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reds1 · 08-22-2015, 07:22 AM

December 1, 1939

Eastern League: Monarchs, Eagles Take Flight

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The Braeland City Monarchs kicked it into high gear in November, going 19-6 for the month to grab first place in the East from a quickly fading Stratford Barons team. The month included a 9-game winning streak, including a 3-game sweep of the Kingston Pelicans. The Monarchs are hot to say the least and lead the Eastern League in a number of offensive and defensive categories. The Monarchs announced on November 27 that they’ve set their team focus to ‘Win Now’. That’s exactly what they’re doing.

Top Position Player: With so many Monarchs playing well, it’s tough to pick just one. I’ll give it to both RF Dwayne Hollinshead (.345/.438/.536, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 33 R, 35 BB), who leads in a slew of categories. But SS Adam Ashley (.333/.394/.494, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 49 R, 22 BB, 10 SB) leads in a number of categories too, including WAR (2.6).

Top Pitcher: Braeland City has an outstanding rotation and bullpen, so they are not relying on just one pitcher. But there’s a reason SP Lenny Freke is an all-star, and he continues to excel this season, with a 7-4, 2.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP record.

Noteworthy: CF Jay Atwood (.321/.424/.494, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 31 BB) won Player of the Week honours in the first week of November.

Key Injuries: None.

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Braeland City was not the only team in the East that was hot in November. The Queensland Eagles also went 19-6 to take over second spot in the standings and keep within 2.5 games of first. They are 9-1 in the past 10 games. The Eagles have been very good on offense, but are only average on pitching over the past two months. However, the pitching has been steadily improving. In fact, an Eagles pitcher won Pitcher of the Month honours for the second month in a row.

Top Position Player: 24-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.318/.391/.486, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 50 R, 27 BB) had an outstanding month. In October, he batted .259; in November, .385.

Top Pitcher: 32-year old SP Stewart Colcott went undefeated in November, at 5-0, to grab the Pitcher of the Month Award. After two months, his record is 8-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.13 WHIP.

Noteworthy: After struggling in October (2-2, 8.48 ERA in 5 starts), SP Roger Young turned things around in November, going 2-0, 2.81 ERA in four starts.

Key Injury: Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) broke a bone in his elbow in a game on October 28. He is out for three more months.

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The Wellington Athletics became the third team in the East to reach 30 victories after two months of action. But they remain 3.5 games back of the wild card and have a posse of teams hot on their tails. It’s looking like it will be a dogfight in the East this season.
The Athletics’ pitching has been top-notch thus far, while their offense has been average.

Top Position Player: 3B Ryley McLarnon has been rock steady to start the season (.315 in October, .319 in November), going .317/.343/.442, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 41 R, 10 BB, 15 SB thus far.

Top Pitcher: SP Clyde Boney was brilliant in November (4-0, 1.69 ERA) and probably would have won Pitcher of the Month honours if Queensland’s Stewart Colcott wasn’t hot as well. Boney’s record thus far is 8-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.09 WHIP.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Brunswick Legends were not quite as hot as Braeland City and Queensland, but they did go 15-10 in November and that keeps them relevant in the early going. Their offense continued to roll right along, while their pitching improved, particularly their starting rotation. The Legends were involved in four trades this past month, three of them significant, so it would appear that the Legends are serious about defending their EL Pennant.

Top Position Player: OF Mark Elston appears to be playing in a higher league right now, as he is hitting .400/.527/.694, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 47 R, 49 BB. It’s no surprise that he won his second consecutive Hitter of the Month Award. That’s the third he’s won in his ULB career.

Top Pitcher: The starting rotation had a really good month, so it’s a bit of a challenge to single out one of them. But you can't go wrong with 23-year old SP Anastasio Rodríguez, who has gone 6-3, 3.13 ERA, 1.32 WHIP; 4-1, 2.49 in November. Rodríguez was the 4th overall pick for the Legends in the 1937-38 amateur draft.

