightness. Out for: DtD, unknown. -------- Offense: .282/.346/.416 (1st/2nd/1st) Pitching: 3.74/3.61/4.29 (3rd/2nd/5th) Defense: .724 (1st) After a fast start in October and November that moved them into first place, the Pulberry Trolleys are in danger of squandering it. Playing .500 ball over the course of the last two months is not going to cut it and the Cambria Cannons just proved it, having overtaken the Trolleys back on January 22nd. There is nothing that jumps out as to the reason why the Trolleys are scuffling. Its not as if 25-year old closer LHP Dermott Rathbone (3-4, 12 SV, 2.96 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 135 ERA+) is giving up blown saves left and right (just two over the last two months) or that the offense has run dry. However, No. 5 starter, 25-year old LHP Ramón Castro’s (6-8, 4.79 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 83 ERA+) struggles that began last season continue. Since the end of November, he has gone 1-6, 5.87 ERA, 1.87 WHIP. But Pulberry remains one of the ULB’s most balanced teams and if they can shake off the doldrums, they can certainly keep pace with the red-hot Cannons and even overtake them. 26-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.359/.467/.584, 16 HR, 77 RBI, 75 BB, 14 SB, 6.4 WAR) remains one of the most dominant players in the United Leagues (No. 2 overall), while 27-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.314/.395/.468, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 50 BB, 11 SB, 5.6 WAR) and 27-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.300/.340/.488, 12 HR, 62 RBI, 25 BB, 8 SB, 3.0 WAR) are each enjoying one of their finest seasons, both at the plate and in the field. While the bullpen is still seeking some stability, the Trolleys’ pitching strength remains their top three starters: 27-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (14-6, 3.24 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 123 ERA+), 33-year old RHP Robin Medellin (11-8, 3.13 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 128 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Harley Rodman (14-5, 3.35 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 119 ERA+). All-Star Selections: SP Taylor Folkard (3rd) SP Robin Medellin (2nd) SP Harley Rodman (1st) CL Dermott Rathbone (1st) 3B Makani Kahale (4th) LF Aidan Thirkettle (3rd) CF Cooper Tyson (5th) Player of the Week Awards: December 13 – SS Francis Jones (.484, 15 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R) January 3 – RHP Taylor Folkard (1 W, 9.0 IP, 5 K, 0.00 ERA) January 31 – 1B Gerard Koerner (.550, 11 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) Current Injuries: None -------- Offense: .275/.334/.392 (3rd/4th/3rd) Pitching: 3.88/3.74/4.74 (4th/4th/7th) Defense: .718 (2nd) The Sherburn Tigers put the rest of the League on notice that they were not about to fade after a difficult November. They racked up 31 wins over the next two months, bettered only by Cambria (36) and the Stratford Barons (34). It appears that the Tigers have finally put things together to become a serious playoff challenger this season – they are ranked 3rd in the West in over 10 batting and pitching categories. The resurgence of 32-year old C Christopher Dainty (.322/.424/.521, 13 HR, 56 RBI, 56 BB, 4.7 WAR) is real. After five forgetful seasons in which he was dumped by the Braeland City Monarchs after the first two, Dainty leads his team in seven batting categories and is rated the second-best catcher in the ULB, behind Stratford’s Aaron Skidmore. But he is far from alone. The 8-year veteran is joined by a slew of promising youngsters who are delivering on that promise: 25-year old 1B Marcus Timberlake (.328/.394/.484, 14 HR, 56 RBI, 41 BB, 3.7 WAR), 25-year old sophomore SS Dwayne Vick (.301/.336/.413, 24-2B, 56 RBI, 21 BB, 3.4 WAR) and 24-year old RF Albert Sulley (.280/.379/.389, 7 HR, 39 RBI, 62 BB, 14 SB, 2.8 WAR). While the bullpen is a work in progress, the top 3 in the rotation have given the club solid outings. After missing most of last season due to injury, 28-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (15-8, 2.67 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 154 ERA+) has returned as an ace in every sense of the word. He is joined by 31-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (10-6, 3.83 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 107 ERA+), who has rebounded after a slow start (just like he did last season) as well as 25-year old LHP Brendan Wombell (10-11, 3.70 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 111 ERA+). The Tigers have promoted 21-year old LHP Kozue Saito (2-3, 6.30 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 65 ERA+ - 40/69) to the rotation as well, a second-round pick from 1951-52 who shows a lot of promise. All-Star Selections: SP Ben Buschlen (2nd) C Christopher Dainty (4th) 1B Marcus Timberlake (1st) SS Dwayne Vick (2nd) RF Albert Sulley (1st) Key Trade: January 10 with the Brunswick Legends: To Sherburn – 25-year old RF Quincy Woolescroft (49/51) To Brunswick – 29-year old LHP Luke Henty (49/49) and 24-year old 2B Jim Hamel (46/49). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Sherburn strengthens their lineup without surrendering too much. The British-born Woolsescroft (.392/.435/.572, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 13 BB, 2.3 WAR) provides a definite boost to the Tigers’ offense, a very good hitter with great contact, gap power and patience (all 65 potential). His defense and speed are above average as well. Although he was blocked from starting regularly in Brunswick, he will not have that problem in Sherburn – he is now their No. 3 hitter. In return, the Legends receive an underachieving groundballer with decent stuff and movement (55) and slightly below average control (45). He throws 3 respectable pitches: changeup, slider and sinker. Scouts consider him more suited to the back-end of a rotation; indeed, Brunswick have fitted him in the No. 4 spot. Brunswick also receives infield reserve player Hamel, a fantastic defensive second baseman with incredible speed and base stealing abilities. While is contact is mediocre (45), he is capable of drawing plenty of walks. Its not entirely clear why Brunswick targeted Henty. Its doubtful that he will improve their woeful pitching staff much and he has a huge ego, which should only add more fuel to an already combustible clubhouse. Current Injuries: December 26 – 3B Tyler MacGugan – tender shoulder. Out for: DtD, 4 days. January 21 – RF Albert Sulley – back tightness. Out for: DtD, unknown. -------- Offense: .270/.336/.388 (4th/3rd/4th) Pitching: 3.54/3.55/3.50 (1st/1st/1st) Defense: .715 (3rd) Like the Sherburn Tigers, the Balmoral Giants are proving that they have staying power, riding strong performances on both sides of the ball to remain in contention. There is just a 1-game difference between their expected records (57-48) and their actual, so they are not overachieving. It will be interesting to see if either of them can overtake the Cannons or Trolleys for a playoff spot down the stretch in what is shaping up to be an exciting playoff race. 34-year old LF Ángel Costa (.351/.425/.554, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 49 BB, 4.2 WAR) is enjoying a terrific sophomore season in the ULB, but what has really boosted the Giants this year is the nice bounce season 26-year old 1B Erik Perry (.332/.377/.457, 3 HR, 52 RBI, 28 BB, 6 SB, 3.0 WAR) is enjoying. Perry was a 7th overall pick from 1950-51. Also, 27-year old CF Brock Renshaw (.305/.388/.416, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 42 BB, 5 SB, 2.8 WAR) continues to establish himself as an all-round player. Finally, 29-year old C Alexander Pyatt (.311/.330/.452, 7 HR, 50 RBI, 10 BB, 2.6 WAR) has gotten stronger as the season has worn on. But there is a bit of a drop after them, creating some doubts about whether they have the lineup to really compete with the heavyweights right now. The pitching staff has been one of the best, but it is dealing with some injuries right now that could jeopardize things further. Balmoral’s best pitcher, 31-year old LHP Ron Albin (7-5, 2.84 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 142 ERA+) is gone for the season and 29-year old RHP Rodrigo González (9-12, 3.83 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 106 ERA+) is also nursing an injury, necessitating some juggling. Fortunately, 30-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (12-3, 3.47 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 117 ERA+) has returned to the rotation (No. 4) to provide a steady hand and the bullpen has been impressive, with 35-year old stopper RHP Lorenzo Morales (2-2, 18 SV, 3.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 123 ERA+) leading the way. All-Star Selections: C Alexander Pyatt (3rd) 2B Erik Perry (1st) LF Ángel Costa (2nd) CF Brock Renshaw (1st) Player of the Week Awards: December 27 – C Alexander Pyatt (.476, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, .476 OBP) January 17 – CF Danny Jevons (.556, 5 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R) Current Injuries: December 26 – LHP Ron Albin – torn rotator cuff. Out for: 3-4 months. January 7 – CF Yo Yoshida – broken kneecap. Out for: 5-6 months. January 14 – RF Cedric Bristow – chronic back soreness. Out for: 2-3 weeks. January 29 – RHP Rodrigo González – sore elbow. Out for: DtD, 2 weeks. -------- Offense: .255/.318/.365 (6th/7th/6th) Pitching: 3.70/3.67/3.87 (2nd/3rd/2nd) Defense: .702 (4th) While the Giants and Tigers show signs of returning to relevance, the Fort Richmond Generals on the other hand, appear to be fading, if ever so slightly. They played barely above .500 ball over December/January and are being left behind in the wild card chase. They have some young promising talent in the lineup and the pitching staff is still one of the better ones in the United Leagues. Still, the rotation isn’t getting any younger and the Generals have the second-worst ranked farm system in the ULB. Thus, they may not have enough talent in the pipeline to avert a slide that appears inevitable. But their offense has a chance to get better, with some fine young players establishing themselves. 