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Big Papi a Happy Chappy...
... this makes it 4 dingers in 3 games for the big guy, who seems to be finding his feet in the bigs.
He's now slashing 360/407/680 with 7 HR and 22 RBI, good for an OPS+ of 221 and 1.4 WAR. https://i.imgur.com/vXXQkW6.png?1 |
1968 May Recap
The Giants continue to dominate, but both the Cuban Stars West and Monarchs have crept a bit closer in the latter stages of the month. Still, the St. Louis boys retain a healthy 10-game advantage in the FC National.
The FC American looks like it is going to be the one to watch, with the Royal Giants, Crawfords and Black Yankees already embroiled in a dogfight for the lead, and just 5 games separating top and bottom. The WC American is also super tight, with the Elite Giants, Grays and Athletics within a game of each other and the others in close pursuit. In the WC National, the Cuban Stars East have pinched a little break, 6.5 games clear of their nearest rival the American Giants. They look a dangerous unit, leading the WC in both runs scored and Starter ERA. No doubt the cream is rising at the individual level. Ruppert Jones continues to be the WC offensive standout, already having amassed nearly 5 WAR, and Red Sox star Billy Sample has been on a tear of late. Among the pitchers, Juan Marichal is the dominant FC pitcher, while Tanaka-san is still giving hitters fits across in the WC. The May awards went to the following players:
https://i.imgur.com/kKOcvwH.png?1 These are the overall Top 10 lists: https://i.imgur.com/Y4TBNuS.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/b02h2yd.png?1 And these are just for the NeL players (I'll do these every few months): https://i.imgur.com/qDAEsg1.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/rJH6Tgq.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/jN0It8K.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/6UDf5ci.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/Q8FPG6q.png?1https://i.imgur.com/DUR0mZg.png?1 |
Some Insights into My Curation of Negro League Players
As anyone who has tried to incorporate them into a save would well know, the cursory treatment of NeL players is a real black spot (pun intended) on OOTP, one they will hopefully rectify sooner rather than later. Some NeL players import OK, but the vast majority do not.
To overcome this, I have spent many enjoyable (and occasionally frustrating) hours formulating my own methodology for making these players viable in the game. My process revolves around a loose hierarchy of player quality. The amazing (but sadly, it seems, now defunct) Hall of Miller and Eric (HOME) website earlier this year released Major League Equivalencies for 99 of the top NeL players. These players make up what I call my "A-List". The validity of MLEs is something myself and the other lads working with me on this project disagree upon to some degree, with my opinion of them being slightly more favourable. Still, all of us realise they are (at best) only an interpretation of the uninterpretable. The NeLs were NOT the MLB. Nor were they AAA equivalent. They were what they were. The biggest difference between them in all of their various guises over the years and the MLB was depth, with the bigs stocked with a far higher average quality player and many more of them throughout the league. Statistical coverage was another big difference, although thankfully a lot of research has been and continues to be done in this regard to narrow the gap. This is completely ignoring the existential differences tolerated by black ballplayers over this period, as well as things like equipment and playing conditions. Anyway, those 99 players are my A-List, each of which receives a full profile from me that covers all aspects of their gameplay and biographical details. I use a mix of the MLEs and undoctored data and create a career path by giving them CUR and POT stats from which the ratings are generated. There is, in all of this, a lot of both subjectivity (occasionally, objectivity...) and trial and error to get the desired finished products. 10 of these players joined the league at its outset: Buck Leonard, Alejandro Oms, Hilton Smith, Martin Dihigo, Leroy Matlock, Sam Jethroe, Cool Papa Bell, Spot Poles, Luke Easter, Pat Scantlebury and Charles "Chino" Smith. In each subsequent Draft, 2 more will be added. (I should note here that any player who began in the NeL but eventually made it to the MLB post-"integration" (I use that term as loosely as I can) is deemed an NeL player for this exercise. I should also note that the only NeL players excluded from the EL are those given the "Ballplayer" designation or for whom the full given name is unknown. That has left me with an initial NeL pool of 2740 players to go with the MLB pool of 3538.) All other NeL players, classed "B" here, are simply taken on their merits as to how they are curated. Some receive full profiles as per the "A-Listers". Others receive a skeleton version thereof. Some merely get touched up in the editor to ensure an acceptable level of similarity to their IRL selves, culling outlier ratings and generally tidying them up, but nothing more. So far I have done roughly 150 full profiles. I would anticipate this number will end up being somewhere between 700 and 1000. Seamheads is my go-to for information. It is a simply unbelievable resource. BBRef has upped its game but still needs to do plenty more, especially with biographical data in its Bullpen section. Same goes with SABRBio. My treasured copy of James Riley's Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues gets heavy usage, believe me, as does the NLBeMuseum site that uses this book as its main reference point. The pieces in both the "Forgotten Heroes" and "Pioneers of Black Baseball" series on the Center for Negro League Baseball are also incredibly useful. But I'll go anywhere on the hunt for info. I am an industrious type and will search madly for stuff if needs be until I am sure I either have what I want or have convinced myself that I can't have it because it doesn't exist. Anyway, I thought some of you might be interested in all of this. It is a labor of love with the scales heavily tipped toward the "love" side of the equation. Happy to answer any questions / help out with those of you interested in doing something similar. G EDIT: This post updates how I rate NeL players for use in OOTP. |
Out of the Shadows: Eddie Miller
In light of my previous post, I have mixed emotions about how well Eddie "Buck" Miller has begun his EL career.
