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reds1 · 02-12-2016, 07:38 PM

March 30, 1942

Western League: We Meet Again – Cannons, Pelicans Return to Playoffs

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The Cambria Cannons qualified for the United League playoffs for the fourth season in a row rather easily. After winning the United Cup back in 1939-40 with 99 regular season victories, the Cannons slipped to second place in 1940-41. They were a greatly weakened team due to injuries that season, so it must bring great satisfaction to return this season with a vengeance. But things are not all rosy. They enter the playoffs without their best player in Ron Westmacott and they will meet up with their old nemesis once again, the Kingston Pelicans. They are 1-2 against the Pelicans in the Western League Pennant series.

Their offense weakened, if ever slightly over the last two months (.271/.335/.387 – 4th/4th/3rd). The pitching, however, has been Cambria’s greatest strength this season (3.27/3.33/2.88 – 1st/1st/2nd). Cambria was the top rated defensive team (.713) in the West as well.

Top Position Player – Season: Plenty to choose from, as 3B Kenneth Logan (.332/.415/.485, 11 HR, 74 RBI, 82 R, 70 BB, 4.8 WAR) and RF Clint Jones (.281/.358/.455, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 78 R, 58 BB, 15 SB, 6.0 WAR) had fine seasons. But I’ll go with SS Rubén Sánchez (.289/.337/.408, 10 HR, 59 RBI, 84 R, 52 BB, 5.3 WAR) who was just sensational on defense (21.3 ZR, 1.064 ERR, 19 E).

Top Pitcher – Season: Some excellent performances to choose from, but for me it was RHP Leon Hankey (19-9, 2.89 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 138 ERA+).

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 weeks (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 3 days.

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The Kingston Pelicans made their move in the final month of the season to grab the wildcard and qualify for the playoffs for the 5th straight season. Despite the loss of key talent like SS Okura Ito (due to the formal break-off of diplomatic ties to Japan) and the overall weakening of their starting rotation (due to trades and age), the Pelicans nevertheless found a way to win. And win they did, especially in March, where they took 5 of 6 games from the top-seeded Cambria Cannons. An ominous sign perhaps that Kingston will give the Cannons everything they’ve got in the Pennant Series.
The Pelicans time clearly is now. They have 15 players on the active roster who are 30 year old or older.

The offense continued its upward trend and finished in either first or second in a slew of categories (.277/.350/.410 – 2nd/1st /1st). The pitching staff, with the exception of the bullpen, made huge gains in the final two months of the season (3.87/3.65/5.34 – 2nd/2nd/8th). Defensively, Kingston saw an improvement over the last two months as well (.695 – 3rd).

Top Position Player – Season: No shortage of candidates, as Kingston has a bevy of offensive stars, but I’ll go with LF Jayden Tennant (.323/.416/.579, 36 HR, 114 RBI, 108 R, 93 BB, 7.0 WAR), who turned 34 today (March 30).
Both 2B Mo Symes (.304/.397/.476, 20 HR, 80 RBI, 134 R, 95 BB, 12 SB, 7.1 WAR) and 1B Fergus Chitty (.316/.442/.544, 20 HR, 87 RBI, 87 R, 98 RBI, 5.9 WAR) contributed mightily to the cause as well.

Top Pitcher – Season: 32-year old RHP Francis Slocock (17-10, 2.57 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 155 ERA+) was outstanding in the months of February/March, winning back-to-back Pitcher of the Month honours. He was easily Kingston’s top pitching this season.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Balmoral Giants continued their winning ways in the final two months of the season, but it wasn’t enough to catch the surging Kingston Pelicans and qualify for their first post-season appearance. But the Giants are a team on the rise. They finished above .500 for the first time in their existence, just three games back of the wildcard. If they had won a few more games in that disastrous December (where they won just 8), the complexion of the Western League playoffs this season may have been different. Will next year see a ‘changing of the guard’ in the West? Balmoral has worked hard grooming young talent and its deep farm system, the best in the ULB, should start paying serious dividends.

The Giants improved on offense as the season wore on (.279/.342/.401 – 1st/2nd/2nd), but their pitching, particularly their starting rotation will need to perform better (4.11/4.43/2.48 – 5th/7th/1st) if they want to seriously challenge Cambria and Kingston next season. They were 6th in def. efficiency (.688).

Top Position Player – Season: SS Francisco Rodríguez (.361/.403/.539, 5 HR, 77 RBI, 73 R, 39 BB, 6.0 WAR) had another great year and won Batter of the Month honours for February. He was the Giants best overall player, and he’s still just 23-years old.

Top Pitcher – Season: Not a great year for Giants’ pitching, but I’ll go with 33-year old RHP Charlie Crocombe (15-10, 3.94 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 101 ERA+). His performance this season was a notable improvement over last year, where he went just 9-22, 7.01 ERA, 1.82 WHIP.

Key Injuries: RF Shannon Walker (.284/.351/.414, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 44 R, 38 BB, 1.0 WAR) was injured on a defensive play in a game back on February 2. He suffered a fractured ankle. He will be out 7 more weeks.

23-year old LHP Ah-cy Yao (14-7, 1 SV, 4.06 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 98 ERA+) came down with acute elbow soreness in a game on March 29. He will be out of commission for 3 months.

Noteworthy: Francisco Rodríguez won the Western League batting title with a .361 AVG (170 H in 471 AB).

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Four years after their lone winning season (79-75 in 1937/38), the Hespeler Stars are still searching for the key to the playoffs. But they may not be that far off. Their 72-82 record this season marks just the second time they finished with over 70 wins and with the strides some of their young players made this season, greater success may follow. They will need to find some consistency; a few more months like March in a season wouldn’t hurt.

They will need to address their offense (.258/.314/.358 – 7th/8th/8th) as it was a sore point this year, but the pitching overall was encouraging (4.08/4.08/4.06 – 4th/4th/5th) as it improved as the season progressed. Defensively, the Stars were one of the best in WL (.708 – 2nd).

Top Position Player – Season: The Stars may be starting to see the promise from their two overall No. 1 picks: C Aaron Skidmore (.243/.383/.387, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 59 R, 94 BB, 4.3 WAR), was up and down all season, but proved to be Hespeler’s top player. He was also an asset behind the plate. Not far behind was 24-year old CF Vic Weetman (.270/.325/.363, 5 HR, 64 RBI, 81 R, 54 BB, 20 SB, 3.5 WAR) who had is best year thus far and was sensational in the field (15.0 ZR, 1.046 EFF, 14 E).

Top Pitcher – Season: LHP Gavin Hewat (16-15, 3.41 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 117 ERA+) had his best season so far serving as his team’s pitching ace.

Key Injuries: 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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The Wolseley Unions enjoyed only one winning month this season as they finished their fifth consecutive season with a losing record. Actually, their 72-82 record is their second best finish, as they won 73 games last season. There doesn’t appear to be much evidence of a quick turnaround for next season. While the Unions have some talent coming up from the minors, they are behind Balmoral and even Hespeler in player development. Thus, Wolseley is a perfect candidate to remain the in bottom division for the foreseeable future.

The offense struggled all season (.255/.328/.363 – 8th/7th/8th) and the pitching was below average as well (4.23/4.17/4.60 – 7th/5th/7th). Defense is not a strength either (.688 – 7th).

Top Position Player – Season: It’s a tie! The Unions have two very good young players on their roster that are the de facto leaders on the team. 25-year old RF Nicky Willis (.284/.352/.432, 13 HR, 78 RBI, 67 R, 58 BB, 3.7 WAR) and CF 23-year old Zak Kidd (.268/.333/.428, 12 HR, 85 RBI, 72 R, 60 BB, 27 SB, 3.7 WAR) are cornerstones for the team in the outfield. A little more depth in the lineup would no doubt boost their overall production.

Top Pitcher – Season: It’s not a tie! 22-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (13-19, 3.77 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 106 ERA+), a former 13th overall pick that Wolseley received from Embro in a trade for CF Terence Durney, has become the Unions ace.

Key Injuries: RHP Michael Milk (6-5, 3.75 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 91 ERA+) severely injured himself, tearing a flexor tendon in his elbow while pitching in a game on March 8. He is out for at least 8 months.

34-year old RHP Jean-Pierre Da Silva (7-13, 4.35 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 91 ERA+) tore a back muscle while pitching in a game back on February 6. He is out for another 2 months.

Noteworthy: 3B Fernando Gómez (.239/.339/.459, 18 HR, 81 RBI, 74 R, 78 BB, 3.3 WAR) set the Western League season game record for RBIs with 9 in Wolseley’s final game of the season. Playing against the Hespeler Stars, Gómez went 4-4 with 2 HR (one grand slam and one 3-run HR), 1-2B and 2 R. The Unions won 10-1. Gómez came over to Wolseley from the Pulberry Trolleys in a trade back on December 9.

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So much for gambling. The Fort Richmond Generals completely imploded in the final two months of the season, to fall into 6th place after occupying the wild card spot at the end of January. The trade for Andrew Jensen and the promotion of Shaun Attenborough to the major league roster did not pan out to say the least. Jensen went onto the DL twice after the trade; first for an oblique strain (4 weeks) and then with a quad strain (4-5 weeks). Attenborough, perhaps not surprisingly, struggled and was returned to the minors.

But the collapse cannot be attributed to just one transaction, as both the offense (.272/.330/.374 – 3rd/5th/5th) and pitching (3.93/3.98/3.56 – 3rd/3rd/3rd) struggled in the final months. They fell to 5th in defensive efficiency (.690) as well.

Top Position Player – Season: This one is easy. 23-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.324/.388/.493, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 93 R, 55 BB, 4 SB, 6.5 WAR) was Fort Richmond’s top player this year and is ranked as the top catcher in the ULB.

Top Pitcher – Season: 28-year old RHP Oscar Burress (17-15, 3.81 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 104 ERA+) was his club’s best pitcher this season.

Key Injuries: LF Andrew Jensen (.306/.366/.448, 15 HR, 61 RBI, 70 R, 47 BB, 4 SB, 1.6 WAR) is out for an another 4 weeks with strained quadriceps as mentioned earlier.

25-year old SS Steven Wormleighton (.268/.313/.346, 3 HR, 62 RBI, 65 R, 37 BB, 11 SB, 2.4 WAR) was diagnosed with a concussion following a collision at a base in a game back on March 7. He is out for another 2 months.

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Like the Wolseley Unions, the Sherburn Tigers have been a middling team for most of its five year existence (with the exception of Year 1 when the won the wildcard). They have some talent on the roster and some in the pipeline, but not enough to be taken seriously as an up-and-coming team. They have yet to fully embrace a rebuild and that will continue to hurt them if they stick to that non-committal route. They have an intriguing pitching prospect in RHP Gavin Womersley (61/72 – 5th overall pick in 1939) who should be close to joining the big club. They also have 23-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (72/80– 5th overall pick in 1940) who joined the club this season but was cut down with a season ending injury in January. But Sherburn sure could use a bit more to finally make some noise.

Sherburn’s offense was middle of the road (.269/.336/.374 – 5th/3rd/4th) in the West as was their pitching (4.18/4.22/3.92 – 6th/6th/4th). But defensively, they are rock bottom (.681 – 8th).

Top Position Player – Season: 30-year old 2B Damien Davis (.289/.370/.361, 2 HR, 47 RBI, 51 R, 52 BB, 2.4 WAR) faded in the final two months of the season, but he is still my pick among a weak crew. He was one of the few Tigers that boasted outstanding defense in the field (8.7 ZR, 1.029 EFF, 21 E).

Top Pitcher – Season: 27-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (19-11, 3.01 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 132 ERA+) is a legitimate ace, and the former 14th overall pick is rated No. 9 overall in the ULB among pitchers. He enjoyed his best season by far.

Key Injuries: RHP Roberto Taváres (5-10, 2 SV, 5.61 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 71 ERA+) suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow back on January 21. He should be pitching again in 4 months.

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The Pulberry Trolleys collapsed in February and March to finish in 8th place in the West for the second time in five seasons. They have finished in 7th place twice as well and 5th once. Such ineptitude usually brings a high draft pick, and the Trolleys do have a number of young prospects that made the jump to the main club this season. As mentioned in the previous report for Pulberry, they have 25-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (8-10, 5.55 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 72 ERA+), 24-year old RHP Morgan Tice (4-4, 5.42 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 73 ERA+) and 21-year old LF Bruno Lapthorne (.279/.293/.378, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 5 BB, 0.6 WAR in 222 AB), their 2nd overall pick in 1940. They have further talent in the hopper and other young high-end talent in the lineup. If all this young talent can gel, then 1942-43 may offer more hope for the woebegone club. Problem is, there’s a lot of young ‘ducklings’ in the pond learning how to swim all at the same time.

Neither the offense (.262/.329/.373 – 6th/6th/6th) nor pitching (4.62/4.71/4.15 – 8th/8th/6th) was really a force this season. The defense is in the middle of the pack (.692 – 4th). Pulberry can only hope that this season was simply a case of everyone getting their feet wet.

Top Position Player – Season: 25-year old CF Jamie Couch (.308/.360/.417, 4 HR, 63 RBI, 82 R, 45 BB, 31 SB, 5.9 WAR), now in his 2nd full season, continues to progress and represents the future that the Trolleys are working towards.

Top Pitcher – Season: 33-year old RHP Joe Walrond (15-13, 4.00 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 99 ERA+) was acquired from the Wolseley Unions in a trade back in December. But in the half season he has been with the Trolleys, he went 9-9, 3.69 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 108 ERA+, easily Pulberry’s best pitching effort this season.

Key Injuries: None.

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02-12-2016, 07:38 PM	#206
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	March 30, 1942 Western League: We Meet Again – Cannons, Pelicans Return to Playoffs -------- The Cambria Cannons qualified for the United League playoffs for the fourth season in a row rather easily. After winning the United Cup back in 1939-40 with 99 regular season victories, the Cannons slipped to second place in 1940-41. They were a greatly weakened team due to injuries that season, so it must bring great satisfaction to return this season with a vengeance. But things are not all rosy. They enter the playoffs without their best player in Ron Westmacott and they will meet up with their old nemesis once again, the Kingston Pelicans. They are 1-2 against the Pelicans in the Western League Pennant series. Their offense weakened, if ever slightly over the last two months (.271/.335/.387 – 4th/4th/3rd). The pitching, however, has been Cambria’s greatest strength this season (3.27/3.33/2.88 – 1st/1st/2nd). Cambria was the top rated defensive team (.713) in the West as well. *Top Position Player – Season:* Plenty to choose from, as 3B Kenneth Logan (.332/.415/.485, 11 HR, 74 RBI, 82 R, 70 BB, 4.8 WAR) and RF Clint Jones (.281/.358/.455, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 78 R, 58 BB, 15 SB, 6.0 WAR) had fine seasons. But I’ll go with SS Rubén Sánchez (.289/.337/.408, 10 HR, 59 RBI, 84 R, 52 BB, 5.3 WAR) who was just sensational on defense (21.3 ZR, 1.064 ERR, 19 E). *Top Pitcher – Season:* Some excellent performances to choose from, but for me it was RHP Leon Hankey (19-9, 2.89 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 138 ERA+). *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 weeks (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 3 days. -------- The Kingston Pelicans made their move in the final month of the season to grab the wildcard and qualify for the playoffs for the 5th straight season. Despite the loss of key talent like SS Okura Ito (due to the formal break-off of diplomatic ties to Japan) and the overall weakening of their starting rotation (due to trades and age), the Pelicans nevertheless found a way to win. And win they did, especially in March, where they took 5 of 6 games from the top-seeded Cambria Cannons. An ominous sign perhaps that Kingston will give the Cannons everything they’ve got in the Pennant Series. The Pelicans time clearly is now. They have 15 players on the active roster who are 30 year old or older. The offense continued its upward trend and finished in either first or second in a slew of categories (.277/.350/.410 – 2nd/1st /1st). The pitching staff, with the exception of the bullpen, made huge gains in the final two months of the season (3.87/3.65/5.34 – 2nd/2nd/8th). Defensively, Kingston saw an improvement over the last two months as well (.695 – 3rd). *Top Position Player – Season:* No shortage of candidates, as Kingston has a bevy of offensive stars, but I’ll go with LF Jayden Tennant (.323/.416/.579, 36 HR, 114 RBI, 108 R, 93 BB, 7.0 WAR), who turned 34 today (March 30). Both 2B Mo Symes (.304/.397/.476, 20 HR, 80 RBI, 134 R, 95 BB, 12 SB, 7.1 WAR) and 1B Fergus Chitty (.316/.442/.544, 20 HR, 87 RBI, 87 R, 98 RBI, 5.9 WAR) contributed mightily to the cause as well. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 32-year old RHP Francis Slocock (17-10, 2.57 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 155 ERA+) was outstanding in the months of February/March, winning back-to-back Pitcher of the Month honours. He was easily Kingston’s top pitching this season. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The Balmoral Giants continued their winning ways in the final two months of the season, but it wasn’t enough to catch the surging Kingston Pelicans and qualify for their first post-season appearance. But the Giants are a team on the rise. They finished above .500 for the first time in their existence, just three games back of the wildcard. If they had won a few more games in that disastrous December (where they won just 8), the complexion of the Western League playoffs this season may have been different. Will next year see a ‘changing of the guard’ in the West? Balmoral has worked hard grooming young talent and its deep farm system, the best in the ULB, should start paying serious dividends. The Giants improved on offense as the season wore on (.279/.342/.401 – 1st/2nd/2nd), but their pitching, particularly their starting rotation will need to perform better (4.11/4.43/2.48 – 5th/7th/1st) if they want to seriously challenge Cambria and Kingston next season. They were 6th in def. efficiency (.688). *Top Position Player – Season:* SS Francisco Rodríguez (.361/.403/.539, 5 HR, 77 RBI, 73 R, 39 BB, 6.0 WAR) had another great year and won Batter of the Month honours for February. He was the Giants best overall player, and he’s still just 23-years old. *Top Pitcher – Season:* Not a great year for Giants’ pitching, but I’ll go with 33-year old RHP Charlie Crocombe (15-10, 3.94 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 101 ERA+). His performance this season was a notable improvement over last year, where he went just 9-22, 7.01 ERA, 1.82 WHIP. *Key Injuries:* RF Shannon Walker (.284/.351/.414, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 44 R, 38 BB, 1.0 WAR) was injured on a defensive play in a game back on February 2. He suffered a fractured ankle. He will be out 7 more weeks. 