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reds1 · 10-10-2015, 05:58 PM

December 1, 1940

Eastern League: The Top Half Tightens

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The Braeland City Monarchs took over 1st place in the East, if just barely, from the Embro Suns. Both clubs have had to deal with significant injuries to one of their front-line starters, however. In fact, the month of November saw a number of key players go down to major injuries throughout the ULB.
The Monarchs went 12-8 against the Western League teams during the month; 14-10 overall. They lost a series each against the Cambria Cannons, Hespeler Stars and Kingston Pelicans (2 games to 1 each). I make note of this, because in previous seasons, Eastern League teams have usually run roughshod over their Western League counterparts. Braeland City continues to struggle on offense (5th-7th), but has been getting outstanding pitching (1st in a host of categories).

Top Position Player: C Kane Broom (.322/.354/.461, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 26 R, 8 BB) continued his excellent play in November, as he batted .330/.337/.457, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 16 R, 1 BB.

Top Pitcher: LHP David Cooling won Pitcher of the Month honours (9-1, 1.10 ERA, 0.90 WHIP), but the Monarchs’ rotation has been red hot. Earlier in the month, 27-year old RHP Leo Bonfield (8-1, 2.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) pitched a 5-hit shutout and a 3-hit shutout in successive outings, to earn his first Player of the Week honour. If he keeps it up, Bonfield will earn his first all-star appearance as well.

Key Injuries: On November 19, LF Scott Kessler (.321/.369/.496, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 17 R, 11 BB) injured himself on a defensive play in a game against the Fort Richmond Generals. He could be back in 2 weeks.

SP David Cooling strained an abdominal muscle while pitching against the Pulberry Trolleys on November 25. Fortunately for Braeland City, he should be back in a week.

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The Embro Suns cooled off in November, allowing Braeland City to nudge them out of first place. To make matters worse, the Suns have lost their ace RHP Colm Soper for an extended period to injury. Embro continues to lead the Eastern League in offense, but they have regressed a bit in pitching (5th – 7th). That’s not good, especially in a highly competitive League. The Suns will have to find a way to compensate for the loss of their starting ace.

Top Position Player: CF Terence Durney won it last month, but this time, it was 1B Jim Friend’s (.359/.439/.646, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 46 R, 31 BB) turn to win the Batter of the Month Award. Really, the Suns are just dominating the Batting Leaderboards, with Friend, Durney, RF Paul Hooks and SS Gary Watkinson leading the way. Watkinson just had a 21-game hitting streak snapped on November 11 and Durney leads the entire ULB in batting average (.408), among other stats.

Top Pitcher: LHP Edward Hill (10-2, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) had another great month, going 5-2, 3.00 ERA in November. But there is a rather large gap between him and the rest of the rotation right now, especially with Colm Soper out of action for an extended period.

Key Injuries: 31-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow in a game against the Balmoral Giants on November 22. He is gone for at least 4 months. It should be noted that Soper had been pitching rather poorly in 3 of his previous 4 starts in November (7.16 ERA). So something was obviously troubling him.

C Jack MacAvoy (.296/.364/.440, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 27 R, 15 BB) suffered an elbow contusion on November 26 in a game against the Cambria Cannons. He is out 1-2 weeks.

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It was steady as she goes for the Wellington Athletics in November. After winning 14 games in October, they won 15 games this month; to move to within 3.0 games of first place. Wellington continues to pitch well (2nd–3rd). But their offense started to pick up from last month, ranking 3rd – 5th in most categories.

Top Position Player: This was a little tougher to pick, but 3B Ryley McLarnon (.353/.368/.462, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 33 R, 6 BB, 8 SB) again gets the nod. He went .380/.404/.519, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 20 R, 5 BB this month.

Top Pitcher: LHP Clyde Boney (8-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) was Wellington`s top pitcher for the month again, as he went 5-0, 3.12 ERA.

Key Injuries: RF Quentin Stubber can’t stay healthy for very long. After straining a rib cage muscle last month, he bruised a bone in his wrist in a game against the Cambria Cannons back on November 16. He should be back in a week.