I'm not stupid or precious enough to believe I'm going to get all of these players absolutely spot-on when I curate them. There are so many unknowns, to have this as the goal would be a fool's errand. I'm a lot of things, but I ain't no fool. Buck gets a couple paragraphs in Mr Riley's tome, most of which is a rundown of his career without much anecdotal info other than to say that he was "a right-handed control pitcher with a good memory for batters' weaknesses". How James knows this second bit is beyond me. Anyway, with this in mind and 7 seasons' worth of stats at my disposal, this is the how Buck has come into the EL. I'm OK with it; despite making the executive decision not to do a full profile for him (the source of the negative part of my "mixed emotions"), I think it is fairly accurate. Needs a better FG (paging LSt!!!), but apart from that I think it's (sorry) in the ballpark. https://i.imgur.com/h19yAyi.png?1 Whatever the case, he is certainly looking right at home in this league, going 12-1 with a 2.70 ERA over his first 14 starts and helping the East to a healthy lead in the WC National Association. His game log to this point makes for some pleasant reading. https://i.imgur.com/OFOzsOW.png?1 Let's see if he can keep it going. |
Karim and Co Up Against It
It seems that Señor Garcia and his AG teammates are going to need to continue putting up performances like this simply to keep pace with the red-hot Cuban Stars East in the WC National.
https://i.imgur.com/ymiVNHg.png?1 |
A Band Apart
Nice seeing some of these lesser-rated guys getting their moment in the sun.
https://i.imgur.com/BScmiPd.png?1 Here are some other lower-tier guys doing well in the EL so far. HITTERS https://i.imgur.com/96MEqew.png?1 PITCHERS https://i.imgur.com/BrlwPjc.png?1 |
No Stopping Big Z...
... or his Cuban Stars East - with this win they have joined the Giants with the best record in the EL.
https://i.imgur.com/wvT4JSe.png?1 Carlos's stat line is looking mighty impressive right now. https://i.imgur.com/U8L35Jc.png?1 |
That'll Leave a Scar...
... not what the Buckeyes would have expected when they sent a usually-reliable closer like Felix Heredia to the mound to close out the win. It wasted an excellent outing by Roger Moret, who allowed one run on just three hits over 8.
https://i.imgur.com/HC7js4A.png?1 |
Return of the Mack
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Subscribed! Basically just to let you know, yes, someone is reading this ... :>
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Quote:
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A rampage indeed...
... in a nasty beatdown of the AGs by the Giants, with Jae-weong Seo throwing a 10-hit / 6 K shutout to move to 10-6. After their early dominance St. Louis has just slipped back to the pack a bit of late, perhaps this will get them back on track.
https://i.imgur.com/LE7EKHH.png?1 Hilldale's Ruben Mateo also has a 5-hit game in a big road win for the Athletics over the CAG, with Joe Henderson unable to get out of the 2nd inning. Eric Chavez and Pops Stargell also feature prominently. https://i.imgur.com/lsBwdnl.png?1 On an eventful day, two of the NeL lads also have good outings with shutout wins. Dihigo needed it, he is now 4-12 and is struggling at the plate as well. https://i.imgur.com/78TWnDD.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/uDRD7cf.png?1 |
Walk(er) and Don't Look Back
The Catskill Wildman continues on his merry, very unwild way...
https://i.imgur.com/UyITT0C.png?1 He is walking 3.3 / 9 IP but it seems not to be doing too much harm. |
Sometimes Things Just Weren't Meant to Be
Not sure what more Mike Smith could have done in this one, and to add insult to injury his Baltimore side had to take the 17-inning loss.
https://i.imgur.com/ry9saBs.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/RjZa3Py.png?1 |
We're Not in Kansas Any More, Toto...
... a bad beatdown for the Monarchs as red-hot George Scott has 4 hits including a long one and 4 RBI, Ed Armbrister knocks in 4 and Aaron Judge cracks his 10th homer. But Jae-weong Seo needs only one of those 15 runs as he blanks KC on 6 hits with 7 strikeouts. 4 misplays do the visitors no help as well in a thoroughly forgettable all-round performance. They suffer another drubbing the next day as Jose de Jesus stays hot, blanking them on 5 hits with 11 K in an 8-0 decision. An 11-3 Giants win the day after that completes the rout.
https://i.imgur.com/krTpL7v.png?1 Meanwhile, Hilton Smith shows just how good his very best is, hurling a 2-hitter for the Eagles to beat Jose de Leon and the Red Sox 1-0. After their slow start to the season the Eagles have slowly but surely worked their way into the picture and now trail the Royal Giants by just 5 games in the FC American. https://i.imgur.com/fFO90kb.png?1 |
EL Featured Game #2, 1968
Friday 28th June, 1968 – Cuban Stars East @ Homestead Grays
7.05pm, Posey Park, Homestead PA Masahiro Tanaka https://i.imgur.com/TvDX2Od.png?1 v Carlos Zambrano https://i.imgur.com/UIfigKw.png?1 An absolute top-notch meeting of two of the EL's marquee moundsmen in this one. Tanaka was the 3rd overall pick in the inaugural Draft and has lived up to the billing. Better run support than the 2.7 RPG he's been given and that 6-6 record would be much improved. Big Z was one of the real steals - inexplicably going 102nd overall - and he has repaid the East scouts' faith in him exponentially so far. The sides each lead their respective group going into this game, with the Grays 4 clear atop the WC American and the East holding down a 6-game advantage in the WC National, so there's plenty on the line tonight. Homestead leads the head-to-head this season by 2 to 1. Here's how the teams will line up at first pitch. All eyes on East CF Ruppert Jones, who currently leads in all three Triple Crown categories and is putting together one heck of a season to date. https://i.imgur.com/t2RyTeM.png?1 Let's get to the action... Tanaka gives up a leadoff double to Hanley Ramirez but then calmly fans the side to douse the threat. Zambrano starts nervously and the Grays pounce, loading the bases for Jose Morales to single one in, with a second scoring on a Briceno groundout. The Cubans reply immediately, with Victor Diaz bringing one home in the 2nd with a two-out hit, but it's clear Zambrano hasn't brought his best stuff as Goodrum triples and scores on a Tanaka double in the home half. The same can be said for Tanaka, who gets in all sorts of bother in the 3rd and Adrian Gonzalez ties the game at 3 with a 2-run double. Zambrano barely escapes the bottom 3rd as the Grays leave them loaded and it seems unlikely either of these guys will go deep into this one. They do settle down somewhat but then Tanaka, after fanning him the first two times up, serves up a solo gopher ball to Jones - his 21st of the year - and the Cubans take a 4-3 lead. They are both still in the game when it takes an unexpected turn. Leading off the 7th, Zambrano belts an inside-the-park home run to pad the East's lead. https://i.imgur.com/XXHKN6X.png?1 Zambrano retires 12 in a row to get him thru the 7th and the Grays finally hook Tanaka, with southpaw Arthur Rhodes on in relief. When Z gives up a one-out double to Morales in the 8th and he, too, is done. Yusei Kikuchi takes over, looking for a 5-out save. He gets the two needed in the 8th without incident and closes it out with a clean 9th for his 17th save and an excellent comeback win by the East, consigning Homestead to its third straight loss. |
1968 June Recap
A full mid-season rundown to follow, so just a few odds and sods here.
