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reds1 · 02-04-2016, 04:06 PM

February 1, 1942

Western League: Cannons Take Command

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The Cambria Cannons are the powerhouse of the Western League as they are quickly making the race for first place a runaway. So much for parity, at least for top spot.

Their offense has held steady (.273/.338/.397 – 4th/5th/2nd) but is not what it has been in previous seasons. But the pitching has really improved this year (3.43/3.57/2.46 – 1st/1st/2nd), ranking first in a slew of categories. Only Embro’s starting rotation has more victories in the ULB. Cambria continues to be the top rated defensive team (.709) in the West.

Seven Cannons were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Bradley Dodson (3rd), SP Leon Hankey (2nd), SP Nick Paddock (2nd), 3B Kenneth Logan (1st), SS Rubén Sánchez (2nd), LF Ron Westmacott (3rd) and RF Clint Jones (3rd).

Top Position Player: 36-year old 3B Kenneth Logan (.315/.405/.482, 9 HR, 55 RBI, 66 R, 56 BB) is having his best season since 1937 when ULB first started up, earning his first trip to the all-star game. He also won a Player of the Week award in late December (where he batted .363), the third such award of his career.

Top Pitcher: 26-year old Leon Hankey (14-4, 2.81 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) is the real deal. Last year at this time, the 1940-41 Rookie of the Year was pitching mainly out of the bullpen. At the time, I said he needed to be used more, as Cambria’s starting rotation needed a boost. Well Cambria did just that and the sophomore pitcher not only earned his first trip to the all-star game, but also earned his first Pitcher of the Month award for January.

Key Injuries: LF Ron Westmacott (.304/.392/.571, 6 HR, 34 RBI, 39 R, 25 BB) fractured his fibula back on January 3. He is out for 2 more months (effectively the season).

28-year old RP Shaun Alford (4-0, 3 SV, 2.86 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) suffered a partially torn labrum back on December 20. He too, is out for another 2 months.

Key Trade: On January 26, Cambria acquired 32-year old LF Rio Gidley (64/64) from the Embro Suns. In return, Embro received two minor leaguers:
• 34-year old RHP Bert Farnsworth (34/34) and
• 20-year old RHP John Bullivant (22/80).

Knee-jerk reaction: Rio Gidley is now a Cannon because Ron Westmacott just cannot stay healthy. Since February 1940, Westmacott has missed the equivalent of 8 months due to injury. Needing a proven player to take his place in the field and in the lineup, Cambria went out and acquired Gidley. Gidley will no longer hit for high average and he’s never been a long ball threat, but he’s patient at the plate and is capable of leading off the lineup with his tremendous base-running skills. He is also an outstanding defender in leftfield as well.
In return, the Suns get a couple of relievers. One, Farnsworth, they put immediately on waivers so as to send him down to AAA and the other, Bullivant, immediately becomes their No. 3 overall rated prospect. Bullivant has all the makings to become a top-notch relief pitcher in the majors, while Farnsworth may get called up when the rosters expand to pitch garbage innings. All-in-all, Embro gets a rather light return for a still capable position player in my humble opinion.

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Like the rest of the Western League teams not named Cannons, the Fort Richmond Generals are a flawed team, unable to keep up with Cambria. But it would seem that they are less flawed than the rest. They are remarkably balanced on both offense (.279/.340/.388 – 2nd/3rd/5th) and pitching (3.58/3.62/3.33 – 2nd/2nd/3rd). They are 3rd in defensive efficiency (.700). If they can remain healthy and play consistently, then they could win the wild card by default. But more losing months like January will put that in jeopardy.

Four Generals were selected to the All-Star game: SP Oscar Burruss (4th), C Danny Trowbridge (1st), 1B Merlin Teeters (1st) and SS Jamie Florey (1st – since traded to Pulberry).

Top Position Player: C Danny Trowbridge (.322/.388/.492, 10 HR, 42 RBI, 69 R, 39 BB, 3 SB) is a legitimate star; the top ranked catcher in the ULB and easily his team’s best player. He batted .341/.292 in December/January and is solid behind the plate (2.4 ZR, 1.072 EFF).

Top Pitcher: SP Oscar Burress had a terrific December, winning Pitching of the Month honours, but I’m going to give a shout out to SP Tristan Purss (9-9, 3.33 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) who is only pitcher in the rotation to have kept his ERA below 3.00 in both December/January (2.68/2.65), going 6-6 in that stretch.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade: On January 29, Fort Richmond traded 25-year old SS Jamie Florey (72/80) to the Pulberry Trolleys. In return, the Generals received 27-year old LF Andrew Jensen (63/64) and three minor leaguers:
• 21-year old CF León Rivera (22/40);
• 20-year old C Mitchell Ide (21/24) and
• 27-year old RHP David Craig (24/30).