23-year old LHP Ah-cy Yao (14-7, 1 SV, 4.06 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 98 ERA+) came down with acute elbow soreness in a game on March 29. He will be out of commission for 3 months. *Noteworthy:* Francisco Rodríguez won the Western League batting title with a .361 AVG (170 H in 471 AB). -------- Four years after their lone winning season (79-75 in 1937/38), the Hespeler Stars are still searching for the key to the playoffs. But they may not be that far off. Their 72-82 record this season marks just the second time they finished with over 70 wins and with the strides some of their young players made this season, greater success may follow. They will need to find some consistency; a few more months like March in a season wouldn’t hurt. They will need to address their offense (.258/.314/.358 – 7th/8th/8th) as it was a sore point this year, but the pitching overall was encouraging (4.08/4.08/4.06 – 4th/4th/5th) as it improved as the season progressed. Defensively, the Stars were one of the best in WL (.708 – 2nd). *Top Position Player – Season:* The Stars may be starting to see the promise from their two overall No. 1 picks: C Aaron Skidmore (.243/.383/.387, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 59 R, 94 BB, 4.3 WAR), was up and down all season, but proved to be Hespeler’s top player. He was also an asset behind the plate. Not far behind was 24-year old CF Vic Weetman (.270/.325/.363, 5 HR, 64 RBI, 81 R, 54 BB, 20 SB, 3.5 WAR) who had is best year thus far and was sensational in the field (15.0 ZR, 1.046 EFF, 14 E). *Top Pitcher – Season:* LHP Gavin Hewat (16-15, 3.41 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 117 ERA+) had his best season so far serving as his team’s pitching ace. *Key Injuries:* 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. -------- The Wolseley Unions enjoyed only one winning month this season as they finished their fifth consecutive season with a losing record. Actually, their 72-82 record is their second best finish, as they won 73 games last season. There doesn’t appear to be much evidence of a quick turnaround for next season. While the Unions have some talent coming up from the minors, they are behind Balmoral and even Hespeler in player development. Thus, Wolseley is a perfect candidate to remain the in bottom division for the foreseeable future. The offense struggled all season (.255/.328/.363 – 8th/7th/8th) and the pitching was below average as well (4.23/4.17/4.60 – 7th/5th/7th). Defense is not a strength either (.688 – 7th). *Top Position Player – Season:* It’s a tie! The Unions have two very good young players on their roster that are the de facto leaders on the team. 25-year old RF Nicky Willis (.284/.352/.432, 13 HR, 78 RBI, 67 R, 58 BB, 3.7 WAR) and CF 23-year old Zak Kidd (.268/.333/.428, 12 HR, 85 RBI, 72 R, 60 BB, 27 SB, 3.7 WAR) are cornerstones for the team in the outfield. A little more depth in the lineup would no doubt boost their overall production. *Top Pitcher – Season:* It’s not a tie! 22-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (13-19, 3.77 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 106 ERA+), a former 13th overall pick that Wolseley received from Embro in a trade for CF Terence Durney, has become the Unions ace. *Key Injuries:* RHP Michael Milk (6-5, 3.75 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 91 ERA+) severely injured himself, tearing a flexor tendon in his elbow while pitching in a game on March 8. He is out for at least 8 months. 34-year old RHP Jean-Pierre Da Silva (7-13, 4.35 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 91 ERA+) tore a back muscle while pitching in a game back on February 6. He is out for another 2 months. *Noteworthy:* 3B Fernando Gómez (.239/.339/.459, 18 HR, 81 RBI, 74 R, 78 BB, 3.3 WAR) set the Western League season game record for RBIs with 9 in Wolseley’s final game of the season. Playing against the Hespeler Stars, Gómez went 4-4 with 2 HR (one grand slam and one 3-run HR), 1-2B and 2 R. The Unions won 10-1. Gómez came over to Wolseley from the Pulberry Trolleys in a trade back on December 9. -------- So much for gambling. The Fort Richmond Generals completely imploded in the final two months of the season, to fall into 6th place after occupying the wild card spot at the end of January. The trade for Andrew Jensen and the promotion of Shaun Attenborough to the major league roster did not pan out to say the least. Jensen went onto the DL twice after the trade; first for an oblique strain (4 weeks) and then with a quad strain (4-5 weeks). Attenborough, perhaps not surprisingly, struggled and was returned to the minors. But the collapse cannot be attributed to just one transaction, as both the offense (.272/.330/.374 – 3rd/5th/5th) and pitching (3.93/3.98/3.56 – 3rd/3rd/3rd) struggled in the final months. They fell to 5th in defensive efficiency (.690) as well. *Top Position Player – Season:* This one is easy. 23-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.324/.388/.493, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 93 R, 55 BB, 4 SB, 6.5 WAR) was Fort Richmond’s top player this year and is ranked as the top catcher in the ULB. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 28-year old RHP Oscar Burress (17-15, 3.81 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 104 ERA+) was his club’s best pitcher this season. *Key Injuries:* LF Andrew Jensen (.306/.366/.448, 15 HR, 61 RBI, 70 R, 47 BB, 4 SB, 1.6 WAR) is out for an another 4 weeks with strained quadriceps as mentioned earlier. 25-year old SS Steven Wormleighton (.268/.313/.346, 3 HR, 62 RBI, 65 R, 37 BB, 11 SB, 2.4 WAR) was diagnosed with a concussion following a collision at a base in a game back on March 7. He is out for another 2 months. -------- Like the Wolseley Unions, the Sherburn Tigers have been a middling team for most of its five year existence (with the exception of Year 1 when the won the wildcard). They have some talent on the roster and some in the pipeline, but not enough to be taken seriously as an up-and-coming team. They have yet to fully embrace a rebuild and that will continue to hurt them if they stick to that non-committal route. They have an intriguing pitching prospect in RHP Gavin Womersley (61/72 – 5th overall pick in 1939) who should be close to joining the big club. They also have 23-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (72/80– 5th overall pick in 1940) who joined the club this season but was cut down with a season ending injury in January. But Sherburn sure could use a bit more to finally make some noise. Sherburn’s offense was middle of the road (.269/.336/.374 – 5th/3rd/4th) in the West as was their pitching (4.18/4.22/3.92 – 6th/6th/4th). But defensively, they are rock bottom (.681 – 8th). *Top Position Player – Season:* 30-year old 2B Damien Davis (.289/.370/.361, 2 HR, 47 RBI, 51 R, 52 BB, 2.4 WAR) faded in the final two months of the season, but he is still my pick among a weak crew. He was one of the few Tigers that boasted outstanding defense in the field (8.7 ZR, 1.029 EFF, 21 E). *Top Pitcher – Season:* 27-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (19-11, 3.01 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 132 ERA+) is a legitimate ace, and the former 14th overall pick is rated No. 9 overall in the ULB among pitchers. He enjoyed his best season by far. *Key Injuries:* RHP Roberto Taváres (5-10, 2 SV, 5.61 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 71 ERA+) suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow back on January 21. He should be pitching again in 4 months. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys collapsed in February and March to finish in 8th place in the West for the second time in five seasons. They have finished in 7th place twice as well and 5th once. Such ineptitude usually brings a high draft pick, and the Trolleys do have a number of young prospects that made the jump to the main club this season. As mentioned in the previous report for Pulberry, they have 25-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (8-10, 5.55 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 72 ERA+), 24-year old RHP Morgan Tice (4-4, 5.42 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 73 ERA+) and 21-year old LF Bruno Lapthorne (.279/.293/.378, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 5 BB, 0.6 WAR in 222 AB), their 2nd overall pick in 1940. They have further talent in the hopper and other young high-end talent in the lineup. If all this young talent can gel, then 1942-43 may offer more hope for the woebegone club. Problem is, there’s a lot of young ‘ducklings’ in the pond learning how to swim all at the same time. Neither the offense (.262/.329/.373 – 6th/6th/6th) nor pitching (4.62/4.71/4.15 – 8th/8th/6th) was really a force this season. The defense is in the middle of the pack (.692 – 4th). Pulberry can only hope that this season was simply a case of everyone getting their feet wet. *Top Position Player – Season:* 25-year old CF Jamie Couch (.308/.360/.417, 4 HR, 63 RBI, 82 R, 45 BB, 31 SB, 5.9 WAR), now in his 2nd full season, continues to progress and represents the future that the Trolleys are working towards. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 33-year old RHP Joe Walrond (15-13, 4.00 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 99 ERA+) was acquired from the Wolseley Unions in a trade back in December. But in the half season he has been with the Trolleys, he went 9-9, 3.69 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 108 ERA+, easily Pulberry’s best pitching effort this season. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 07:20 PM.