June awards:
Top 10 lists: https://i.imgur.com/OM1C6q3.png?2 https://i.imgur.com/NjYP3Rk.png?1 News and leaders: https://i.imgur.com/iLWzmKC.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/5aklT8w.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/Ou95vbB.png?1https://i.imgur.com/GK105sr.png?1 |
1968 EL Mid-Season Report Card
We've hit the halfway mark of the 1968 Eclipse League regular season so I thought I should have a look at how each club is situated to this point.
https://i.imgur.com/X3h1ZZx.png?1 Brooklyn Royal Giants Solid across the board, at the upper end of most hitting and pitching categories. Starters have been great with a combined ERA well under 3 and all 4 starters under that mark, although the pen has been a bit wobbly. Not much pop in their bats but plenty of average led by Ender Inciarte at 314, which has translated to a +61 run diff and their narrow lead in the group. Pittsburgh Crawfords A scrappy bunch that has outperformed their metrics, eking out a 41-40 record on basically a square run diff. Dihigo has finally come good, winning his last 5 starts to sit at 8-12, but is still really struggling at the plate and if he can get this part of his game sorted they'll be a much better side. Rich Coggins has been great, racking up nearly 3 WAR, but they need Sweet Lou Whitaker to rediscover his form after a cold spell. Newark Eagles Keeping on coming on after a horror April, and are now just a game under 500 and within striking distance of the RGs. 222 team BA and yet the 4th highest runs scored is a sign they are coming through in the clutch while their rotation - serviceable at best just now - are keeping them in games rather than dominating them. Too much hot-and-cold to this point but if they can find some consistency they'll give it a shake. Vlad jr hitting just 199 is a weak spot. New York Black Yankees It has been Edsall Walker rather than CC Sabathia who has been the story here in their pitching ranks, with his 11-5 / 1.61 / 3 WAR performance among the league's best and helping the BYs to the 2nd best starter ERA in the Fleet Conference. Hitting has let them down, especially Hank Thompson who is slashing just 190/306/297 in the 5 slot, and they'll need to fix this if they want to be competitive for the remainder. Atlantic City Bacharach Giants Little has gone right for the BGs so far, as shown by their gaping -47 run diff. 228 BA (6th), 3.61 ERA (8th) and -28 ZR (last) all telling as well. Doing particularly poorly on the road at 16-29 to boot. Chito Martinez (261/305/458 with 14 HR and 40 RBI) one of their few bright spots. Not a lot of upside in the group they've assembled so they'll need to be proactive in the trade market and upcoming Drafts to get things right. https://i.imgur.com/6bwOLbZ.png?1 St. Louis Giants Impossible to maintain their torrid start, yet the Jints remain dominant. Their hitters hold the top three BAs in the FC right now and there are few meaningful categories in which they aren't at the pointy end. Scott and Judge have been tormenting pitchers from Opening Day, and Mike Taylor has recently heated up as well, winning the June batter award. Jose de Jesus has been a revelation on the pitching front, but all four starters have handy winning records and tidy ERAs and Takatsu is almost a lock with a lead in the 9th, converting 21 of 23 so far. Can't see them missing the playoffs from here despite them being a long way away - just too well-rounded a squad. Cuban Stars West The only club with a realistic chance of catching the Giants, but it must concern them how well they've been playing and yet how far behind they find themselves all the same. Southpaw Bryan Clark has led their pitching brilliantly, going 13-7 with a 1.91 ERA, 90 FIP- and nearly 3 WAR. Plenty of big bats in their lineup mean they can beat anyone on their day, with Big Papi and Juan Soto mashing away merrily, although I think they'd be better served with Ortiz at 3 and Soto at 4, rather than the other way round as they currently are. No WCs in this league so if they want to see playoff action they'll have to do it the hard way and make up the 8 games they currently lag. Birmingham Black Barons A pretty middling group that has played to its potential so far. 209 BA has cruelled them as they don't have the pitching to defend as few runs as they are scoring. Vicente Romo and Rene Arocha have been called upon from the pen with great regularity (127 IP combined) and have done an excellent job to stop the bleeding. But there are too many holes in the squad for it to be among the contenders for now. Kansas City Monarchs A horror 9-17 June has killed off what slim hopes the Mons had to begin with and they are well and truly out of it already. The difference for them as opposed to the BBs is they put their squad together for the long haul and so have plenty of upside from here once pitching talent like Marichal - who has already been superb - and German Marquez and Bill Lindsay comes on. A few more sturdy bats and this side will be in it up to their eyeballs. Memphis Red Sox Lord knows where the Sox would be without Billy Sample and his 5+ WAR, as only the Liberty Stars have a worse record and lower run diff in the entire league. Khris Davis has been giving them plenty of pop (14 HR) but has struggled for consistent contact (197 BA), and that's been about it for the Memphis lads to this point. They'll need to utilise their imminent high draft pick wisely because there's not much in the current squad that points to improvement. https://i.imgur.com/B6XcXo3.png?2 Homestead Grays It has been all about the pitching for the boys from Homestead so far, with no hitter batting over 300 nor any with HR in double digits. Tanaka has been far better than his W/L record suggests, as shown by his stunning 63 FIP-, 11.6 K/BB ratio and 5.5 WAR. He has been given little run support (2.7 / gm) but plenty of pitching support from his rotation partners, all of whom have combined for a WC-best ERA of just 2.68. But, with a leaky pen and this fairly pallid offence of theirs, I don't see the Grays finishing on top here, no matter how good the pitching. Hilldale Athletics One of the more talented