23-year old C Scott Sheelah (.280/.387/.450, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 48 BB, 3.4 WAR) has taken a big step forward in his third season. He is currently ranked as the 4th-best catcher league-wide. Others, like 26-year old 3B Mason Geake (.270/.349/.383, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 40 BB, 2.5 WAR), 25-year old rookie LF Tom Lind (.317/.366/.432, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 27 BB, 9 SB, 2.4 WAR) and 26-year old CF Greg Cusack (.288/.354/.375, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 40 BB, 11 SB, 2.3 WAR) are providing able support. But they need more if they want to get back in the playoff race. The pitching remains a strength. The question is though, for how much longer. 32-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (9-9, 3.21 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 124 ERA+), 27-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (7-7, 3.35 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 118 ERA+) and 34-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes (9-8, 3.36 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 118 ERA+) are stalwarts in the heart of the rotation. However, last year’s Satchel Paige Award winner, 32-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (6-6, 3.99 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 100 ERA+), has lost a step. The bullpen has been terrific, with 30-year old stopper, RHP José Rodríguez (8-5, 8 SV, 2.29 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 174 ERA+) leading a strong unit. All-Star Selections: SP Ch’ang-chieh Li (4th) CL José Rodríguez (6th) C Scott Sheelah (1st) LF Tom Lind (1st) Noteworthy: December 31 – The Hespeler Stars were leading the Generals 3-0 heading into the 8th inning, when Fort Richmond stormed back with 3 runs in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to spoil Hespeler’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. Lead off hitter CF Greg Cusack did much of the damage, going 5 for 5, one more than his teammates hit collectively. All his hits were singles, producing 1 R and 3 RBI – all three coming in the fateful final two innings. Player of the Week Award: January 10 – C Scott Sheelah (.571, 12 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R) Current Injuries: None -------- Offense: .255/.331/.376 (5th/5th/5th) Pitching: 4.53/4.55/4.48 (8th/8th/6th) Defense: .692 (6th) For the first half of the season, it appeared that the Hespeler Stars were going to battle for a spot in the first division, something they haven’t enjoyed in 12 years. But a complete collapse in January appears to have scuttled any hope. While the lineup has remained fairly competitive, the entire pitching staff imploded last month, causing the free fall. The No. 1 shortstop in the United Leagues remains in Hespeler, as 31-year old Zhao-hui Qian (.342/.424/.504, 11 HR, 63 RBI, 56 BB, 5.1 WAR) is enjoying another sensational season. He is Hespeler’s only player to be appear in any Top 20 rankings (8th overall). Besides him, 29-year old 2B Vic Lewis (.307/.366/.467, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 32 BB, 2.8 WAR) is enjoying a nice bounce back after a bit of a down year last season, and 23-year old CF Jack Foulsham (.311/.382/.419, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 38 BB, 5 SB, 2.3 WAR) has impressed in his rookie campaign. But the rest of the lineup has been largely missing in action. The pitching has collapsed and its hard to imagine it getting any worse. So perhaps they will put January behind them and recover. Overall, only 29-year old RHP Wayne Nesling (7-8, 3.12 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 132 ERA+) has provided consistent outings. All-Star Selections: 2B Vic Lewis (4th) SS Zhao-hui Qian (4th) CF Jack Foulsham (1st) Player of the Week Award: December 20 – SS Zhao-hui Qian (.560, 14 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI) Noteworthy: December 9 – The Stars came into Kingston for a 4-game set and silenced the Pelicans’ bats in game 1, defeating them 5-0 on a 2-hitter pitched by 26-year old RHP Battista Corotta (12-11, 4.31 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 96 ERA+). The Italian-born Corotta struck out 4 and walked 3 on 96 PI (GS: 