Noteworthy: Unheralded 27-year old OF Scott Orchard (.246/.277/.388, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 30 R, 9 BB, 8 SB) won the Rookie of the Month Award in November.
Both Mark Elston and Rovilson Valdevieso (.402/.425/.584, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 35 R, 11 BB, 9 SB) won Player of the Week honours during the course of the month and they form a formidable tandem hitting in the No. 3 and 4 spots against righties. Are they Braeland’s version of Ruth and Gehrig? I don’t know, but it seems appropriate that they’re wearing pinstripes!

Key Injury: SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 6 weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair. Uh, Rob, are you sure you want to stick with that story?

Key Trade #1: Brunswick parted with 25-year old CF Pete Good (75/75 - .295/.337/.385, 5-2B, 13 RBI, 5 R, 5 BB), sending him to the Stratford Barons on November 4. Brunswick received 26-year old C Henry Goddier (40/46) and 21-year old minor league RP Byron Poskitt (20/53). Poskitt would not remain long in the Legends organization, as he was part of Trade No. 2 later that same day.

Key Trade #2: Just after completing Trade #1, the Legends traded Poskitt, along with 22-year old CF Ramón Tavira (23/64), 20-yearl old RP Zak Tuxford (20/34) and 21-year old 3B Alistair Lee (22/23) to the Balmoral Giants for 23-year old C Maurice Evans (51/68 - .248/.352/.382, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R, 26 BB).

Knee-jerk analysis: In trading CF Pete Good to Stratford, the Legends are installing Rookie of the Month winner Scott Orchard as their starting CF from here on out. In the process, they have completely overhauled the catching situation. Evans (rated 8th for catchers in the ULB) is now the starting catcher, while Goddier will serve as his backup. Personally, I really like these moves. It will be fun to see if they pan out for Brunswick.

Interesting note: This the third trade that Poskitt has been a party of during a 2 week stretch. Stratford acquired him from the Downie Chiefs back on October 21.

Key Trade #3: On November 26, Brunswick traded 26-year old IF Rubén Sánchez (47/53 - .335/.361/.456, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 30 R, 10 BB) to the Wolseley Unions. In return, they receive 26-year old 3B Derek Sakurai (78/78 - .299/.370/.483, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 37 R, 24 BB) and 39-year old minor league RP Monte Key (25/25).

Knee-jerk analysis: Sakurai is currently rated the No. 1 3B in the ULB and represents an upgrade at that position for Brunswick. Losing 1B Sánchez hurts the Legends, and in fact, 1B and 2B remain a weakness for them. Sánchez becomes Wolseley’s starting SS.
I like the acquisition of Sakurai for Brunswick, and Sánchez is a fine player with tremendous defense, but I think Wolseley undersold Sakurai just a bit. If Sánchez performs really well for Wolseley, then perhaps the trade was equitable.

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While other teams were surging up the standing in the East, the Stratford Barons were rushing for the exits. The Barons stumbled in November, going 10-15, after putting up a 19-9 record the previous month. The offense took a nosedive, falling to around 6th after averaging around 3rd in October. A sweep at the hands of the Kingston Pelicans to end the month must have stung. The Barons need to do some soul-searching and determine whether they truly are contenders or just pretenders.

Top Position Player: For an offense that struggled last month, SS Jake Walker remained solid and has gone .299/.397/.464, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 27 R, 32 BB thus far this season.

Top Pitcher: SP Ryan Borden (6-3, 4.91 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) greatly improved in November, going 3-1, 2.27 ERA in 6 starts.
On the other hand, SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji collapsed, going 0-4, 8.16 ERA. In October, he went 4-0, 1.64 ERA. Ouch.

Key Injury: 27-year old IF Terry Maxwell (.319/.429/.404, 4-2B, 3 RBI, 7 R, 9 BB) was bit by a rabid dog on October 21 and will be gone for 3 more weeks.

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The Embro Suns improved modestly in November, as they went 14-11 to move 4 games above .500. But they are finding out rather quickly that other teams are passing them by and the fans are starting to get anxious. While their offense is improving somewhat, the pitching took a step back from last month. The Suns did make a trade to acquire a SP to try and address the issue. Will it help? This is a talented team that has yet to see that talent pay dividends.