squads in the EL, the Hilldale Club has struggled to find consistency so far. Pockets of individual brilliance abound across the group. Eric Chavez and Oddibe McDowell have combined for a roughly 300 BA, 30 HR and over 100 RBI. Pablo Lopez has been dominant, going 12-2 with an ERA+ of 160 and more than 3 WAR, with Adrian Hernandez (11-5 / 2.32) not far behind. But they currently sit in the middle of the diddle for most hitting and pitching categories, a sure sign that others aren't quite pulling their weight. A bunch of upside in this group, with Pops Stargell and Chino Smith both seeming set for big things, and I think this group will end up being a race in two between them and the... Baltimore Elite Giants A level of malaise has beset this talented group, perhaps as a result of things coming too easily for them in the early stages, with them going a poor 24-29 since May 1. Their pitching has held up but their hitting has been light, with nobody over the 300 BA mark, and their power coming from too few, with George Bell, Ed Charles and Coco Laboy responsible for 26 of their 40 longballs. Pitching has been excellent throughout the group, with Mike Smith's the only ERA over 3 (and, at 3.08, only just) and the pen's well under 2. Limited upside in this current group, so they'll need to try and get some early success as they try and source some longer-term prospects. An improved showing from Elvis Andrus (221/275/324 with 5 HR and 34 RBI) will be key if this is to happen. New York Lincoln Giants An ugly old start for the LGs. We know Bernie Williams is a gun, and Raimel Tapia has been excellent in the two slot for them. But their rotation is not great (currently last in ERA in the WC) and their defence is porous to say the least. Worst of all, I just don't see this group getting much better. Plenty of work needed here, plenty of tough times ahead. Philadelphia Liberty Stars Worst record in the EL. 20-28 at home so far. Bottom 3 in basically every metric. I don't think any of these facts will surprise, as it is clear this club has taken the long view in its recruitment process and outlook. With Spot Poles, Bobby Bonilla, Bob Watson and George Hendrick all projecting blue sky potential, they should be among the contenders by the turn of the decade. They will, however, need to add some solid pitching along the way to round off the group. In the meantime, don't expect much joy, baseball-wise, in the City of Brotherly Love. https://i.imgur.com/S6E5diW.png?1 Cuban Stars East Fairly much dominant so far, with Ruppert Jones (313 / 21 HR / 60 RBI / nearly 7 WAR) and Eddie Miller (16-1 / 2.69) the EL's two standout performers to date. Perhaps apart from their defence, which has been wonky, this group has no weaknesses and plenty of upside with guys like Zambrano, Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez nowhere near their peaks just yet. I'll be shocked if they aren't one of the two last standing. Cleveland Buckeyes Another team that is more gamer than glamour, the Buckeyes have ridden their somewhat workmanlike pitching and the offence provided by Jon Nunnally and Bobby Abreu to a slightly favourable record that seems a pretty fair reflection of how they have been playing. The biggest issue they face is that, outside of those two, their bats are fairly weak, which means that runs will be hard to come by elsewhere and makes them too reliant on two few. That said, I think this club is only a few astute moves away from being good. Detroit Motown Stars Change the names Nunnally and Abreu for (Andre) Thornton and (Xavier) Scruggs and my comments about the Buckeyes could almost be cut and paste for these guys, who just happen to have an identical record to the Cleveland club. Pitching is solid but not spectacular; offence has a couple more cogs such as Tim Anderson and Gerry Davis; prospect larder just as empty for now. Don't be surprised to see these two finish as they are now - with similar records, mid-standings, miles behind the East. Chicago American Giants Undoubtedly the disappointment of the league so far. #1 overall pick Jose Abreu has been sensational and their offence, on the whole, better than league average. But only Joe Henderson has delivered on the mound (team FIP and pitching WAR are both near the bottom of the WC) and they find themselves barely above 500 and a fair chunk of games out of the running. They are better than their record suggests, but this season may well already be lost unless they get it together and get a move on. Indianapolis ABCs Yet one more club who has opted for the longer-term goals, somewhat perversely I think they'd be relatively happy with being as close to 500 as they are and competing on a regular basis as they have. A heap of upside among this group and I'm sure Indy fans will be licking their communal chops at the thought of guys like Rod Carew, Richard Hidalgo, Mike Brantley, Rube Curry and Hubie Brooks at their peak. They'll get a few more good'uns in the Draft by dint of what will probably finish up as an ugly W/L this first year, so watch out for this group in a few seasons' time. Just to finish off, here are the team stats so far: https://i.imgur.com/AiwH4YY.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/Et4ifQ7.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/VRF1FSk.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/M31Uesh.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/0eR2Soa.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/YjgZ2Ql.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/Dw4RN79.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/bjkdVt5.png?1 |
Top Prospects
With the regulars now all ruled out, we get a clearer picture of which clubs have some extra room for improvement.
https://i.imgur.com/K4iOajC.png?1 John Briggs https://i.imgur.com/NSlrw6s.png?1 |
Z for Zero
On one of the more eventful days in the EL's short history, Señor Zambrano hogs the limelight.
https://i.imgur.com/ELs2Bwf.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/kI5ui3y.png?1 Those left in the penumbra of Carlos's big shadow include:
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History, folks...