Knee-jerk reaction: To try and secure their first post-season appearance, the Generals made a bold move. They gave up Florey (.316/.395/.429, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 60 R, 47 BB), their 8th overall pick from 1938 and the No. 3 2B in the ULB for Andrew Jensen (.314/.378/.446, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 49 R, 41 BB, 4 SB), the No. 4 LF in the ULB. Both are offensively capable. But Fort Richmond was willing to trade Florey, as they feel their top prospect 2B Shaun Attenborough (57/73), a 2nd round pick from 1940, is ready to step in. If Attenborough and Jensen can produce in their new environs, then Generals GM Bill Byers will be judged a genius. Of the three minor leaguers, only Rivera makes much of an impression. A 3rd round pick from 1939, Rivera has modest batting skills but is patient at the plate and has outstanding base-stealing skills.

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The Balmoral Giants faltered badly in December, but recovered in January to put up their best month so far this season. But they still find themselves a couple of games out of the wild card and just one game up on the Kingston Pelicans. The Giants have lost a little bit of steam, especially in the rotation, but it appears they are not quite ready to make any bold moves to grab a playoff spot, like Fort Richmond did. Balmoral only made one minor deal before the trade deadline (see Embro Suns recap).

The Giants are a very competent offensive team (.280/.340/.397 – 1st/2nd/3rd), but their starting rotation starting to show cracks (3.99/4.33/2.04 – 3rd/6th/1st) and they are 5th in def. efficiency (.692). Still, there are definite improvements across the board this season to offer hope that the Giants are on the right track. They have an incredibly deep farm system that is starting to pay dividends.

Three Giants were selected to the All-Star game: RP Ricardo Díaz (1st), SS Francisco Rodríguez (3rd) and LF Carlton Broadbent (1st).

Top Position Player: 22-year old 2B Allen Cattanach (.258/.321/.354, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 42 R, 26 BB) came alive in January, winning Rookie of the Month honours, but SS Francisco Rodríguez (.345/.388/.490, 2 HR, 37 RBI, 32 R, 20 BB) has been Balmoral’s most consistent player over the course of the season.

Top Pitcher: While the starting rotation is struggling, 35-year old RP Ricardo Díaz (3-1, 12 SV, 1.11 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) has been sensational this season, earning his first all-star appearance. In his previous four seasons, his ERA was 5.80, 4.16, 4.53 and 4.26.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Kingston Pelicans continue the trend of taking a step forward one month, taking one step back the next. The Pelicans are still adjusting to life without Okura Ito, but it’s a struggling pitching staff that is holding Kingston back. The offense has rebounded as the season progresses (.275/.349/.407 – 3rd/1st/1st), while the pitching staff has shown only some modest improvement (4.25/4.05/5.41 – 6th/4th/8th). Defensively, Kingston is near the bottom (.691 – 7th).

But the Pelicans appear to have a game plan. Waiting in the wings are five very promising young pitchers: 21-year old LHP Patrick Denman (20/75 – 11th overall pick in 1940), 23-year old RHP Jim Hogue (57/71 – 2nd round pick in 1939), 20-year old LHP Mo Goldstraw (20/69 – 2nd round pick in 1940), 23-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (21/74 – 16th overall pick in 1940), and 21-year old RHP Bernie Knowles (24/66 – 3rd round pick in 1939). All have above average to great stuff, movement and control. Gilbert (8-4, 4.81 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) and Denman (2-3, 1 SV, 6.23 ERA, 2.11 WHIP) are already getting their first taste of the majors. If they all pan out, the Pelicans may soon have a dominating, young pitching staff for years to come.

Six Pelicans were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Joey Cumberledge (5th), SP Francis Slocock (4th), 1B Fergus Chitty (5th), 2B Mo Symes (5th), 3B Terry Maxwell (1st) and LF Jayden Tennant (5th).

Top Position Player: 32-year old 2B Mo Symes (.296/.409/.478, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 92 R, 76 BB) leads the team in WAR, and 33-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.318/.438/.538, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 62 R, 67 BB) won Batter of the Month honours in December, but how can I not pick 33-year old LF Jayden Tennant (.327/.414/.589, 24 HR, 84 RBI, 72 R, 58 BB)? Tennant has won four Player of the Week Awards so far this season as well as the Batter of the Month honour for January. This guy is clearly in the zone.

Top Pitcher: 32-year old RHP Francis Slocock (9-7, 2.87 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) has been the most reliable pitching on the staff in this year of transition. In December/January, Slocock went 5-4, 2.84 ERA.

Key Injuries: RP Brenden Margerson suffered a torn rotator cuff during ‘spring’ training. He is out for the season.

33-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.318/.438/.538, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 62 R, 67 BB) suffered an intercostal strain in a game on January 17. He is out for an additional 3 weeks.

Key Trade: On January 17, Kingston acquired 26-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (71/72) from the Queensland Eagles. In return, Queensland received five minor leaguers:
• 20-year old RHP Shawn Howse (32/71);
• 24-year old LHP Zak Yoshida (55/55);
• 21-year old LHP Tommy Henry (20/21);
• 20-year old 1B Ademar Taipa (22/34) and
• 21-year old RHP Joel Towneley (20/34).

Knee-jerk reaction: Kingston sees Chikafuji as Okura Ito’s successor at shortstop. Chikafuji is a 5-time all-star, a 1-time Babe Ruth Award winner and previous Rookie of the Year Award winner. He figures to be their No. 3 hitter in the lineup. In return, Queensland is banking that Howse and Yoshida will become future rotation stalwarts. Both have flaws: Howse’s stuff in not great (35/35) and Yoshida’s control needs work (40/40). It’s a bit of a gamble on Queensland’s part that they will get great value from this trade.

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The promise that December offered to the Wolseley Unions was dashed by a disastrous January. In the end, it was all a mirage. The Unions are simply woeful on both sides of the ball, with the offense (.250/.323/.409 – 8th/7th/8th) and pitching (4.27/4.38/3.72 – 7th/7th/4th) not able to contend in the West. Defense is not a strength either (.691 – 6th). But the Unions do have talent in their system (ranked 3rd overall) and one product of it, LF Gary Therien (.288/.354/.424, 4-2B, 4 RBI, 10 R, 6 BB – 3rd overall pick in 1939) made his major league debut batting second in the lineup in January. Hopefully, more talent will follow.

Wolseley sent three players to the All-star game this month: RP Douggie Taylor (1st), CF Zak Kidd (3rd) and RF Nicky Willis (2nd).

Top Position Player: 25-year old RF Nicky Willis (.303/.354/.439, 7 HR, 49 RBI, 39 R, 29 BB) is one of the young stars on this team. In December/January, he batted .310 and .314 respectively and won a Player of the Week Award in December.

Top Pitcher: While the rotation has been up and down this season, 31-year old RHP Douggie Taylor (6-5, 12 SV, 2.90 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) has put together a solid first year in the majors. A veteran of AAA (and two-time minor league all-star), he was finally given a chance to play in the majors by Wolseley. He earned a spot on the all-star roster and has become a stalwart in the Unions bullpen.

Key Injuries: None.

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Despite being in the throes of a rebuild, the Hespeler Stars held their own in December/January, finishing two games above .500 in that stretch. The offense is still struggling mightily (.256/.306/.353 – 7th/8th/7th) but the rotation saw a modest improvement (4.04/4.00/4.19 – 4th/3rd/6th). Defensively, the Stars are holding their own (.706 – 2nd).

C Aaron Skidmore (1st) was Hespeler’s lone representative at this year’s all-star game.

Top Position Player: The loss of LF Steven Winstanley is sorely felt, but a couple of Stars are quietly having solid, if not spectacular seasons. One of them is 26-year old 1B Erwin Deang (.271/.306/.383, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 34 R, 18 BB), who batted .290/280 over the past two months. 22-year old LF Wayne Savory, a 3rd round pick from 1939, won Rookie of the Month honours in December and enjoyed a 22-game hitting streak during that stretch.

Top Pitcher: 26-year old LHP Gavin Hewat (9-11, 3.63 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) is one of the more consistent pitchers on the staff. In Dec/Jan, he went 7-5, 3.03 ERA.

Key Injuries: 32-year old 2B Gilbert Austin (.227/.307/.336, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 25 R, 29 BB) suffered a herniated disc back on January 16. He is out for 3-4 more weeks.

37-year old RF Louie Maylam (.263/.364/.579, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB) suffered a torn labrum back on October 11. He is out for 6-7 more weeks.

33-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (6-7, 3.76 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon in game back on January 5. He is gone for the season.

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Not surprisingly, the Sherburn Tigers have quickly faded as the season has worn on, not quite able to compete in the West just yet. They have some talent, as do other teams. But with the likes of 33-year old 3B Mick Lanfear (.280/.333/.463, 10 HR, 65 RBI, 40 R, 29 BB), 32- year old LF Harold Yoder (.325/.357/.389, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 42 R, 14 BB) and 31-year old 1B Robin Harney (.264/.357/.362, 21-2B, 40 RBI, 57 R, 61 BB, 9 SB) still toiling for the club, they should really be acquiring more prospects, instead of trading them away.

Sherburn’s offense has faltered (.268/.339/.375 – 5th/4th/6th) and their pitching is is not much better (4.16/4.13/4.24 – 5th/5th/7th), although the rotation appears to be a little better than last season, even if slightly. Defensively, they are rock bottom (.695 – 8th).

Four Tigers were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Leo Chesters (1st), SP Daniel Pierson (1st), SP Myung-gu Son (1st) and 3B Mick Lanfear (3rd).

Top Position Player: Although he didn’t qualify for the all-star game, 29-year old 2B Damien Davis (.321/.405/.396, 2 HR, 41 RBI, 35 R, 39 BB) has been the most consistent. Mick Lanfear had a great month in December (.325), but slumped in January (.218).

Top Pitcher: The Tigers have a couple of promising young starters in the rotation, but RHP Myung-gu Son (12-8, 3.03 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) is clearly the ace of the team, going 5-7, 3.02 ERA over Dec/Jan.

Key Injuries: RP Roberto Taváres (5-10, 2 SV, 5.61 ERA, 1.63 WHIP) suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow back on January 21. He is gone for the season.

Key Trade: On January 28, Sherburn acquired 27-year old RF Francis Pynchon (37/37) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, Downie received 28-year old RP Steve Greenwell (32/37) and 23-year old minor league RHP Willem Dowling (69/74).

Knee-jerk reaction: With Sherburn hopelessly out of the playoff pitcher, it’s not entirely clear as to how this trade will help them. Indeed, it may come back to haunt them. Pynchon (.299/347/.446, 9 HR, 42 RBI, 49 R, 25 BB, 10 SB) can still be a productive player, but his ratings have steadily declined over the past few seasons. However, he is good enough to bat cleanup for this woeful club. Losing Greenwell (3-6, 6.12 ERA, 1.61 WHIP) may be addition by subtraction, but Dowling is a future starter waiting in the wings. He has above average stuff, well above average movement and good control. If he is able to put it all together, then this may be considered a steal for Downie.

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Demonstrating the volatility of the Western League this season, the Pulberry Trolleys lost 17 games in December, only to win 17 games in January. Like so many other teams in the West, they are in the middle of a rebuilding project and thus far have promoted three young prospects to the major league level: 25-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (5-6, 5.72 ERA, 1.63 WHIP), 24-year old RHP Morgan Tice (2-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.5 WHIP) and 21-year old LF Bruno Lapthorne (just called up), their 2nd overall pick in 1940. That’s in addition to 25-year old 2B Jamie Florey (8th overall pick from 1938), who they recently acquired from the Fort Richmond Generals. They have young talent, no question about that. Whether it will all blossom remains to be seen.

Their offense (.264/.334/.388 – 6th/6th/4th) is taking baby steps, as is the pitching (4.57/4.67/4.06 – 8th/8th/5th). But they have a few more steps to take before they become relevant. The defense is in the middle of the pack (.699 – 4th).

The Trolleys sent seven players to the All-Star game: RP Neil Guerin (5th), C William Briggs (1st), 1B Anthony Stavely (3rd), 3B Colin Strudwick (1st), LF Andrew Jensen (1st – since traded to Fort Richmond), CF Jamie Couch (1st) and RF Yoshi-to Ito (1st).

Top Position Player: 25-year old CF Jamie Couch (.290/.348/.410, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 52 R, 30 BB, 16 SB), a former 2nd round pick in 1939, has become Pulberry’s most consistent player.

Top Pitcher: 30-year old RHP Declan Lumby (5-6, 4.43 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who I singled out for Oct/Nov, has since been DFA and placed on waivers. That sums up the state of the pitching staff of the Trolleys. There some young talent, but no has stepped up yet.

Key Injuries: 30-year old 1B Anthony Staveley (.289/.385/.421, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 40 R, 44 BB) strained a quad in a game back on January 11. He is out 2-3 more weeks.

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02-04-2016, 04:06 PM	#201
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	February 1, 1942 Western League: Cannons Take Command -------- The Cambria Cannons are the powerhouse of the Western League as they are quickly making the race for first place a runaway. So much for parity, at least for top spot. Their offense has held steady (.273/.338/.397 – 4th/5th/2nd) but is not what it has been in previous seasons. But the pitching has really improved this year (3.43/3.57/2.46 – 1st/1st/2nd), ranking first in a slew of categories. Only Embro’s starting rotation has more victories in the ULB. Cambria continues to be the top rated defensive team (.709) in the West. Seven Cannons were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Bradley Dodson (3rd), SP Leon Hankey (2nd), SP Nick Paddock (2nd), 3B Kenneth Logan (1st), SS Rubén Sánchez (2nd), LF Ron Westmacott (3rd) and RF Clint Jones (3rd). *Top Position Player:* 36-year old 3B Kenneth Logan (.315/.405/.482, 9 HR, 55 RBI, 66 R, 56 BB) is having his best season since 1937 when ULB first started up, earning his first trip to the all-star game. He also won a Player of the Week award in late December (where he batted .363), the third such award of his career. *Top Pitcher:* 26-year old Leon Hankey (14-4, 2.81 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) is the real deal. Last year at this time, the 1940-41 Rookie of the Year was pitching mainly out of the bullpen. At the time, I said he needed to be used more, as Cambria’s starting rotation needed a boost. Well Cambria did just that and the sophomore pitcher not only earned his first trip to the all-star game, but also earned his first Pitcher of the Month award for January. *Key Injuries: LF Ron Westmacott (.304/.392/.571, 6 HR, 34 RBI, 39 R, 25 BB) fractured his fibula back on January 3. He is out for 2 more months (effectively the season). 28-year old RP Shaun Alford (4-0, 3 SV, 2.86 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) suffered a partially torn labrum back on December 20. He too, is out for another 2 months. Key Trade:* On January 26, Cambria acquired 32-year old LF Rio Gidley (64/64) from the Embro Suns. In return, Embro received two minor leaguers: • 34-year old RHP Bert Farnsworth (34/34) and • 20-year old RHP John Bullivant (22/80). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Rio Gidley is now a Cannon because Ron Westmacott just cannot stay healthy. Since February 1940, Westmacott has missed the equivalent of 8 months due to injury. Needing a proven player to take his place in the field and in the lineup, Cambria went out and acquired Gidley. Gidley will no longer hit for high average and he’s never been a long ball threat, but he’s patient at the plate and is capable of leading off the lineup with his tremendous base-running skills. He is also an outstanding defender in leftfield as well. In return, the Suns get a couple of relievers. One, Farnsworth, they put immediately on waivers so as to send him down to AAA and the other, Bullivant, immediately becomes their No. 3 overall rated prospect. Bullivant has all the makings to become a top-notch relief pitcher in the majors, while Farnsworth may get called up when the rosters expand to pitch garbage innings. All-in-all, Embro gets a rather light return for a still capable position player in my humble opinion. -------- Like the rest of the Western League teams not named Cannons, the Fort Richmond Generals are a flawed team, unable to keep up with Cambria. But it would seem that they are less flawed than the rest. They are remarkably balanced on both offense (.279/.340/.388 – 2nd/3rd/5th) and pitching (3.58/3.62/3.33 – 2nd/2nd/3rd). They are 3rd in defensive efficiency (.700). If they can remain healthy and play consistently, then they could win the wild card by default. But more losing months like January will put that in jeopardy. Four Generals were selected to the All-Star game: SP Oscar Burruss (4th), C Danny Trowbridge (1st), 1B Merlin Teeters (1st) and SS Jamie Florey (1st – since traded to Pulberry). *Top Position Player:* C Danny Trowbridge (.322/.388/.492, 10 HR, 42 RBI, 69 R, 39 BB, 3 SB) is a legitimate star; the top ranked catcher in the ULB and easily his team’s best player. He batted .341/.292 in December/January and is solid behind the plate (2.4 ZR, 1.072 EFF). *Top Pitcher:* SP Oscar Burress had a terrific December, winning Pitching of the Month honours, but I’m going to give a shout out to SP Tristan Purss (9-9, 3.33 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) who is only pitcher in the rotation to have kept his ERA below 3.00 in both December/January (2.68/2.65), going 6-6 in that stretch. *Key Injuries:* None. *Key Trade:* On January 29, Fort Richmond traded 25-year old SS Jamie Florey (72/80) to the Pulberry Trolleys. In return, the Generals received 27-year old LF Andrew Jensen (63/64) and three minor leaguers: • 21-year old CF León Rivera (22/40); • 20-year old C Mitchell Ide (21/24) and • 27-year old RHP David Craig (24/30). *Knee-jerk reaction:* To try and secure their first post-season appearance, the Generals made a bold move. They gave up Florey (.316/.395/.429, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 60 R, 47 BB), their 8th overall pick from 1938 and the No. 3 2B in the ULB for Andrew Jensen (.314/.378/.446, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 49 R, 41 BB, 4 SB), the No. 4 LF in the ULB. Both are offensively capable. But Fort Richmond was willing to trade Florey, as they feel their top prospect 2B Shaun Attenborough (57/73), a 2nd round pick from 1940, is ready to step in. If Attenborough and Jensen can produce in their new environs, then Generals GM Bill Byers will be judged a genius. Of the three minor leaguers, only Rivera makes much of an impression. A 3rd round pick from 1939, Rivera has modest batting skills but is patient at the plate and has outstanding base-stealing skills. -------- The Balmoral Giants faltered badly in December, but recovered in January to put up their best month so far this season. But they still find themselves a couple of games out of the wild card and just one game up on the Kingston Pelicans. The Giants have lost a little bit of steam, especially in the rotation, but it appears they are not quite ready to make any bold moves to grab a playoff spot, like Fort Richmond did. Balmoral only made one minor deal before the trade deadline (see Embro Suns recap). The Giants are a very competent offensive team (.280/.340/.397 – 1st/2nd/3rd), but their starting rotation starting to show cracks (3.99/4.33/2.04 – 3rd/6th/1st) and they are 5th in def. efficiency (.692). Still, there are definite improvements across the board this season to offer hope that the Giants are on the right track. They have an incredibly deep farm system that is starting to pay dividends. Three Giants were selected to the All-Star game: RP Ricardo Díaz (1st), SS Francisco Rodríguez (3rd) and LF Carlton Broadbent (1st). *Top Position Player:* 22-year old 2B Allen Cattanach (.258/.321/.354, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 42 R, 26 BB) came alive in January, winning Rookie of the Month honours, but SS Francisco Rodríguez (.345/.388/.490, 2 HR, 37 RBI, 32 R, 20 BB) has been Balmoral’s most consistent player over the course of the season. *Top Pitcher:* While the starting rotation is struggling, 35-year old RP Ricardo Díaz (3-1, 12 SV, 1.11 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) has been sensational this season, earning his first all-star appearance. In his previous four seasons, his ERA was 5.80, 4.16, 4.53 and 4.26. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The Kingston Pelicans continue the trend of taking a step forward one month, taking one step back the next. The Pelicans are still adjusting to life without Okura Ito, but it’s a struggling pitching staff that is holding Kingston back. The offense has rebounded as the season progresses (.275/.349/.407 – 3rd/1st/1st), while the pitching staff has shown only some modest improvement (4.25/4.05/5.41 – 6th/4th/8th). Defensively, Kingston is near the bottom (.691 – 7th). But the Pelicans appear to have a game plan. Waiting in the wings are five very promising young pitchers: 21-year old LHP Patrick Denman (20/75 – 11th overall pick in 1940), 23-year old RHP Jim Hogue (57/71 – 2nd round pick in 1939), 20-year old LHP Mo Goldstraw (20/69 – 2nd round pick in 1940), 23-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (21/74 – 16th overall pick in 1940), and 21-year old RHP Bernie Knowles (24/66 – 3rd round pick in 1939). All have above average to great stuff, movement and control. Gilbert (8-4, 4.81 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) and Denman (2-3, 1 SV, 6.23 ERA, 2.11 WHIP) are already getting their first taste of the majors. If they all pan out, the Pelicans may soon have a dominating, young pitching staff for years to come. Six Pelicans were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Joey Cumberledge (5th), SP Francis Slocock (4th), 1B Fergus Chitty (5th), 2B Mo Symes (5th), 3B Terry Maxwell (1st) and LF Jayden Tennant (5th). *Top Position Player:* 32-year old 2B Mo Symes (.296/.409/.478, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 92 R, 76 BB) leads the team in WAR, and 33-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.318/.438/.538, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 62 R, 67 BB) won Batter of the Month honours in December, but how can I not pick 33-year old LF Jayden Tennant (.327/.414/.589, 24 HR, 84 RBI, 72 R, 58 BB)? Tennant has won four Player of the Week Awards so far this season as well as the Batter of the Month honour for January. This guy is clearly in the zone. *Top Pitcher:* 32-year old RHP Francis Slocock (9-7, 2.87 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) has been the most reliable pitching on the staff in this year of transition. In December/January, Slocock went 5-4, 2.84 ERA. *Key Injuries: RP Brenden Margerson suffered a torn rotator cuff during ‘spring’ training. He is out for the season. 