Top Position Player: CF Terence Durney (.299/.354/.514, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 46 R, 21 BB, 11 SB) is a star and that was not more apparent than in November, when he batted .340, compared to October when he hit .241.

Top Pitcher: SP Colm Soper (6-3, 2.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) was outstanding in November, going 4-0, 0.97 ERA in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade: The Suns acquired 24-year old SP Edward Hill (63/64 – 3-5, 3.80 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) on November 26 from the Wolseley Unions. The Unions received 3 minor league players:
• 20-year old SP Kai Tosh (21/65 – rated #29 prospect; Round 3 pick in 1938-39);
• 20-year old SS Craig Aiton (21/33 – Round 2 pick in 1938-39) and
• 19-year old SP Kane Brenchley (20/23 – Round 4 pick in 1938-39).

Knee-jerk analysis: Hill becomes Embro’s No. 2 starter and provides a LHP in the rotation. He should benefit from the move and the improved run support. The private Tosh is an intriguing prospect and just adds more depth to Wolseley’s deep farm system. He becomes their second overall pitching prospect.

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The Downie Chiefs are quickly sinking into oblivion, as they went 11-14 in November, to fall 11.5 games out of first. Their offense is putrid and their pitching is regressing. Not a good combination. They also lost SP Bradley Paris for an extended period, so that will not help the situation. It’s desperation time in Downie and it’s only the end of November.
After acquiring Francis Pynchon last month from the Stratford Barons, the Chiefs did some shifting in the outfield and moved the former 1B to LF, leaving Jeaic Risbrough (.333/.392./.447, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 22 R, 15 BB) at 1B, which is the only position he is rated for.

Top Position Player: 3B Andy Johnson (.295/.342/.371, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 30 R, 18 BB) had a great month, where he hit .324.

Top Pitcher: Not a great month for Downie pitchers, but SP Frank Leadbeater (4-6, 3.99 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) pitched decently, going 3-3, 3.10 ERA.

Key Injury: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) partially tore his labrum in a game against the Kingston Pelicans on November 10. He will be gone for 3 months.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings enjoyed a winning record in November, going 13-12. In one 14-game stretch, they went 11-3 and swept the defending United Cup Champions Kingston Pelicans in their 3-game matchup. It was a hopeful sign for a woeful team, but the Red Stockings are still struggling on both sides of the ball, so the improved play may only be a mirage. They did make a surprising trade with Cambria however.

Top Position Player: LF Stuart Bentham (.287/.372/.385, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 33 R, 25 BB) had a very good month in November, hitting .347, after hitting just .223 in October.

Top Pitcher: I’m sorely tempted to go with no one, since the pitching has been so dreadful thus far. But I’ll go with RP Larry Parrish (1-2, 2 SV, 3.89 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who had an ERA of 2.50 in November, with 12 K and 3 BB.

Key Injury: RF Brian Herdman (.248/.330/.337, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB) suffered a herniated disc on November 10 in a game against the Pulberry Trolleys. He will be out for another 1-2 weeks.

Key Trade: The Red Stockings acquired 25-year old Clint Jones (74/75 – .326/.388/.493, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 50 R, 22 BB, 10 SB) on November 15 from the Cambria Cannons.
Cambria received 34-year old 3B Kenneth Logan (58/58 - .325/.371/.521, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 19 R, 11 B) and 21-year old minor leaguer CF Bert Helmer (23/75 – No. 6 overall prospect).

Knee-jerk analysis: I just don’t get what the Red Stockings are trying to do. Clint Jones is a terrific player and is an immediate upgrade for Cobourg at CF, where he is slated to play. But I can’t see him transforming them into a contender when they need to seriously improve their pitching. Logan meanwhile will be an upgrade for Cambria at 3B. But the surrendering by Cobourg of a highly-rated prospect in Helmer just makes no sense for a team that should be stocking up, not shipping out. Helmer becomes Cambria’s top prospect, in a farm system that is now rated 3rd overall. Cobourg’s farm system falls to 10th. Why Cobourg, why?

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08-22-2015, 07:22 AM	#130
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 1, 1939 Eastern League: Monarchs, Eagles Take Flight -------- The Braeland City Monarchs kicked it into high gear in November, going 19-6 for the month to grab first place in the East from a quickly fading Stratford Barons team. The month included a 9-game winning streak, including a 3-game sweep of the Kingston Pelicans. The Monarchs are hot to say the least and lead the Eastern League in a number of offensive and defensive categories. The Monarchs announced on November 27 that they’ve set their team focus to ‘Win Now’. That’s exactly what they’re doing. Top Position Player: With so many Monarchs playing well, it’s tough to pick just one. I’ll give it to both RF Dwayne Hollinshead (.345/.438/.536, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 33 R, 35 BB), who leads in a slew of categories. But SS Adam Ashley (.333/.394/.494, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 49 R, 22 BB, 10 SB) leads in a number of categories too, including WAR (2.6). Top Pitcher: Braeland City has an outstanding rotation and bullpen, so they are not relying on just one pitcher. But there’s a reason SP Lenny Freke is an all-star, and he continues to excel this season, with a 7-4, 2.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP record. Noteworthy: CF Jay Atwood (.321/.424/.494, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 31 BB) won Player of the Week honours in the first week of November. Key Injuries: None. -------- Braeland City was not the only team in the East that was hot in November. The Queensland Eagles also went 19-6 to take over second spot in the standings and keep within 2.5 games of first. They are 9-1 in the past 10 games. The Eagles have been very good on offense, but are only average on pitching over the past two months. However, the pitching has been steadily improving. In fact, an Eagles pitcher won Pitcher of the Month honours for the second month in a row. Top Position Player: 24-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.318/.391/.486, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 50 R, 27 BB) had an outstanding month. In October, he batted .259; in November, .385. Top Pitcher: 32-year old SP Stewart Colcott went undefeated in November, at 5-0, to grab the Pitcher of the Month Award. After two months, his record is 8-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.13 WHIP. Noteworthy: After struggling in October (2-2, 8.48 ERA in 5 starts), SP Roger Young turned things around in November, going 2-0, 2.81 ERA in four starts. Key Injury: Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) broke a bone in his elbow in a game on October 28. He is out for three more months. -------- The Wellington Athletics became the third team in the East to reach 30 victories after two months of action. But they remain 3.5 games back of the wild card and have a posse of teams hot on their tails. It’s looking like it will be a dogfight in the East this season. The Athletics’ pitching has been top-notch thus far, while their offense has been average. Top Position Player: 3B Ryley McLarnon has been rock steady to start the season (.315 in October, .319 in November), going .317/.343/.442, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 41 R, 10 BB, 15 SB thus far. Top Pitcher: SP Clyde Boney was brilliant in November (4-0, 1.69 ERA) and probably would have won Pitcher of the Month honours if Queensland’s Stewart Colcott wasn’t hot as well. Boney’s record thus far is 8-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.09 WHIP. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Brunswick Legends were not quite as hot as Braeland City and Queensland, but they did go 15-10 in November and that keeps them relevant in the early going. Their offense continued to roll right along, while their pitching improved, particularly their starting rotation. The Legends were involved in four trades this past month, three of them significant, so it would appear that the Legends are serious about defending their EL Pennant. Top Position Player: OF Mark Elston appears to be playing in a higher league right now, as he is hitting .400/.527/.694, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 47 R, 49 BB. It’s no surprise that he won his second consecutive Hitter of the Month Award. That’s the third he’s won in his ULB career. Top Pitcher: The starting rotation had a really good month, so it’s a bit of a challenge to single out one of them. But you can't go wrong with 23-year old SP Anastasio Rodríguez, who has gone 6-3, 3.13 ERA, 1.32 WHIP; 4-1, 2.49 in November. Rodríguez was the 4th overall pick for the Legends in the 1937-38 amateur draft. Noteworthy: Unheralded 27-year old OF Scott Orchard (.246/.277/.388, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 30 R, 9 BB, 8 SB) won the Rookie of the Month Award in November. Both Mark Elston and Rovilson Valdevieso (.402/.425/.584, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 35 R, 11 BB, 9 SB) won Player of the Week honours during the course of the month and they form a formidable tandem hitting in the No. 3 and 4 spots against righties. Are they Braeland’s version of Ruth and Gehrig? I don’t know, but it seems appropriate that they’re wearing pinstripes! Key Injury: SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 6 weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair. Uh, Rob, are you sure you want to stick with that story? Key Trade #1: Brunswick parted with 25-year old CF Pete Good (75/75 - .295/.337/.385, 5-2B, 13 RBI, 5 R, 5 BB), sending him to the Stratford Barons on November 4. Brunswick received 26-year old C Henry Goddier (40/46) and 21-year old minor league RP Byron Poskitt (20/53). Poskitt would not remain long in the Legends organization, as he was part of Trade No. 2 later that same day. Key Trade #2: Just after completing Trade #1, the Legends traded Poskitt, along with 22-year old CF Ramón Tavira (23/64), 20-yearl old RP Zak Tuxford (20/34) and 21-year old 3B Alistair Lee (22/23) to the Balmoral Giants for 23-year old C Maurice Evans (51/68 - .248/.352/.382, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R, 26 BB). Knee-jerk analysis: In trading CF Pete Good to Stratford, the Legends are installing Rookie of the Month winner Scott Orchard as their starting CF from here on out. In the process, they have completely overhauled the catching situation. Evans (rated 8th for catchers in the ULB) is now the starting catcher, while Goddier will serve as his backup. Personally, I really like these moves. It will be fun to see if they pan out for Brunswick. Interesting note: This the third trade that Poskitt has been a party of during a 2 week stretch. Stratford acquired him from the Downie Chiefs back on October 21. Key Trade #3: On November 26, Brunswick traded 26-year old IF Rubén Sánchez (47/53 - .335/.361/.456, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 30 R, 10 BB) to the Wolseley Unions. In return, they receive 26-year old 3B Derek Sakurai (78/78 - .299/.370/.483, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 37 R, 24 BB) and 39-year old minor league RP Monte Key (25/25). Knee-jerk analysis: Sakurai is currently rated the No. 1 3B in the ULB and represents an upgrade at that position for Brunswick. Losing 1B Sánchez hurts the Legends, and in fact, 1B and 2B remain a weakness for them. Sánchez becomes Wolseley’s starting SS. I like the acquisition of Sakurai for Brunswick, and Sánchez is a fine player with tremendous defense, but I think Wolseley undersold Sakurai just a bit. If Sánchez performs really well for Wolseley, then perhaps the trade was equitable. -------- While other teams were surging up the standing in the East, the Stratford Barons were rushing for the exits. The Barons stumbled in November, going 10-15, after putting up a 19-9 record the previous month. The offense took a nosedive, falling to around 6th after averaging around 3rd in October. A sweep at the hands of the Kingston Pelicans to end the month must have stung. The Barons need to do some soul-searching and determine whether they truly are contenders or just pretenders. Top Position Player: For an offense that struggled last month, SS Jake Walker remained solid and has gone .299/.397/.464, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 27 R, 32 BB thus far this season. Top Pitcher: SP Ryan Borden (6-3, 4.91 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) greatly improved in November, going 3-1, 2.27 ERA in 6 starts. On the other hand, SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji collapsed, going 0-4, 8.16 ERA. In October, he went 4-0, 1.64 ERA. Ouch. Key Injury: 27-year old IF Terry Maxwell (.319/.429/.404, 4-2B, 3 RBI, 7 R, 9 BB) was bit by a rabid dog on October 21 and will be gone for 3 more weeks. -------- The Embro Suns improved modestly in November, as they went 14-11 to move 4 games above .500. But they are finding out rather quickly that other teams are passing them by and the fans are starting to get anxious. While their offense is improving somewhat, the pitching took a step back from last month. The Suns did make a trade to acquire a SP to try and address the issue. Will it help? This is a talented team that has yet to see that talent pay dividends. Top Position Player: CF Terence Durney (.299/.354/.514, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 46 R, 21 BB, 11 SB) is a star and that was not more apparent than in November, when he batted .340, compared to October when he hit .241. Top Pitcher: SP Colm Soper (6-3, 2.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) was outstanding in November, going 4-0, 0.97 ERA in 6 starts. Key Injuries: None. Key Trade: The Suns acquired 24-year old SP Edward Hill (63/64 – 3-5, 3.80 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) on November 26 from the Wolseley Unions. The Unions received 3 minor league players: • 20-year old SP Kai Tosh (21/65 – rated #29 prospect; Round 3 pick in 1938-39); • 20-year old SS Craig Aiton (21/33 – Round 2 pick in 1938-39) and • 19-year old SP Kane Brenchley (20/23 – Round 4 pick in 1938-39). Knee-jerk analysis: Hill becomes Embro’s No. 2 starter and provides a LHP in the rotation. He should benefit from the move and the improved run support. The private Tosh is an intriguing prospect and just adds more depth to Wolseley’s deep farm system. He becomes their second overall pitching prospect. -------- The Downie Chiefs are quickly sinking into oblivion, as they went 11-14 in November, to fall 11.5 games out of first. Their offense is putrid and their pitching is regressing. Not a good combination. They also lost SP Bradley Paris for an extended period, so that will not help the situation. It’s desperation time in Downie and it’s only the end of November. After acquiring Francis Pynchon last month from the Stratford Barons, the Chiefs did some shifting in the outfield and moved the former 1B to LF, leaving Jeaic Risbrough (.333/.392./.447, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 22 R, 15 BB) at 1B, which is the only position he is rated for. Top Position Player: 3B Andy Johnson (.295/.342/.371, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 30 R, 18 BB) had a great month, where he hit .324. Top Pitcher: Not a great month for Downie pitchers, but SP Frank Leadbeater (4-6, 3.99 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) pitched decently, going 3-3, 3.10 ERA. Key Injury: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) partially tore his labrum in a game against the Kingston Pelicans on November 10. He will be gone for 3 months. -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings enjoyed a winning record in November, going 13-12. In one 14-game stretch, they went 11-3 and swept the defending United Cup Champions Kingston Pelicans in their 3-game matchup. It was a hopeful sign for a woeful team, but the Red Stockings are still struggling on both sides of the ball, so the improved play may only be a mirage. They did make a surprising trade with Cambria however. Top Position Player: LF Stuart Bentham (.287/.372/.385, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 33 R, 25 BB) had a very good month in November, hitting .347, after hitting just .223 in October. Top Pitcher: I’m sorely tempted to go with no one, since the pitching has been so dreadful thus far. But I’ll go with RP Larry Parrish (1-2, 2 SV, 3.89 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who had an ERA of 2.50 in November, with 12 K and 3 BB. Key Injury: RF Brian Herdman (.248/.330/.337, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB) suffered a herniated disc on November 10 in a game against the Pulberry Trolleys. He will be out for another 1-2 weeks. Key Trade: The Red Stockings acquired 25-year old Clint Jones (74/75 – .326/.388/.493, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 50 R, 22 BB, 10 SB) on November 15 from the Cambria Cannons. Cambria received 34-year old 3B Kenneth Logan (58/58 - .325/.371/.521, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 19 R, 11 B) and 21-year old minor leaguer CF Bert Helmer (23/75 – No. 6 overall prospect). Knee-jerk analysis: I just don’t get what the Red Stockings are trying to do. Clint Jones is a terrific player and is an immediate upgrade for Cobourg at CF, where he is slated to play. But I can’t see him transforming them into a contender when they need to seriously improve their pitching. Logan meanwhile will be an upgrade for Cambria at 3B. But the surrendering by Cobourg of a highly-rated prospect in Helmer just makes no sense for a team that should be stocking up, not shipping out. Helmer becomes Cambria’s top prospect, in a farm system that is now rated 3rd overall. Cobourg’s farm system falls to 10th. Why Cobourg, why? -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 01:23 AM.