2B Brian Main’s (.265/.333/.459, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 27 R, 21 BB) injury last month was not serious. It turned out to be a sore shoulder and he was listed as day-to-day for a week.

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The Stratford Barons were the hottest team in the East in November, running up a 17-9 record. That moved them into fourth place in the standings, 4.0 games back of first. Their offense held steady (2nd – 3rd), but their pitching really stepped it up (1st – 3rd). The starting ERA rated as 6th last month, improved to 3rd (4.93 to 4.07). The bullpen has been sensational, leading the League in ERA (1.97).

Top Position Player: I’ll go with SS Jake Walker (.332/.461/.522, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 26 R, 44 BB) again, as he stepped it up even more in November. He batted .351/.488/.521, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R, 25 BB.

Top Pitcher: Despite the terrific performance by the bullpen, my pick for the month is 31-year old LHP Barry Brear (4-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who went 3-0, 2.20 ERA, 32.2 IP, 10 K, 11 BB.

Noteworthy: 3B Terry Maxwell (.251/.313/.419, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 20 R, 18 BB) hit for the cycle on November 10 against the Embro Suns. Maxwell singled in the 1st, hit a 3-run triple in the 2nd, hit an RBI double in the 3rd, hit a solo-shot in the 5th and flied in the 7th. In total, he went 4-5, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R. Stratford defeated the Suns 13-2. It’s the 8th cycle in ULB history and Maxwell becomes the 7th player to hit for one.

Key Injury: RF Paul DeLamare (.345/.406/.482, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 24 R, 15 BB) got hit with the injury bug in November. On November 8, he experienced ankle soreness in a collision at one of the bases and missed two weeks. Then, on November 27, he strained his groin while running the bases against the Fort Richmond Generals. He will miss 4-5 weeks.

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The Brunswick Legends’ fortunes improved somewhat in November, as they played more competitively, but perhaps more importantly, they went out and acquired a front-line pitcher to replace ace Matthew Monroe, who is lost for the season. The Legends continue to be a middle of the road team in pitching and offense (4th). With a major addition joining the pitching staff, perhaps Brunswick will be solid enough to challenge for the wild card.

Top Position Player: 2B Vince Bailey (.286/.320/.401, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 28 R, 11 BB, 12 SB) rebounded from a slow October and was Brunswick’s best offensive player in November, going .345/.367/.478, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R, 4 BB, 6 SB.

Top Pitcher: LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (8-3, 2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), the new ace of the rotation, rose to the challenge in November, going a wonderful 5-1, 2.42 ERA, 52.0 IP, 21 K, 16 BB.

Key Injury: 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season.

Key trade No. 1: On November 24, Brunswick acquired 30-year old utility IN/OF Arthur Carruth (40/40) from the Wolseley Unions, along with 23-year old minor league 2B John Sullivan (22/43). In return, the Unions received 33-year old utility OF Jamie Thurgood (29/29).

Knee-jerk analysis: Carruth is a former Top Fielder and Thurgood is a former all-star. Both are now back-up players, so this really isn’t a ‘key’ trade per se. But Brunswick has moved Carruth to 1B in the depth chart, behind Teuk-Chin Kim. Kim slumped horribly in November (.175/.286/.190) after a strong October, so I suspect Brunswick was looking for an inexpensive backup just in case Kim continues to slump.

Key trade No. 2: The Legends acquired 25-year old LHP Hirotada Fukishima (67/73 – 5-1, 2.65 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) from the Kingston Pelicans on November 29. In return, the Pelicans received 20-year old minor league RHP Bernie Knowles (20/65) and 18-year old minor league SS Olaf Jasperse (22/35).

Knee-jerk analysis: Brunswick did what they had to do in the wake of losing their pitching ace Matthew Monroe for the entire season. Fukushima is a solid pitcher (rated 17th overall in ULB) who can step right into the rotation. He will be their No. 2 starter, behind Rodríguez, who is now rated 6th overall in the ULB. Kingston must have felt that injuries were going to limit Fukushima`s effectiveness, as he lost all of last season to injury and was injured for a couple of weeks in October (He is considered fragile).
In return, the Pelicans receive Knowles, who was a 3rd round pick last season. He has the potential for respectable stuff, top-notch movement and very good command. He has a good chance of becoming a starter in the majors at some point.

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Injuries continued to be the story with the Queensland Eagles. Like the Brunswick Legends, the Eagles lost one of their top pitchers for the season in LHP Max MacColl. That`s in addition to the other injuries they are dealing with. So it’s no surprise that the Eagles struggled in November, going 11-15. With the loss of MacColl, it’s not a stretch to say that Queensland is in trouble; aside from RHP Stewart Colcott (5-4, 4.36 ERA, 1.44 WHIP), the rest of the pitching staff has been brutal. 41-year old RP Michael WIllberfoss, who was acquired in a trade last season from the Hespeler Stars, is somehow still holding down a job in the ULB, even though he has so far gone 1-4, 0 SV, 10.22 ERA, 2.31 WHIP. Yeesh.

Top Position Player: LF Terry Aspden continued his strong play in November, but 31-year old C Dave Wilson (.333/.397/.554, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 38 R, 20 BB) really stepped it up going .371/.404/.629, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 16 R, 6 BB.

Top Pitcher: LHP Max MacColl (6-2, 2.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) gets the nod again, as he went 2-1, 2.48 ERA, 32.2 IP, 16 K, 8 BB in November, before his season was cut short by injury.

Key Injuries: Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns back on November 19. He is lost for the season.

RF Toby Reakes (.250/.383/.319, 4-2B, 14 RBI, 25 R, 31 BB) suffered a bone spur in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns on November 13. He is expected in 1-2 weeks.

SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) remains out for another 3 months. Back on October 10, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow.

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The Downie Chiefs rebounded somewhat in November and find themselves out of the basement, at least temporarily. The Chiefs had some success against the Western League teams, going 11-9 thus far. Their offense and defense is still ranked near the bottom (7th-8th), but their pitching improved modestly (6th from 7th).

Top Position Player: 25-year old LF Harrison Brooks (.278/.363/.405, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 19 R, 18 BB, 6 SB) won his first Player of the Week award in late November. During the month he went .329/.409/.500, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB 5 SB.

Top Pitcher: There weren’t any real standout performances for the Chiefs this month, but 31-year old RHP Bradley Paris (3-3, 2.09 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) went 2-3, 2.76 ERA, 42.1 IP, 18 K, 12 BB.

Key Injury: RP-LHP Keith Mailes (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation back on October 9 in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is out for another 4 weeks.

Key trade: On November 13, Downie acquired 30-year old utility CF Tadamasa Takano (29/29) from the Cambria Cannons. In exchange, the Cannons received 33-year old RHP Hidetada Kobayashi (52/52) and 19-year old minor league C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (23/70).

Knee-jerk analysis: The Cannons get an average SP to shore up the 5th spot in the rotation, as they too, are dealing with injuries. But they also get Deang, a former 8th round pick who appears to be a sleeper as he is doing quite well offensively in AA. He really needs to work on his defense however. And what does Downie get in return? A CF that will only be a modest improvement to what they already had. Takano has great defense, great speed and limited offensive ability. Deals like this just make me shake my head, as I have no idea what Downie is trying to accomplish. They have the worst farm system in the ULB, and what they do have, they are trading away for marginal talent. A good deal for Cambria though.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings regressed badly in November, winning all of 7 games to fall to last place in the East. The Red Stockings have become a laughing stock at the moment, as they are rated last or near last in all offensive, defensive, and pitching categories. They have nowhere to go but up.

Top Position Player: While not a defensive whiz, 24-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (73/79 - .308/.374/.533, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 21 BB) has all the makings to become a top offensive force in the league. In November, he batted .343/.422/.559, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB.

Top Pitcher: Did I mention that this team is a laughing stock? I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone as having had a decent month on the pitching staff. Hopefully, things will pick up in December.

Key Injury: 29-year old RF Brian Herdman (.350/.480/.600, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 B) suffered a partially torn labrum back on October 15 in a game against the Brunswick Legends. He is out for another 2 months.