... as the first ever trade in the EL is consummated. No blockbuster by any stretch, but etched into posterity.
https://i.imgur.com/gq2XDhp.png?1 |
Wooooooooa Chino...
... almost lost in the hubbub over a fine 2-hitter by Wandy Rodriguez was the PotG performance by boom prospect Chino Smith. 2 of those 4 hits of his went over the fence. Pops Stargell and Eric Chavez also went yard for Hilldale.
https://i.imgur.com/vXmQwvh.png?1 |
It was a dark and Stolmy night...
I won't lie to you, I had to look this guy up as I'd never heard of him before his inclusion in this save. Stolmy is his full given name and he was born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic on 2/1/1990.
https://i.imgur.com/ATBj7BK.png?1 If he's a mystery to you as well, here's some background info from his BBRef Bullpen entry: Stolmy Pimentel was a former top pitching prospect who made his major league debut in 2013. Pimentel was signed by scout Luis Scheker for the Boston Red Sox in July 2006. He made his professional debut with the 2007 DSL Red Sox, going 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 62 innings. Coming stateside with the Lowell Spinners in 2008, he posted a 5-2, 3.14 record with 61 whiffs in 63 innings, just missing the New York-Penn League's top 10 in ERA. Baseball America rated him the Red Sox' 10th best prospect and as having the best changeup of a BoSox farmhand. Stolmy spent 2009 with the Greenville Drive, where he turned in a 10-7, 3.82 record, but his ERA rose drastically after a 2.01 mark before the All-Star break. He tied for second among Red Sox minor leaguers in wins, two behind leader Adam Mills. Pimentel began 2010 with the Salem Red Sox and went just 5-6 with a 4.54 ERA in his first 15 games. He was still picked for the World team in the 2010 Futures Game. He relieved Henderson Alvarez in the bottom of the sixth and retired Logan Morrison and Danny Espinosa before being relieved by Trystan Magnuson; the World lost 9-1. He picked it up a bit as the year went on to finish at 9-11, 4.06. He tied for sixth in the Carolina League in wins, but tied for third in losses (two behind teammate and leader Caleb Clay). Baseball America did not list him as one of the league's top 20 prospects. Pimentel's woes continued (and got worse) in 2011 with Salem (6-4, 4.53) and the Portland Sea Dogs (0-9, 9.12, 1.95 WHIP). He tied Drake Britton for the most losses by a Sox farmhand and tied for 9th in the Eastern League in losses in just over half a season there. In 2012, he was better for Portland at 6-7, 4.59. Boston then shipped him on December 26th with fellow ex-prospects Jerry Sands, Mark Melancon and Iván DeJesús Jr. to the Pittsburgh Pirates for All-Star reliever Joel Hanrahan and prospect Brock Holt. He finally got back on track in 2013, after starting the season again in AA, this time with the Altoona Curve. He went 4-3, 3.61 in 13 starts and earned a promotion to the AAA Indianapolis Indians in June. he continued to pitch well in his first experience at that level, putting up a solid 3.13 ERA in 14 starts in spite of a 2-6 mark. Combined, he was 6-9, 3.35 with 169 1/3 innings pitched and 123 strikeouts. He was 6th in the Pirates in strikeouts (between David Bromberg and Eliecer Navarro). He got the long-awaited call to the majors in September and pitched 5 times in relief for the postseason-bound Pirates, giving up 2 earned runs on 6 hits and striking out in 9 1/3 innings. Pimentel earned a spot on the Pirates' pitching staff out of spring training in 2014. He picked up the win in his first outing of the year, which came in the 13th inning of a hotly-disputed game against the Chicago Cubs on April 2nd. He pitched four scoreless innings to keep the Pirates in the game, until giving way to pinch-hitter Tony Sanchez in the bottom of the 16th. Sanchez drove in Jose Tabata from third base with a single, ending the game after a team-record 5:55 of play; Stolmy got credit for the 4-3 win, his first in the majors. So there you have it, welcome aboard Stolmy - nice to meet you! And congratulations on your fine one-hitter. |
... followed by a starry, starry night...
https://i.imgur.com/1bzZ9zD.png?1
https://i.imgur.com/0wV30Kq.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/WY78koM.png?1 Tony Armas of the Black Barons won the EL's first HR Challenge, just sneaking past Eric Chavez in the final. https://i.imgur.com/mjRcobA.png?1 And in the main event held at Dexter Field in Brooklyn, Weldy beat Fleet 5-1. ABCs catcher Lloyd McLendon was named MVP. https://i.imgur.com/0eIFcvY.png?1 |
Another trade...
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Look at me, I'm Charlie Dees...
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...while down in Memphis town...
... we have ourselves another no-no! Albeit a somewhat unusual one.
https://i.imgur.com/FxO5uSH.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/fslIXSP.png?1 |
Nice Wheels, Pops!
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Souvenirs aplenty...
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EL Featured Game #3, 1968
Friday July 19th, 1968 - New York Black Yankees @ Kansas City Monarchs
1.05PM, Muehlebach Field, Kansas City MO Juan Marichal https://i.imgur.com/ZiTKin0.png?1 CC Sabathia https://i.imgur.com/q3iSGu3.png?1 It doesn't get much better than this matchup of two pitchers with whom I'm sure you're all familiar. Marichal has been superb, amassing 5.5 WAR and with some of his advanced metrics just off the charts, such as his FIP- of 69 and WHIP of 1.09. Sabathia hasn't been quite so dominant, but is still putting together a very nice rookie season indeed. Amazingly, neither has a winning record to this point, a fact due more to the poor offensive performance of the teams they represent than the individuals themselves. That said, there's plenty of pop in each lineup so both pitchers will need to be at the top of their game today. Neither team looks likely to compete for a spot in the playoffs, so this is as much about pride as anything else. It's the early game of a double-header so daytime conditions in effect. Her's the starting formations: https://i.imgur.com/3xnVuay.png?1 Time for the first pitch. After a clean top of the inning for Marichal, Cleon Jones greets Sabathia with a leadoff triple and eventually scores the game's opening run on a Ricky Jordan SF. New York replies immediately in the next. Hank Thompson singles and goes to third on another hit by Ernie Riles, then scores on a GIDP. The pitchers find their rhythm and the 1-1 tie holds until the visitors get something going in the 5th. Pearl Webster leads off with a single and ends up at third on a throwing error by KC backstop Rod Barajas. Tony Gwynn jr gets an intentional pass but Dwain Anderson comes through with a single to give New York the lead and move Gwynn around the horn. Sabathia bunts Anderson to second for out number one and Walt Williams is walked to set up the DP chance. Marichal gets a big out when he fans Sam Jethroe and does the same to Don Baylor to quell the threat. This time it's the Monarchs with the ready reply as Tilson Bito doubles and scores on another two-bagger by Jo Adell. The Dominican Dandy loses his way a bit in the 7th, giving up two walks, with Sabathia bunting them around into SP. An IBB to Walt Williams loads them up for Sam Jethroe, but he can only nub one back to the mound and Marichal gets the force at home for the second out. Baylor flies out to CF and the Mons dodge a bullet. In the top 8th, when leadoff hitter Thompson reaches on an error by 2B Dilson Herrera, KC goes to the bullpen with Masao Kida coming on in relief of Marichal and getting them out of the inning unhurt. With it still 2-2 going into the bottom 9th, Sabathia is replaced by southpaw Felipe Rivero. He gives up a leadoff hit to Ricky Jordan but works his way out of the jam and it goes into spares. Baylor opens the top 10th with a long double but once again nothing comes of it. Edgar Garcia comes in to start the top 11th for the hosts and gives up a leadoff walk to speedster Jim Byrd, but he is erased on a fielder's choice and the rally once again peters out. Jose Alvarado takes the mound for New York and a man gets aboard with one out via an error by 3B Thompson, but is stranded at second. In the bottom 12th, Herrera has a leadoff hit and another by Dallas Porter moves him to second with one out, representing the winning run. John Sanderson then covers himself in glory with a sharp single that scores him for the walkoff win. Well this one certainly lived up to the pre-game hype, with Marichal and Sabathia finishing up with almost identical lines. I think you'd agree that a no-decision the fair decision. Apologies, in all the excitement I forgot to take a screenshot during the game. |
Out of the Shadows: Gentry Jessup
Hard-throwing righty Joseph Gentry Jessup was a stalwart of the American Giants' pitching staff during the late 1940s and a four-time All-Star, later barnstorming with Satchel Paige's All-Stars against Bob Feller's team. Renowned for his stamina, he once pitched from start to finish in a 20-inning game that ended in a 3-3 tie, but he could get Ricky Vaughn wild at times. He was also a better-than-average hitter.
In the EL, Jeep is a member of the Baltimore Elite Giants. After starting the year in the bullpen and pitching 15 scoreless innings, he has recently been promoted to the rotation in the 4 slot and has certainly handled the transition, currently sitting at 4-0 with an 0.26 ERA in 35 IP and a FIP- of just 68. This was his most recent start, a real beaut. https://i.imgur.com/QBRH3kt.png?1 Only early days, but Jeep looks set for a nice career in the Eclipse League. We'll keep an eye on him and report back. https://i.imgur.com/NOnRehq.png?1 EDIT Good to see the luckymann curse is alive and well. This was his first start after I posted this... https://i.imgur.com/NoUeQmr.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/2xGxj5U.png?1 |
A veritable flurry of trades...
... as the deadline approaches, with the two teams already looking a lock for playoff action bolstering their stocks.
https://i.imgur.com/fyNlUja.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/E9KjAxg.png?1 |
To quote the eminent philosopher Ron Burgundy...
... that escalated quickly as the Giants give the Monarchs a serious beatdown. Hiram Bocachica has a 4-6 game with a double and 5 RBI while Orlando Arcia goes deep and knocks in 4.
https://i.imgur.com/f88fr4A.png?1 |
Thrice as nice for Oddibe...
... who is putting together a nifty campaign, slashing 296/370/480 with 16 homers after these three and 62 RBI, good for 5 WAR.
https://i.imgur.com/tqT1lpH.png?1 |
Make no Bones about it...
... another player whose W/L record doesn't do his rookie form justice, Ricky Bones has led the Motown Stars rotation bravely all season and should end up with somewhere between 6 and 7 WAR for his troubles.
This performance against the Liberty Stars was one of his best. https://i.imgur.com/4b1DvQr.png?1 |
1968 July Recap
Well the two National Associations look just about settled, as the Giants and East hold comfortable leads with just under 60 games to play. The Grays are trying to make a liar of me, showing great resilience and still just ahead in the WC American, while the Royal Giants appear to be making a move to break away for good.
The July Awards are as follows:
https://i.imgur.com/UUECOyf.png?1 Overall Top 10s: https://i.imgur.com/34nOnl0.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/UoNhb4m.png?1 NeL Top 10s: https://i.imgur.com/pmpbE8a.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/VjNs61V.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/zap2IE6.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/2pDrc4C.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/EWhgdCu.png?1https://i.imgur.com/3LIIp5x.png?1 |
Seo far, Seo good...
I doubt he'll win it but, at 15-9 / 2.32, Jae-weong Seo of the Giants should at least garner some minor votes in the Pitcher of the Year poll. This is his 7th shutout of the season, which puts him tied with Cleveland's Chuck Smith. An excellent return for the Giants from the 100th overall pick; their scouts have done a fantastic recruitment job.
https://i.imgur.com/s3sw9QV.png?1 |
The Red Sox season...
... goes from bad to worse as they lose their leading win-getter for the remainder.
https://i.imgur.com/9PBg3mb.png?1 |
Out of the Shadows: John d'Acquisto
I came across John d'Acquisto for the first time in another save, having never heard of him before. After going 34-51 over 10 seasons spent almost entirely in the NL, his became one of baseball's sadder stories:
After his retirement, D'Acquisto became a registered investment adviser-banker, but had his license revoked and was sentenced to 63 months in prison over charges of misrepresentation and investment fraud. Later, it was found out through court subpoenas of documents that D'Acquisto was used in a scheme developed by V. Davide Siniscalchi and R. Jeffs Kollar of Sheraton Management, along with others, and was the victim of a set-up. All of the apparent stolen funds purported to have been stolen by D'Acquisto were found in the hands of Siniscalchi of Alliance Holdings and two others, all of whom served time in prison for fraud. D'Acquisto stated that he was not responsible for any purported fraud and his court documents spelled it out clearly. BBRef Bullpen Interestingly, again from the same source: He was the first major league player with a last name that started with D and an apostrophe. Despite the fact that this is common in Italian names, through the 2008 season, there had been just three more. Having amassed almost 5 WAR, John's holding his own as a starter for the ABCs in the EL (for which his very eligibility could perhaps be brought into question). He is currently tied for 2nd in the WC for strikeouts with 187, and had a nice game today against the AGs. It was his second straight shutout, a performance that led to him winning the WC weekly award. https://i.imgur.com/87NCuTh.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/dBH5Z1w.png?1 |
Nobody Messes with de Jesus
One of the league's true surprise packages (a 10th-round pick; 181st overall), Jose has on the whole reined in his iffy control (4.8 BB9) or struck his way out of trouble (8.7 K9) to earn the distinction of becoming the EL's first-ever 20-game winner.
And he did so in style. https://i.imgur.com/d9slUKB.png?2 He did, however, have to share a sliver of the spotlight with Ryan Bowen of the AGs, who matched his performance against the Cuban Stars East to move to 12-9 on the season. https://i.imgur.com/TLWoxBw.png?1 Meanwhile, Birmingham and Kansas City played out one of the games of the season, a 21-inning beauty that saw the visiting Black Barons score 5 in the top 21st to finally win it 8-3. Monarchs 1B Ricky Jordan took advantage of the extra ABs to go 5-for-10 in a losing cause, whilst Birmingham's Onix Concepcion had 4 doubles and 3 RBI. https://i.imgur.com/2E5N4Kg.png?1 |
Something in the Air
The Eclipse League is celebrating its second no-hitter, by Reynaldo Lopez of the Black Yankees against the Bacharach Giants in a 3-0 win at Hinchcliffe Stadium. Lopez fans 11 while walking 2 and faces just 28 batters.
https://i.imgur.com/02ZlNyc.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/64RpQWH.png?1 |
Out of the Shadows: Felix Pie
Another player with whom I was totally unfamiliar (the 2000s are a bit of a BB wasteland for me), Felix Pie (pronounced p-yay) hails from the DR and was a highly-touted prospect IRL who never came close to fulfilling his potential, eventually playing just 268 games for the Cubs, O's and Pirates between 2007 and 2013.
He has kind of flipped this on its head in the EL, sneaking into the Draft in Round 16 (318th overall) and then becoming one of the key drivers in the Grays' title tilt. From the three slot he has slashed 263/323/415 with 15 HR now as well as 62 RBI and a healthy 5.3 WAR. He has also provided excellent defence in left, racking up 14 ZR. He comes into this game nicely rated across the board and can play all three OF spots, so I expect he has a successful EL career ahead of him. I'm impressed by the Grays resilience in holding their WC American lead. While I remain unsure of their ability to hang on til the end, if they do I suspect Felix will have been one of the main factors. This was yet another excellent performance in a season full of them for Senor Pie. Sadly, for once it wasn't enough to get the win. https://i.imgur.com/Ozfz7lw.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/JYXaslf.png?1 |
Chito is the Man...
... but the Eagles, whose long upswing continues, manage to outscore his BGs and win 9-6.
https://i.imgur.com/JkNA73K.png?1 |
Funky Cold Medina
There's no doubt some of these leading teams are running out of puff, something I'll cover in more detail at month's end. In the meantime this was a gem by Rafa, whose 9 EL wins to this point are triple his career MLB total.
https://i.imgur.com/fyZ9B3S.png?1 |
One Less Star in Motown
With quality SPs at such a premium in the EL, this hurts just that bit more. It will keep him off the mound for all of 1969 as well. Ouch.
https://i.imgur.com/FDLPrTA.png?1 |
Right at Oms
|
A Sample of What's to Come
Not sure I've ever seen a player so dominate their team's offensive output as Billy Sample has for the lowly Red Sox - already eliminated from the postseason calculations - this season.
His 8.7 WAR is more than one full point better than ALL the other position players on the Memphis roster combined. He has 42.4 wRAA. Next best is Tom Silverio's 15.5. His OPS+ is 163, his wRC+ 177, his wOBA 401, his OPS+ 163, his WPA 4.20. Silverio is second in all of these as well, and his marks are currently 113, 129, 335, 113 and 0.82. Simply stunning, and he was at it again today against Newark. https://i.imgur.com/4Kac8NL.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/oHPi2nf.png?1 Their poor record means a high Draft Pick, so hopefully 1969 won't be so much of a one-man show for Billy or the Sox. |
1968 August Recap
Nothing is 100% settled as we enter the stretch run of the EL's inaugural season.
The Giants staggered a bit in the early part of the month but regathered themselves and ended up posting a 17-10 sectional. They lead the Fleet National by 10 with 30 to play and should encounter little resistance on their way to winning the group. The East still holds an 8-game advantage in the Weldy National despite an ordinary 12-15 August. The ABCs are the big mover in this group, putting together a 10-win string en route to a 19-7 showing for the month. They, the Motown Stars and American Giants are within a half game of each other but may just have left their run a tad too late this time around. Still, it bodes well for '69 and beyond. The Grays continue to confound all the doubters (IE me), but while a horror stretch of 11 losses has ended the Athletics' hopes of playoff action, the Elite Giants are still hanging in there just 4 GB in the Weldy American. So, while undoubtedly in the box seat, the Grays still have plenty of work to do. Finally, the Fleet American, which is still the tightest of the 4 Associations. A 10-16 August has dragged the Royal Giants back into a proper dogfight, with the Black Yankees, Crawfords and Eagles all now nipping at their heels. It should be a fascinating race and I'll update how it is playing out along the way. FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Chito Martinez (Bacharach Giants) 322 / 10 HR / 22 RBI. FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Pedro Dibut (Crawfords) 5-0 / 1.91 / 10 K / 61.1 IP. WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Andre Thornton (Motown Stars) 391 / 4 HR / 15 RBI. WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Jeff Marquez (Motown Stars) 6-1 / 1.16 / 17 K / 62 IP. https://i.imgur.com/zDqNXDv.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/SQZGPHS.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/dwgxUla.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/R50uH3a.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/2VmT1nJ.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/SwC8dkp.png?1https://i.imgur.com/y8BEoV4.png?1 |
EL Featured Game #4, 1968
Tuesday September 3rd, 1968 - Cuban Stars West @ Cuban Stars East
7.05PM, Griffith Stadium, Washington DC Ben Rivera https://i.imgur.com/Cce3q5U.png?1 Sergio Valdez https://i.imgur.com/KLRo5s6.png?2 The EL might be in its debut season, but there are already plenty of fierce rivalries fomenting - the Royal Giants and Black Yankees and Lincoln Giants; Eagles and Bacharach Giants; Giants and Monarchs; Grays and Athletics. And while we've already featured one of tonight's combatants, I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness at close quarters arguably the fiercest rivalry of them all: El Clásico, as the interleague series between the two Cuban Stars clubs has been tagged. Tonight, the East hosts the West in the nation's capital and it should be a beauty, with plenty more than just pride on the line for both sides as we get into the pointy end of the season. The home side has led from the barriers but undoubtedly started to flag, which has seen their lead in the Weldy National narrow to just 6 1/2 games from the Motown Stars and red-hot ABCs. Meanwhile, the guests have found themselves forced to chase the Giants from the get-go and still trail them by 9 1/2 games and cannot afford to lose further ground on them. Entering this game, the East has the better record of the two by just one game. Ben Rivera is the undisputed ace of the East and has pitched accordingly all season. He has his chance to rack up win number 20 tonight. Meanwhile, Sergio Valdez has also put together a most impressive rookie campaign and will feel good about his chances in this one. We're in for a big one tonight, with elite talent everywhere you look. https://i.imgur.com/GWGCKFn.png?1 Enough with the jibber-jabber, let's get into it. Both pitchers start well, with no hits thru 2, but as is so often the case an error changes things as Hanley Ramirez boots what should have been an inning-ending DP and the West cashes in on a 2-out single by Papi Ortiz that scores one with another thrown out at home. The East finally get their first hit in the 4th, a single by Rod Allen, but a handy GIDP douses the threat. Instead it is the West who scores next, doubling their advantage on an infield hit by Eduardo Perez after Todd Cruz had led off with a double. Charlie Neal singles and then a long double by Juan Soto makes it 3-0, with an Ortiz sac fly adding a fourth. Rivera is certainly off his game tonight and the West extend their lead again in the next after Valdez singles to keep the inning going and Eduardo Perez knocks one in with a double. https://i.imgur.com/a6GddfI.png?1 Rivera then walks Neal to load them up for Juan Soto, who promptly dispatches one into the RF bleachers for a slam to make it an ugly 9-0 and end Rivera's poor game. It is Soto's 19th round-tripper of the season. The East finally gets on the board in the home half via a 2-run homer by Rod Allen - just their second hit of the night - but that's it, as Valdez goes the distance for the win, the West's 4th on the trot. Plenty of worries for the East right now and, while they may have left their run a bit late, the West will take plenty of heart from an excellent win to lock up the inaugural El Clásico and give them bragging rights until it next rolls around. |
1968/69 Draft Class
Well the EL is abuzz with today's announcement of the player pool for the end-of-season Rookie Draft.
100 new players in all, 5 per club, and some fantastic talent up for grabs. The 8 MLB A-Listers are as follows:
The 2 A-List NeL players are actually better-known from their MLB careers:
While Army Cooper, Bob Thurman and Estevan Montalvo are interesting NeLers who look likely candidates for Out of the Shadows monitoring. But, in perhaps the biggest news of all... IT'S SHO-TIME!!! Because of his short IRL career to date, Shohei Ohtani is actually designated in the C grouping for imports into this league, but he is juiced up ratings-wise and sure to go high, if not indeed first overall and I can't wait to see what he does during his Eclipse League career. |
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