Week 4 Recap
Zach Graziano is continuing to enjoy his rookie season after improving to 4-0 on the year as the Bills remain the only undefeated team in the league. Graziano pitched the complete game, but allowed 10 hits and 5 runs, although just 2 of those runs were earned. He also picked up a hit with the bat and scored a run.
Things are getting interesting in Cleveland where the 2-0
Tom Belles was benched in favor of
Jake Scott, after
Tim Keefe was benched in favor of Belles. Scott was charged with the loss, although 4 of the 5 runs were unearned in their 6-4 loss to the Colts. Cleveland also has 24 year old
Ed Kent in the minors, undefeated and 3-0 for the Spiders.
Pat Rehberg may be a new name, but he's actually been with the Jets franchise from the beginning, when they were known as the Philadelphia Athletics. The 36 year old made his first start of his career this year, and is now 1-4 with a save in 64 2/3 innings with a 1.67 ERA for his career. 35 of those innings have come this year though, with his previous high of 10 innings in 1880, all coming in relief. Rehberg was named AL Player of the Week after his complete game win on the road against the Titans.
The National League Player of the Week went to
Larry Corcoran of the Panthers, who allowed just 1 run in the complete game 7-3 win over the Bisons. The Panthers are now tied with the Saints for first place in the NL South. Despite the Saints win there has to be some concern about soon to be 38 year old
Aaron Jackson, who allowed 10 hits and 8 runs before exiting the game after 8 innings. Lucky for Jackson the Saints pounded out 15 hits and scored 11 runs. Leading the way was
Joseph Knight, who went 4-4 with a home run and 4 RBI.
James Burke (3-0,1.80 ERA,30 IP, 17 K) continues to dominate in college for the Florida State Seminoles, winning again to remain undefeated. The junior is now 22-9 with a 2.07 ERA in his college career for the Seminoles, and will be one to watch in the future.
I'm still trying to get caught up from jumping forward two years, but I did miss out on some fairly notable retirements. First up is
Erik Wilson, one of the original members of the league. Entering the league at 32 years old Wilson spent his first six years of the league in the bullpen before earning his first starting pitching job with the then Hartford Owls (now Houston Texans). He started out pretty good his first year as a starter (9-8, 2.46), but at the age of 40 Wilson was 14-4 with a 1.66 ERA, and won the Pitcher of the Year Award. He retired following the 1882 season, but ended up with a 57-30 record and 2.29 ERA in 787 IP. There is just something about an unusual career path like Wilson's that I enjoy.
A couple other players calling it quits include -
SP - Chris Justice - 35-19, 2.68 ERA
SP - John Caron - 21-54, 3.72 ERA
1B - Joe Start - .292, 78 RBI, 97 R
CF - Jelani Gideon - .324, 84 RBI, 130 R, 37 SB