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10-10-2015, 05:58 PM	#167
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 1, 1940 Eastern League: The Top Half Tightens -------- The Braeland City Monarchs took over 1st place in the East, if just barely, from the Embro Suns. Both clubs have had to deal with significant injuries to one of their front-line starters, however. In fact, the month of November saw a number of key players go down to major injuries throughout the ULB. The Monarchs went 12-8 against the Western League teams during the month; 14-10 overall. They lost a series each against the Cambria Cannons, Hespeler Stars and Kingston Pelicans (2 games to 1 each). I make note of this, because in previous seasons, Eastern League teams have usually run roughshod over their Western League counterparts. Braeland City continues to struggle on offense (5th-7th), but has been getting outstanding pitching (1st in a host of categories). *Top Position Player:* C Kane Broom (.322/.354/.461, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 26 R, 8 BB) continued his excellent play in November, as he batted .330/.337/.457, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 16 R, 1 BB. *Top Pitcher:* LHP David Cooling won Pitcher of the Month honours (9-1, 1.10 ERA, 0.90 WHIP), but the Monarchs’ rotation has been red hot. Earlier in the month, 27-year old RHP Leo Bonfield (8-1, 2.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) pitched a 5-hit shutout and a 3-hit shutout in successive outings, to earn his first Player of the Week honour. If he keeps it up, Bonfield will earn his first all-star appearance as well. *Key Injuries:* On November 19, LF Scott Kessler (.321/.369/.496, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 17 R, 11 BB) injured himself on a defensive play in a game against the Fort Richmond Generals. He could be back in 2 weeks. SP David Cooling strained an abdominal muscle while pitching against the Pulberry Trolleys on November 25. Fortunately for Braeland City, he should be back in a week. -------- The Embro Suns cooled off in November, allowing Braeland City to nudge them out of first place. To make matters worse, the Suns have lost their ace RHP Colm Soper for an extended period to injury. Embro continues to lead the Eastern League in offense, but they have regressed a bit in pitching (5th – 7th). That’s not good, especially in a highly competitive League. The Suns will have to find a way to compensate for the loss of their starting ace. *Top Position Player:* CF Terence Durney won it last month, but this time, it was 1B Jim Friend’s (.359/.439/.646, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 46 R, 31 BB) turn to win the Batter of the Month Award. Really, the Suns are just dominating the Batting Leaderboards, with Friend, Durney, RF Paul Hooks and SS Gary Watkinson leading the way. Watkinson just had a 21-game hitting streak snapped on November 11 and Durney leads the entire ULB in batting average (.408), among other stats. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Edward Hill (10-2, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) had another great month, going 5-2, 3.00 ERA in November. But there is a rather large gap between him and the rest of the rotation right now, especially with Colm Soper out of action for an extended period. *Key Injuries:* 31-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow in a game against the Balmoral Giants on November 22. He is gone for at least 4 months. It should be noted that Soper had been pitching rather poorly in 3 of his previous 4 starts in November (7.16 ERA). So something was obviously troubling him. C Jack MacAvoy (.296/.364/.440, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 27 R, 15 BB) suffered an elbow contusion on November 26 in a game against the Cambria Cannons. He is out 1-2 weeks. -------- It was steady as she goes for the Wellington Athletics in November. After winning 14 games in October, they won 15 games this month; to move to within 3.0 games of first place. Wellington continues to pitch well (2nd–3rd). But their offense started to pick up from last month, ranking 3rd – 5th in most categories. *Top Position Player:* This was a little tougher to pick, but 3B Ryley McLarnon (.353/.368/.462, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 33 R, 6 BB, 8 SB) again gets the nod. He went .380/.404/.519, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 20 R, 5 BB this month. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Clyde Boney (8-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) was Wellington`s top pitcher for the month again, as he went 5-0, 3.12 ERA. *Key Injuries:* RF Quentin Stubber can’t stay healthy for very long. After straining a rib cage muscle last month, he bruised a bone in his wrist in a game against the Cambria Cannons back on November 16. He should be back in a week. 2B Brian Main’s (.265/.333/.459, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 27 R, 21 BB) injury last month was not serious. It turned out to be a sore shoulder and he was listed as day-to-day for a week. -------- The Stratford Barons were the hottest team in the East in November, running up a 17-9 record. That moved them into fourth place in the standings, 4.0 games back of first. Their offense held steady (2nd – 3rd), but their pitching really stepped it up (1st – 3rd). The starting ERA rated as 6th last month, improved to 3rd (4.93 to 4.07). The bullpen has been sensational, leading the League in ERA (1.97). *Top Position Player:* I’ll go with SS Jake Walker (.332/.461/.522, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 26 R, 44 BB) again, as he stepped it up even more in November. He batted .351/.488/.521, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R, 25 BB. *Top Pitcher:* Despite the terrific performance by the bullpen, my pick for the month is 31-year old LHP Barry Brear (4-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who went 3-0, 2.20 ERA, 32.2 IP, 10 K, 11 BB. *Noteworthy:* 3B Terry Maxwell (.251/.313/.419, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 20 R, 18 BB) hit for the cycle on November 10 against the Embro Suns. Maxwell singled in the 1st, hit a 3-run triple in the 2nd, hit an RBI double in the 3rd, hit a solo-shot in the 5th and flied in the 7th. In total, he went 4-5, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R. Stratford defeated the Suns 13-2. It’s the 8th cycle in ULB history and Maxwell becomes the 7th player to hit for one. *Key Injury:* RF Paul DeLamare (.345/.406/.482, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 24 R, 15 BB) got hit with the injury bug in November. On November 8, he experienced ankle soreness in a collision at one of the bases and missed two weeks. Then, on November 27, he strained his groin while running the bases against the Fort Richmond Generals. He will miss 4-5 weeks. -------- The Brunswick Legends’ fortunes improved somewhat in November, as they played more competitively, but perhaps more importantly, they went out and acquired a front-line pitcher to replace ace Matthew Monroe, who is lost for the season. The Legends continue to be a middle of the road team in pitching and offense (4th). With a major addition joining the pitching staff, perhaps Brunswick will be solid enough to challenge for the wild card. *Top Position Player:* 2B Vince Bailey (.286/.320/.401, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 28 R, 11 BB, 12 SB) rebounded from a slow October and was Brunswick’s best offensive player in November, going .345/.367/.478, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R, 4 BB, 6 SB. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (8-3, 2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), the new ace of the rotation, rose to the challenge in November, going a wonderful 5-1, 2.42 ERA, 52.0 IP, 21 K, 16 BB. *Key Injury:* 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season. *Key trade No. 1:* On November 24, Brunswick acquired 30-year old utility IN/OF Arthur Carruth (40/40) from the Wolseley Unions, along with 23-year old minor league 2B John Sullivan (22/43). In return, the Unions received 33-year old utility OF Jamie Thurgood (29/29). *Knee-jerk analysis:* Carruth is a former Top Fielder and Thurgood is a former all-star. Both are now back-up players, so this really isn’t a ‘key’ trade per se. But Brunswick has moved Carruth to 1B in the depth chart, behind Teuk-Chin Kim. Kim slumped horribly in November (.175/.286/.190) after a strong October, so I suspect Brunswick was looking for an inexpensive backup just in case Kim continues to slump. *Key trade No. 2:* The Legends acquired 25-year old LHP Hirotada Fukishima (67/73 – 5-1, 2.65 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) from the Kingston Pelicans on November 29. In return, the Pelicans received 20-year old minor league RHP Bernie Knowles (20/65) and 18-year old minor league SS Olaf Jasperse (22/35). *Knee-jerk analysis:* Brunswick did what they had to do in the wake of losing their pitching ace Matthew Monroe for the entire season. Fukushima is a solid pitcher (rated 17th overall in ULB) who can step right into the rotation. He will be their No. 2 starter, behind Rodríguez, who is now rated 6th overall in the ULB. Kingston must have felt that injuries were going to limit Fukushima`s effectiveness, as he lost all of last season to injury and was injured for a couple of weeks in October (He is considered fragile). In return, the Pelicans receive Knowles, who was a 3rd round pick last season. He has the potential for respectable stuff, top-notch movement and very good command. He has a good chance of becoming a starter in the majors at some point. -------- Injuries continued to be the story with the Queensland Eagles. Like the Brunswick Legends, the Eagles lost one of their top pitchers for the season in LHP Max MacColl. That`s in addition to the other injuries they are dealing with. So it’s no surprise that the Eagles struggled in November, going 11-15. With the loss of MacColl, it’s not a stretch to say that Queensland is in trouble; aside from RHP Stewart Colcott (5-4, 4.36 ERA, 1.44 WHIP), the rest of the pitching staff has been brutal. 41-year old RP Michael WIllberfoss, who was acquired in a trade last season from the Hespeler Stars, is somehow still holding down a job in the ULB, even though he has so far gone 1-4, 0 SV, 10.22 ERA, 2.31 WHIP. Yeesh. *Top Position Player:* LF Terry Aspden continued his strong play in November, but 31-year old C Dave Wilson (.333/.397/.554, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 38 R, 20 BB) really stepped it up going .371/.404/.629, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 16 R, 6 BB. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Max MacColl (6-2, 2.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) gets the nod again, as he went 2-1, 2.48 ERA, 32.2 IP, 16 K, 8 BB in November, before his season was cut short by injury. *Key Injuries:* Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns back on November 19. He is lost for the season. RF Toby Reakes (.250/.383/.319, 4-2B, 14 RBI, 25 R, 31 BB) suffered a bone spur in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns on November 13. He is expected in 1-2 weeks. SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) remains out for another 3 months. Back on October 10, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow. -------- The Downie Chiefs rebounded somewhat in November and find themselves out of the basement, at least temporarily. The Chiefs had some success against the Western League teams, going 11-9 thus far. Their offense and defense is still ranked near the bottom (7th-8th), but their pitching improved modestly (6th from 7th). *Top Position Player:* 25-year old LF Harrison Brooks (.278/.363/.405, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 19 R, 18 BB, 6 SB) won his first Player of the Week award in late November. During the month he went .329/.409/.500, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB 5 SB. *Top Pitcher:* There weren’t any real standout performances for the Chiefs this month, but 31-year old RHP Bradley Paris (3-3, 2.09 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) went 2-3, 2.76 ERA, 42.1 IP, 18 K, 12 BB. *Key Injury:* RP-LHP Keith Mailes (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation back on October 9 in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is out for another 4 weeks. *Key trade:* On November 13, Downie acquired 30-year old utility CF Tadamasa Takano (29/29) from the Cambria Cannons. In exchange, the Cannons received 33-year old RHP Hidetada Kobayashi (52/52) and 19-year old minor league C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (23/70). *Knee-jerk analysis:* The Cannons get an average SP to shore up the 5th spot in the rotation, as they too, are dealing with injuries. But they also get Deang, a former 8th round pick who appears to be a sleeper as he is doing quite well offensively in AA. He really needs to work on his defense however. And what does Downie get in return? A CF that will only be a modest improvement to what they already had. Takano has great defense, great speed and limited offensive ability. Deals like this just make me shake my head, as I have no idea what Downie is trying to accomplish. They have the worst farm system in the ULB, and what they do have, they are trading away for marginal talent. A good deal for Cambria though. -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings regressed badly in November, winning all of 7 games to fall to last place in the East. The Red Stockings have become a laughing stock at the moment, as they are rated last or near last in all offensive, defensive, and pitching categories. They have nowhere to go but up. *Top Position Player:* While not a defensive whiz, 24-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (73/79 - .308/.374/.533, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 21 BB) has all the makings to become a top offensive force in the league. In November, he batted .343/.422/.559, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB. *Top Pitcher:* Did I mention that this team is a laughing stock? I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone as having had a decent month on the pitching staff. Hopefully, things will pick up in December. *Key Injury:* 29-year old RF Brian Herdman (.350/.480/.600, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 B) suffered a partially torn labrum back on October 15 in a game against the Brunswick Legends. He is out for another 2 months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 09:06 PM.