84). December 16 – Hespeler was unable to even up their 4-game series against the Cambria Cannons, falling 8-6 as they allowed the Cannons to score 7 runs in the final two innings. But SS Zhao-hui Qian did his part, going 5 for 5 at the plate. Qian cranked out 4 singles and a solo home run, collecting 2 R and 3 RBI. Current Injuries: September 10 – RHP Rodney Gabrielson – torn labrum. Out for: 2 weeks. January 30 – RHP Stephen Tindall – forearm soreness. Out for: DtD, 1 day. -------- Offense: .252/.325/.361 (7th/6th/7th) Pitching: 4.36/4.41/4.18 (6th/7th/4th) Defense: .689 (7th) The Kingston Pelicans have been remarkably consistent this season. Unfortunately, its not in a good way. They have won 11 games in each of the first four months. That’s good for only 44 wins. At that rate they will end up with just 65, which would be their worst showing in their 18-year history. They have never lost fewer than 70 in a season before. They got off to a good start following the All-Star break, going 6-1, but then nosedived, losing the next 7 games. That included sweeps at the hands of the Giants and Trolleys. Neither the lineup nor pitching staff necessarily strikes fear in opposing teams right now. With the trade of 26-year old C Gareth Mawle (3.6 WAR) to the Embro Suns on January 20th, 24-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.297/.369/.465, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 39 BB, 13 SB, 2.9 WAR) is now Kingston’s best player this season. 27-year old 1B Harry Herold (.278/.333/.434, 14 HR, 67 RBI, 35 BB, 2.1 WAR) has also performed well. He has taken over first base full-time this season from 40-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.225/.376/.412, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 19 BB, 0.3 WAR). The pitching staff doesn’t offer much to be encouraged about and there’s little in the pipeline to think things will get better anytime soon. 29-year old RHP Kieran Bunce (12-8, 3.62 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 113 ERA+) started the season off strong, but has begun to regress with the rest of the rotation. However, 30-year old stopper RHP Kaula Mafileo (7-3, 8 SV, 1.69 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 243 ERA+) remains one of the best relievers in the United Leagues. All-Star Selections: CL Kaula Mafileo (3rd) C Gareth Mawle (1st) CF Chris Ramsbottom (1st) RF Mo Spenceley (3rd) Noteworthy: January 6 – In the first game of a four-game set against the Wolseley Unions just prior to the All-Star break, the two clubs battled one another until the Unions finally prevailed in the 13th, 7-6. But it wouldn’t have gotten that far without 30-year old RF Mo Spenceley (.269/.353/.419, 10 HR, 52 RBI, 48 BB, 13 SB, 1.8 WAR), who went 5 for 5. In addition to three singles and a walk, Spenceley connected on two home runs, a 2-run shot in the 4th and a 3-run blast in the 6th, both against RHP Aaron Saunderson. In all, he collected 2 R and 5 RBI. Current Injuries: December 19 – RHP Alistair Everest – shoulder inflammation. Out for: 1-2 weeks. -------- Offense: .239/.312/.331 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.40/4.13/5.43 (7th/6th/8th) Defense: .696 (5th) The Wolseley Unions have quickly become a mere shadow of the powerhouse team they once were. This is a team that has gotten old quickly with little solid reinforcements to take up the slack. 54-year old Tony Hinton, Wolseley’s GM over the past 10 seasons, has his work cut out for him. 33-year old SS George Kimpton (.295/.356/.468, 10 HR, 44 RBI, 36 BB, 3.2 WAR) is now Wolseley’s top player, as 33-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.293/.415/.425, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 75 BB, 2.3 WAR) appears to have begun his inevitable decline. After struggling in December (.180/.281/.210), 25-year old 1B Carlos Ortíz (.294/.360/.415, 12 HR, 44 RBI, 43 BB, 2.2 WAR) recovered the following month (.317/.408/.500). In the pitching department, 27-year old RHP Joseph Sellwood (9-9, 2.45 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 167 ERA+) has been the lone bright spot, a genuine ace on a bad staff where the age of five of the pitchers is north of 31 and two more are aged 29. All-Star Selections: SP Joseph Sellwood (1st) SS George Kimpton (5th) LF Carlton Hawking (10th) Noteworthy: January 17 – The Unions dropped a heartbreaker against the Cambria Cannons, losing 8-7 in 10 innings. But 1B Carlos Ortíz could not be kept off base all day. Ortíz went 5 for 5, with 5 singles and walk. He scored twice and drove in a run. January 30 – Wolseley could also not keep pace with the Queensland Eagles, falling 11-8. But SS George Kimpton was hot at the plate, going 5 for 5, with 4 singles and a double. He drove in one and scored twice. Current Injuries: None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland