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reds1 · 11-13-2015, 09:46 PM

1941 Offseason: United Leagues Adjust to New Realities

The 1941 offseason saw upheaval and roster changes unlike any other in the young league’s existence. Over 100 players of Japanese citizenship were denied entry into Braeland to continue their careers in the United Leagues. This comes in the wake of the Braeland government’s decision to cut-off diplomatic relations with the Empire of Japan.

Despite the heightened tension in the region, the United Leagues enter the 1941-42 season fully committed to bringing baseball fans in Braeland another exciting season. And the Leagues would also like to remind its patrons that they will continue see great diversity in the teams’ lineups. Native-born players of Japanese descent are not affected by any external politics and the league will continue see players from places like Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan grace the field. Not to mention the African American and Latin American players returning from all across the Americas. It’s time to shut out the world’s problems and enjoy some baseball – at least for a little while.

[Note: Although the official date of the Braeland embargo against Japan is stated as July 28, I retired the players from Japan on May 5 within the game itself. This was done so that the teams would have ample time to make adjustments to their rosters and make any moves/trades deemed necessary before training camps opened.]

Here are the significant trades that went down in the off months, leading up to ‘Spring’ Training:

April 24:
The Queensland Eagles acquired 27-year old RF Aaron Flanagan (68/68) from the Downie Chiefs.
In return, the Chiefs received five minor leaguers:
23-year old 3B Maluhia Mara (31/72);
20-year old SS Ramón Hernández (22/45);
20-year old RP Emosi Punahele (21/41);
20-year old 2B Misao Fujita (contract terminated on July 28, 1941); and
23-year old RP Callum Adnams (21/34).

Flanagan joins his third team after just one season with Downie. Mostly an outfielder in his career, he has played first base from time-to-time. In fact, with the Wolseley Unions in 1939-40, he started 124 games at first base and enjoyed his best season. Not surprisingly then, the Eagles have installed him as their first baseman, at least in the early going. He is rated as the third best 1B in the United Leagues, behind Embro’s Jim Friend and Kingston’s Fergus Chitty.

The Chiefs get some minor league depth that could help the big club, but there are no standouts in this lot. The best is the Fijian Mara, who won’t be anything special at the plate, but has blazing speed and excellent defense at 3B and SS. A good pick up by Queensland, even though they already have Rookie of the Year winner Dean Bishop manning the position. Umm, stay tuned.

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April 24:
The Stratford Barons and Hespeler Stars pulled off a blockbuster trade barely after the dust had settled on the United Cup playoffs. The Barons acquired 25-year old OF Steven Winstanley (76/76) in exchange for the following five minor league players:

19-year old RP Arthur Collier (22/80 - #13 overall pick in 1940-41);
20-year old RP Kai Torr (28/79);
20-year old SP Jake Pyle (21/45);
23-year old Ryan Bebbington (23/24); and
18-year old C Joe Guyon (21/24).

The Barons receive one of the most dynamic young players in the United Leagues today, as Winstanley comes off a season that saw him earn both a Babe Ruth Award and a Top Fielder Award. For a player that does everything well and who leads by example, you would expect the Stars’ haul in exchange to be impressive. But I don’t know if two relief pitchers qualify as that.

Collier and Torr are destined to be top-notch relief pitchers in time, but that is all they will be as they have only two pitches in their repertoire. Pyle has a chance to develop into a reasonable starter, but will have to work on his command. His stuff is OK and he has excellent movement. But this is not the haul I would have accepted for a player of Winstanley’s stature.

--------

May 8:
The Wolseley Unions traded 27-year old 1B Rubén Sánchez (57/57) to the Cambria Cannons. In return, the Unions received four minor league players:

20-year old C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (23/68);
18-year old RP Finlay Capstick (21/78);
22-year old 1B Merlin Stewart (21/22); and
19-year old CF Stephen Dronfield (20/22).

Sánchez is coming off his first all-star season (.299, 12 HR, 82 HR, 5.5 WAR). The question is – was it just a fluke or has Sánchez taken his career to the next level? The Cannons obviously think the latter. Sánchez is a good contact hitter with tremendous defense at 1B and SS. He is speedy on the base paths but base stealing is not considered a strength. He will take over SS from Aiden Smerdon, who moves to 2B.

For Wolseley, they receive Deang, a promising offensive catcher with defensive limitations and Capstick, a relief pitcher with good stuff, movement and excellent control. If he can work on his changeup, he could be a 5th starter. But for now he looks like a bullpen stalwart.

--------

May 20:
The Embro Suns and Pulberry Trolleys completed a 3-player trade. Pulberry acquires 30-year old RF Anthony Stavely (68/68). In return, Embro receives 30-year old LF Tony Blakeney (41/41) and 20-year old minor league SS Douglas Paget (22/43).

Stavely was underutilized in Embro, with stalwarts 1B Jim Friend and RF Paul Hooks preventing him from starting regularly. Stavely is a nightmare defensively, so his move to 1B in Pulberry is no doubt for the best. He is a two-time all-star with decent contact and is extremely patient at the plate.

Blakeney largely comes to Embro to fill Stavely’s role. However, he has exceptional power and won’t embarrass himself defensively in the outfield. Paget is a mid-level prospect that should rise quickly in Embro’s prospect-poor farm system. He is an average contract hitter with below average defense and outstanding speed.

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May 28:
The Stratford Barons also completed a trade with the Wellington Athletics. Wellington receives 26-year old CF Pete Good (57/65). In exchange, Stratford receives 30-year old RP Phil Edginton (34/34) and 21-year old minor league C Geoff Lemoine (24/77).

With the acquisition of Steven Winstanley last month, the Barons deemed that Pete Good was expendable, and with the Athletics in desperate need of a productive 1B, the Barons found a trading partner. Defensively, Good is great. Really great. He can play every position except SS and C and play them well. He is decidedly average at the plate but should be an upgrade at first base, as Wellington struggled getting steady production from there.
In return, Stratford essentially gets a catching prospect that has a chance to be above average at the plate with excellent power and a good eye. He is decent defensively as well.

--------

June 26:
The Braeland City Monarchs completed a deal with the Queensland Eagles.
The Monarchs received 26-year old 1B Dean Bishop (70/70); in exchange, the Eagles got 28-year old 2B Tom Edkins (57/58) and 20-year old minor leaguer RF Marcus Maundrell (22/65).

So essentially, the Eagles exchanged one Rookie of the Year player for another. After acquiring the 1938-39 Rookie of the Year winner Aaron Flanagan back in April, the Eagles deemed this past season’s winner, Dean Bishop expendable. Bishop will be a huge upgrade at 1B for the Monarchs, who have been on the hunt for an impact player. Last season, Mark Burns (.272, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 0.2 WAR) was the nominal first baseman. Not coincidentally, he was traded later the same day to the Sherburn Tigers in a minor deal.

In exchange, the Eagles get some infield depth in Edkins, who is very capable defensively at a number of IF/OF positions and can hit for average. They also receive OF Maundrell who is really nothing special at the plate, but is a wizard defensively and is dangerous on the base paths.

--------

Last year, the five top teams in the War Gained department were all Eastern League teams. This year, its only 4! Nevertheless, it’s the Eastern League again that has been the benefactor of major league talent migrating from the West. In some cases, it was simply the matter of one impact player changing hands.

The Braeland City Monarchs (7.0 WAR) came out on top, thanks to the acquisitions of two 1B: Dean Bishop (from Queensland) and Isaac Harker (from Sherburn).

Stratford came second with 6.6 WAR. That is entirely from the acquisition of Steven Winstanley from the Hespeler Stars. Winstanley was worth 8.8 WAR alone.

The Cambria Cannons of the Western League gained in WAR, thanks to the acquisition of SS Rubén Sánchez (5.5 WAR) from the Wosleley Unions.

Not surprisingly, the loss of Winstanley saw Hespeler tumble hard to the bottom of the WAR Gained standings. Wolseley lost the second most, mainly from the Sánchez deal.

