|
1972 Awards
GRANT MEDAL (MOST VALUABLE PLAYER) STOVEY MEDAL (PITCHER OF THE YEAR) WHITE PLATE (RELIEVER OF THE YEAR) https://i.imgur.com/Ad1su7N.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/33P1Kkl.png FOWLER MEDAL (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR) https://i.imgur.com/68cSHTZ.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/dwmNykb.png GARRETT BUTTON (MANAGER OF THE YEAR) FC: Miguel Silva, Dodgers WC: Ryan McCharen, American Giants KINDLING AWARD (SILVER SLUGGER) FC / WC https://i.imgur.com/3HE4X2g.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/yp95Slv.png SLICK AWARD (GOLD GLOVE) FC / WC https://i.imgur.com/z5t7tt3.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/fAS68Dg.png |
Stat Check: various
|
1972 EL Free-Agent Class / Rookie Draft
As I have alluded to numerous times recently, the end of the EL's fifth season also marks its first full FA class. And when I say full, I mean full. 195 in all, including a host of the league's biggest names. I'm excited about this but also disappointed that more of these guys weren't kept by their OG clubs.
Plus, it will be an absolute nightmare to keep track of all the comings and goings. Here's a snippet of the highest-rated FAs now up for grabs: Aside from that, all I'm going to do for now is just give you the full 1st Round of the Draft, then I'll incorporate all of the moves into the 1973 Janus Report for each club. The two Category A NeLers coming through this year are Sam Bankhead and the mighty Louis Santop. Among the MLBers, we've had another lovely little bit of serendipity with Vlad Guerrero joining his son in the league. Little V is among the FAs - what chance they end up playing side-by-side? Other big names in this year's Draft include Jose Altuve, Fergie Jenkins and Danny Tartabull. We'll also have two Bernie Williams to deal with as the lesser-known 1970s Giants OF hops aboard. Let's see where they all landed. So Big Vlad does indeed go first to the BGs, with Top behind him selected by the MoStars. Javier Vazquez is the first pitcher chosen, going 12th to the Mons, with Fergie J right after him and off to the AGs. Back with the OD reports in a wee while. |
EL 1973 Opening Day
Full Janus report to follow, but here is a summary by WAR of the offseason's winners and losers.
Utter madness is predicted in the FC, and not much less of the same across in the WC American - hooly dooly! Barry Bonds is the top-ranked position player, with Juan Marichal the #1 pitcher. Here are the farm system rankings and top prospects, with Javier Vazquez at #1. And, finally, the financial status of our EL franchises. |
1973 Janus Report: FC American
Atlantic City Bacharach Giants Brooklyn Royal Giants Newark Dodgers New York Black Yankees Pittsburgh Crawfords |
1973 Janus Report: FC National
Birmingham Black Barons Cuban Stars West Kansas City Monarchs Memphis Red Sox St. Louis Giants |
1973 Janus Report: WC American
Baltimore Elite Giants Hilldale Athletic Club Homestead Grays New York Lincoln Giants Philadelphia Liberty Stars |
1973 Janus Report: WC National
Chicago American Giants Cleveland Buckeyes Cuban Stars East Detroit Motown Stars Indianapolis ABCs |
Big Bank Hank
|
Stat Check: WHIP
|
Stat Check: pWAR
|
A-Gon Goes Riding
The big first-baseman seems to have settled in nicely to his new home in the Big Apple, and makes himself known to the local fans with a fine display against the A's.
|
April 1973 Recap
What a wild old start to the 1973 EL season. The Bacharach Giants get an absolute flyer, winning 15 of their first 17 games, only to catch cold and are currently riding an eight-game losing streak. The Buckeyes and Black Barons also start hot but, unlike AC, stay that way. Meanwhile the ABCs stumble out of the blocks but quickly turn things around and are now looking like the championship threat they are.
I think this season is going to remain that way right through, with loads of good clubs jockeying for position to the end.
Not quite the same excitement in the Transit League, with things pretty tight except for Akron and Atlanta.
Top 20s News & Leaders |
From the Transit Lounge
Some quality players are stuck down at AAA and it will be interesting to see if guys like Donald "Soup" Reeves here will eventually get their fair shake at the top level. Soup had his chance last season but didn't really take it and must be itching for another crack. This performance certainly won't harm his chances of doing so.
Just in case he doesn't, let's take this opportunity to shine a light on him all the same. While Atlanta-born Donald Reeves' NeL career was a fairly short one he showed flashes of real talent in his five seasons split between the Black Crackers and American Giants. 1938 was his best year, but he also impressed enough in 1940 to be the third-highest vote-getter for the annual East-West game, behind only Hilton Smith and Buck Leonard - rare company indeed. A Clark alumnus, Soup went All-American in football and basketball, as well as baseball, and returned to the field of education at the end of his time on the baseball diamond, teaching back in his hometown. He died aged 61 in 1973. Soup's EL iteration entered the league in the 1970 Draft, picked in the 2nd Round and 30th overall by the Giants. As I mentioned, he made it up to the parent club last season, slashing 216/273/360 in 150 PA with 4 homers and 24 RBI. He has been called up for a cuppa again earlier this year but was sent back down after going hitless in 6 AB. He's certainly on the bubble, and his TL line of 335/390/586 with 32 dingers and 147 ribbies in just two seasons makes me highly doubt the top flight has seen the last of him. |
Up Hill and Down Dale
What an amazing effort so far this season by the Athletic Club of Hilldale. Despite lettinh their best player since inception walk in the offseason, the A's currently sit at an EL-best 35-15 and a whopping 11 1/2 games clear in the WC American. That staff of theirs that I rated so poorly in my Janus Report has made a goose of me, with the rotation leading the div with a tidy 3.11 ERA and everyone pulling their weight.
Even sans Pops, their bats were never in question, and have delivered as promised. I remain unconvinced they can keep this up, at least not at their current pace, but that gap might be defendable all the same and there's nothing stopping them from trading for reinforcements along the way. Then again, with guys like Dave Brown giving them this sort of service, perhaps they don't need to. |
Hail, Cesar!
A fine day in the park for Señor Hernandez as he plonks three in the seats against the Dodgers. Sadly, they weren't sufficient to earn the BYs the win.
|
Four the Win
I think it's fair to say Eric is over his sophomore slump of last season. This is just the second 4-HR game in EL history, with Chito Martinez first doing it back in 1970.
Eric's Baltimore teammate Walt Williams also has 5 hits and the recap decides he's the right player to focus on... Sidebar: as a A's fan, every encounter with Eric transports me back to that horrid 1990 WS sweep... |
May 1973 Recap
Apart from the aforementioned A's in the WC American, the tight races continue and I really like how this season is shaping up. While the high-quality pitching remains intact, the hitters have reclaimed some ground so far this year, with the MVP battle in the FC between David Ortiz and Fernando Tatis jr set to be a ripper, with both showing some exceptional form.
The TL is almost identical in that it has one dominant side with a big lead and three incredibly close divisions. That Francis National battle looks like it will be a doozy. News and Leaders |
Stat Check: FIP
|
Transit League All-Stars, 1973
https://i.imgur.com/gJk2Tv8.png
https://i.imgur.com/Xz1sSXU.png https://i.imgur.com/JRTZAoz.png Chattanooga's Dwayne Murphy wins the HR Derby, while Atlanta's Carlos Guillen leads the Catto Conference to a 5-0 win. |
| All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:28 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright © 2024 Out of the Park Developments