33-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.318/.438/.538, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 62 R, 67 BB) suffered an intercostal strain in a game on January 17. He is out for an additional 3 weeks. Key Trade:* On January 17, Kingston acquired 26-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (71/72) from the Queensland Eagles. In return, Queensland received five minor leaguers: • 20-year old RHP Shawn Howse (32/71); • 24-year old LHP Zak Yoshida (55/55); • 21-year old LHP Tommy Henry (20/21); • 20-year old 1B Ademar Taipa (22/34) and • 21-year old RHP Joel Towneley (20/34). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Kingston sees Chikafuji as Okura Ito’s successor at shortstop. Chikafuji is a 5-time all-star, a 1-time Babe Ruth Award winner and previous Rookie of the Year Award winner. He figures to be their No. 3 hitter in the lineup. In return, Queensland is banking that Howse and Yoshida will become future rotation stalwarts. Both have flaws: Howse’s stuff in not great (35/35) and Yoshida’s control needs work (40/40). It’s a bit of a gamble on Queensland’s part that they will get great value from this trade. -------- The promise that December offered to the Wolseley Unions was dashed by a disastrous January. In the end, it was all a mirage. The Unions are simply woeful on both sides of the ball, with the offense (.250/.323/.409 – 8th/7th/8th) and pitching (4.27/4.38/3.72 – 7th/7th/4th) not able to contend in the West. Defense is not a strength either (.691 – 6th). But the Unions do have talent in their system (ranked 3rd overall) and one product of it, LF Gary Therien (.288/.354/.424, 4-2B, 4 RBI, 10 R, 6 BB – 3rd overall pick in 1939) made his major league debut batting second in the lineup in January. Hopefully, more talent will follow. Wolseley sent three players to the All-star game this month: RP Douggie Taylor (1st), CF Zak Kidd (3rd) and RF Nicky Willis (2nd). *Top Position Player:* 25-year old RF Nicky Willis (.303/.354/.439, 7 HR, 49 RBI, 39 R, 29 BB) is one of the young stars on this team. In December/January, he batted .310 and .314 respectively and won a Player of the Week Award in December. *Top Pitcher:* While the rotation has been up and down this season, 31-year old RHP Douggie Taylor (6-5, 12 SV, 2.90 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) has put together a solid first year in the majors. A veteran of AAA (and two-time minor league all-star), he was finally given a chance to play in the majors by Wolseley. He earned a spot on the all-star roster and has become a stalwart in the Unions bullpen. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- Despite being in the throes of a rebuild, the Hespeler Stars held their own in December/January, finishing two games above .500 in that stretch. The offense is still struggling mightily (.256/.306/.353 – 7th/8th/7th) but the rotation saw a modest improvement (4.04/4.00/4.19 – 4th/3rd/6th). Defensively, the Stars are holding their own (.706 – 2nd). C Aaron Skidmore (1st) was Hespeler’s lone representative at this year’s all-star game. *Top Position Player:* The loss of LF Steven Winstanley is sorely felt, but a couple of Stars are quietly having solid, if not spectacular seasons. One of them is 26-year old 1B Erwin Deang (.271/.306/.383, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 34 R, 18 BB), who batted .290/280 over the past two months. 22-year old LF Wayne Savory, a 3rd round pick from 1939, won Rookie of the Month honours in December and enjoyed a 22-game hitting streak during that stretch. *Top Pitcher:* 26-year old LHP Gavin Hewat (9-11, 3.63 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) is one of the more consistent pitchers on the staff. In Dec/Jan, he went 7-5, 3.03 ERA. *Key Injuries:* 32-year old 2B Gilbert Austin (.227/.307/.336, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 25 R, 29 BB) suffered a herniated disc back on January 16. He is out for 3-4 more weeks. 37-year old RF Louie Maylam (.263/.364/.579, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB) suffered a torn labrum back on October 11. He is out for 6-7 more weeks. 33-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (6-7, 3.76 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon in game back on January 5. He is gone for the season. -------- Not surprisingly, the Sherburn Tigers have quickly faded as the season has worn on, not quite able to compete in the West just yet. They have some talent, as do other teams. But with the likes of 33-year old 3B Mick Lanfear (.280/.333/.463, 10 HR, 65 RBI, 40 R, 29 BB), 32- year old LF Harold Yoder (.325/.357/.389, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 42 R, 14 BB) and 31-year old 1B Robin Harney (.264/.357/.362, 21-2B, 40 RBI, 57 R, 61 BB, 9 SB) still toiling for the club, they should really be acquiring more prospects, instead of trading them away. Sherburn’s offense has faltered (.268/.339/.375 – 5th/4th/6th) and their pitching is is not much better (4.16/4.13/4.24 – 5th/5th/7th), although the rotation appears to be a little better than last season, even if slightly. Defensively, they are rock bottom (.695 – 8th). Four Tigers were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Leo Chesters (1st), SP Daniel Pierson (1st), SP Myung-gu Son (1st) and 3B Mick Lanfear (3rd). *Top Position Player:* Although he didn’t qualify for the all-star game, 29-year old 2B Damien Davis (.321/.405/.396, 2 HR, 41 RBI, 35 R, 39 BB) has been the most consistent. Mick Lanfear had a great month in December (.325), but slumped in January (.218). *Top Pitcher:* The Tigers have a couple of promising young starters in the rotation, but RHP Myung-gu Son (12-8, 3.03 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) is clearly the ace of the team, going 5-7, 3.02 ERA over Dec/Jan. *Key Injuries:* RP Roberto Taváres (5-10, 2 SV, 5.61 ERA, 1.63 WHIP) suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow back on January 21. He is gone for the season. *Key Trade:* On January 28, Sherburn acquired 27-year old RF Francis Pynchon (37/37) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, Downie received 28-year old RP Steve Greenwell (32/37) and 23-year old minor league RHP Willem Dowling (69/74). *Knee-jerk reaction: With Sherburn hopelessly out of the playoff pitcher, it’s not entirely clear as to how this trade will help them. Indeed, it may come back to haunt them. Pynchon (.299/347/.446, 9 HR, 42 RBI, 49 R, 25 BB, 10 SB) can still be a productive player, but his ratings have steadily declined over the past few seasons. However, he is good enough to bat cleanup for this woeful club. Losing Greenwell (3-6, 6.12 ERA, 1.61 WHIP) may be addition by subtraction, but Dowling is a future starter waiting in the wings. He has above average stuff, well above average movement and good control. If he is able to put it all together, then this may be considered a steal for Downie. -------- Demonstrating the volatility of the Western League this season, the Pulberry Trolleys* lost 17 games in December, only to win 17 games in January. Like so many other teams in the West, they are in the middle of a rebuilding project and thus far have promoted three young prospects to the major league level: 25-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (5-6, 5.72 ERA, 1.63 WHIP), 24-year old RHP Morgan Tice (2-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.5 WHIP) and 21-year old LF Bruno Lapthorne (just called up), their 2nd overall pick in 1940. That’s in addition to 25-year old 2B Jamie Florey (8th overall pick from 1938), who they recently acquired from the Fort Richmond Generals. They have young talent, no question about that. Whether it will all blossom remains to be seen. Their offense (.264/.334/.388 – 6th/6th/4th) is taking baby steps, as is the pitching (4.57/4.67/4.06 – 8th/8th/5th). But they have a few more steps to take before they become relevant. The defense is in the middle of the pack (.699 – 4th). The Trolleys sent seven players to the All-Star game: RP Neil Guerin (5th), C William Briggs (1st), 1B Anthony Stavely (3rd), 3B Colin Strudwick (1st), LF Andrew Jensen (1st – since traded to Fort Richmond), CF Jamie Couch (1st) and RF Yoshi-to Ito (1st). *Top Position Player:* 25-year old CF Jamie Couch (.290/.348/.410, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 52 R, 30 BB, 16 SB), a former 2nd round pick in 1939, has become Pulberry’s most consistent player. *Top Pitcher:* 30-year old RHP Declan Lumby (5-6, 4.43 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who I singled out for Oct/Nov, has since been DFA and placed on waivers. That sums up the state of the pitching staff of the Trolleys. There some young talent, but no has stepped up yet. *Key Injuries:* 30-year old 1B Anthony Staveley (.289/.385/.421, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 40 R, 44 BB) strained a quad in a game back on January 11. He is out 2-3 more weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 07:09 PM.