11-13-2015, 09:46 PM	#189
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	1941 Offseason: United Leagues Adjust to New Realities The 1941 offseason saw upheaval and roster changes unlike any other in the young league’s existence. Over 100 players of Japanese citizenship were denied entry into Braeland to continue their careers in the United Leagues. This comes in the wake of the Braeland government’s decision to cut-off diplomatic relations with the Empire of Japan. Despite the heightened tension in the region, the United Leagues enter the 1941-42 season fully committed to bringing baseball fans in Braeland another exciting season. And the Leagues would also like to remind its patrons that they will continue see great diversity in the teams’ lineups. Native-born players of Japanese descent are not affected by any external politics and the league will continue see players from places like Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan grace the field. Not to mention the African American and Latin American players returning from all across the Americas. It’s time to shut out the world’s problems and enjoy some baseball – at least for a little while. [Note: Although the official date of the Braeland embargo against Japan is stated as July 28, I retired the players from Japan on May 5 within the game itself. This was done so that the teams would have ample time to make adjustments to their rosters and make any moves/trades deemed necessary before training camps opened.] Here are the significant trades that went down in the off months, leading up to ‘Spring’ Training: April 24: The Queensland Eagles acquired 27-year old RF Aaron Flanagan (68/68) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs received five minor leaguers: 23-year old 3B Maluhia Mara (31/72); 20-year old SS Ramón Hernández (22/45); 20-year old RP Emosi Punahele (21/41); 20-year old 2B Misao Fujita (contract terminated on July 28, 1941); and 23-year old RP Callum Adnams (21/34). Flanagan joins his third team after just one season with Downie. Mostly an outfielder in his career, he has played first base from time-to-time. In fact, with the Wolseley Unions in 1939-40, he started 124 games at first base and enjoyed his best season. Not surprisingly then, the Eagles have installed him as their first baseman, at least in the early going. He is rated as the third best 1B in the United Leagues, behind Embro’s Jim Friend and Kingston’s Fergus Chitty. The Chiefs get some minor league depth that could help the big club, but there are no standouts in this lot. The best is the Fijian Mara, who won’t be anything special at the plate, but has blazing speed and excellent defense at 3B and SS. A good pick up by Queensland, even though they already have Rookie of the Year winner Dean Bishop manning the position. Umm, stay tuned. -------- April 24: The Stratford Barons and Hespeler Stars pulled off a blockbuster trade barely after the dust had settled on the United Cup playoffs. The Barons acquired 25-year old OF Steven Winstanley (76/76) in exchange for the following five minor league players: 19-year old RP Arthur Collier (22/80 - #13 overall pick in 1940-41); 20-year old RP Kai Torr (28/79); 20-year old SP Jake Pyle (21/45); 23-year old Ryan Bebbington (23/24); and 18-year old C Joe Guyon (21/24). The Barons receive one of the most dynamic young players in the United Leagues today, as Winstanley comes off a season that saw him earn both a Babe Ruth Award and a Top Fielder Award. For a player that does everything well and who leads by example, you would expect the Stars’ haul in exchange to be impressive. But I don’t know if two relief pitchers qualify as that. Collier and Torr are destined to be top-notch relief pitchers in time, but that is all they will be as they have only two pitches in their repertoire. Pyle has a chance to develop into a reasonable starter, but will have to work on his command. His stuff is OK and he has excellent movement. But this is not the haul I would have accepted for a player of Winstanley’s stature. -------- May 8: The Wolseley Unions traded 27-year old 1B Rubén Sánchez (57/57) to the Cambria Cannons. In return, the Unions received four minor league players: 20-year old C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (23/68); 18-year old RP Finlay Capstick (21/78); 22-year old 1B Merlin Stewart (21/22); and 19-year old CF Stephen Dronfield (20/22). Sánchez is coming off his first all-star season (.299, 12 HR, 82 HR, 5.5 WAR). The question is – was it just a fluke or has Sánchez taken his career to the next level? The Cannons obviously think the latter. Sánchez is a good contact hitter with tremendous defense at 1B and SS. He is speedy on the base paths but base stealing is not considered a strength. He will take over SS from Aiden Smerdon, who moves to 2B. For Wolseley, they receive Deang, a promising offensive catcher with defensive limitations and Capstick, a relief pitcher with good stuff, movement and excellent control. If he can work on his changeup, he could be a 5th starter. But for now he looks like a bullpen stalwart. -------- May 20: The Embro Suns and Pulberry Trolleys completed a 3-player trade. Pulberry acquires 30-year old RF Anthony Stavely (68/68). In return, Embro receives 30-year old LF Tony Blakeney (41/41) and 20-year old minor league SS Douglas Paget (22/43). Stavely was underutilized in Embro, with stalwarts 1B Jim Friend and RF Paul Hooks preventing him from starting regularly. Stavely is a nightmare defensively, so his move to 1B in Pulberry is no doubt for the best. He is a two-time all-star with decent contact and is extremely patient at the plate. Blakeney largely comes to Embro to fill Stavely’s role. However, he has exceptional power and won’t embarrass himself defensively in the outfield. Paget is a mid-level prospect that should rise quickly in Embro’s prospect-poor farm system. He is an average contract hitter with below average defense and outstanding speed. -------- May 28: The Stratford Barons also completed a trade with the Wellington Athletics. Wellington receives 26-year old CF Pete Good (57/65). In exchange, Stratford receives 30-year old RP Phil Edginton (34/34) and 21-year old minor league C Geoff Lemoine (24/77). With the acquisition of Steven Winstanley last month, the Barons deemed that Pete Good was expendable, and with the Athletics in desperate need of a productive 1B, the Barons found a trading partner. Defensively, Good is great. Really great. He can play every position except SS and C and play them well. He is decidedly average at the plate but should be an upgrade at first base, as Wellington struggled getting steady production from there. In return, Stratford essentially gets a catching prospect that has a chance to be above average at the plate with excellent power and a good eye. He is decent defensively as well. -------- June 26: The Braeland City Monarchs completed a deal with the Queensland Eagles. The Monarchs received 26-year old 1B Dean Bishop (70/70); in exchange, the Eagles got 28-year old 2B Tom Edkins (57/58) and 20-year old minor leaguer RF Marcus Maundrell (22/65). So essentially, the Eagles exchanged one Rookie of the Year player for another. After acquiring the 1938-39 Rookie of the Year winner Aaron Flanagan back in April, the Eagles deemed this past season’s winner, Dean Bishop expendable. Bishop will be a huge upgrade at 1B for the Monarchs, who have been on the hunt for an impact player. Last season, Mark Burns (.272, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 0.2 WAR) was the nominal first baseman. Not coincidentally, he was traded later the same day to the Sherburn Tigers in a minor deal. In exchange, the Eagles get some infield depth in Edkins, who is very capable defensively at a number of IF/OF positions and can hit for average. They also receive OF Maundrell who is really nothing special at the plate, but is a wizard defensively and is dangerous on the base paths. -------- Last year, the five top teams in the War Gained department were all Eastern League teams. This year, its only 4! Nevertheless, it’s the Eastern League again that has been the benefactor of major league talent migrating from the West. In some cases, it was simply the matter of one impact player changing hands. The Braeland City Monarchs (7.0 WAR) came out on top, thanks to the acquisitions of two 1B: Dean Bishop (from Queensland) and Isaac Harker (from Sherburn). Stratford came second with 6.6 WAR. That is entirely from the acquisition of Steven Winstanley from the Hespeler Stars. Winstanley was worth 8.8 WAR alone. The Cambria Cannons of the Western League gained in WAR, thanks to the acquisition of SS Rubén Sánchez (5.5 WAR) from the Wosleley Unions. Not surprisingly, the loss of Winstanley saw Hespeler tumble hard to the bottom of the WAR Gained standings. Wolseley lost the second most, mainly from the Sánchez deal. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 01:33 AM.