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reds1 · 02-26-2016, 10:24 AM

December 1, 1942

Eastern League: Legends Rule The Roost

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Towards the end of last season, the Brunswick Legends appeared to be a team that was just happy to have made the playoffs, as they were hampered by injuries and fought off a furious pursuit by the Stratford Barons for the wild card. Then they proceeded to sweep the Embro Suns in the Eastern Pennant Series and won the United Cup in six games over the Cambria Cannons. Well this year, it appears the Legends have no intention of settling for the wild card or allowing their championship last season to be a one-off event. They have stormed out of the gate in October and November with the best record in the United Leagues and enjoy a 6-game lead over the Embro Suns, who are no slouches either. If Brunswick can stay relatively healthy, then watch out; this unit looks scary good.

The offense, not surprisingly is top notch (.287/.355/.421 – 1st/2nd/1st), while their pitching, at least the starting rotation, has been dominating (2.89/2.71/4.60 – 1st/1st/7th – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA). Defensively, they are in the middle (.695 – 5th).

Top Position Player: After returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon that saw him miss almost 9 months last season, Mark Elston (.375/.485/.646, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 41 R, 43 BB) is a man playing possessed – a 34-year old man playing possessed. He won back-to-back Player of the Month Awards to the start the season, as well as Player of the Week Award in November to boot. Now, if only he can stay healthy for an entire season. He has been one the ULB’s biggest and most popular stars. Brunswick (and the entire ULB) needs him to stay healthy (I just jinxed him, right?)

Top Pitcher: 32-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (9-1, 2.28 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) always has his game face on (no, seriously, just look at his baseball card above) and was simply dominating in October/November. He did have control issues in November (26 BB verses 8 BB in October), but Monroe is a major component of perhaps the best starting rotation in the United Leagues right now:

• Anastasio Rodríguez: 6-4, 2.73 ERA, 1.36 WHIP,
• Matthew Monroe: 9-1, 2.28 ERA, 1.21 WHIP,
• Hirotada Fukushima: 5-5, 3.64 ERA, 1.42 WHIP,
• Wilson Villas: 8-0, 2.46 ERA, 1.15 WHIP,
• Roger Battle: 5-1, 2.38 ERA, 1.27 WHIP.

Key Injuries: 3B Derek Sakurai (.393/.413/.595, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R, 4 BB) suffered shoulder swelling back on October 29; he should be beck in another day or two.

Key Trade #1: On November 17, Brunswick acquired 31-year old RHP Andrie-Luiz Rosacega (48/48) and 20-year old minor league RHP Finlay Capstick (33/80) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, Wolseley received 34-year old 1B Teuk-chin Kim (40/40).

Knee-jerk reaction: The bullpen has been one of the few weaknesses for the Legends in the early going, so it not surprising that they went out and acquired a reliever. But Rosacega is not very consistent and not a long-term answer. But they do get Capstick, a promising young reliever that has tremendous stuff and control. He projects to be dominating reliever in the future. Why Wolseley felt they had to part with him to get Kim escapes me. Kim has average contact and above average power and will be a modest upgrade at 1B for the Unions. If he can help the Unions make a serious challenge for the wildcard, then it may have been worth it. But that’s a big if, even if the Western League is in flux in the early going.

Key Trade #2: On December 1, Brunswick acquired 30-year old LF Rhett Curnow (42/42) from the Stratford Barons. In return, Stratford received 33-year old RF John Dugan (49/49) and 22-year old minor league RF Robin Gare (22/34).

Knee-jerk reaction: Not a key trade by any means, but is noteworthy for the inclusion of a three-time all-star in Curnow. Curnow won a batting title two season ago (.355) and came within a cat’s whisker last year of winning it, but is not the player he once was. He can still hit a little and will provide Brunswick with infield depth.

Similarly, Dugan will provide outfield depth for the Barons, as he has good power and decent defense.

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The Embro Suns appeared poised to explode out of the gate this season, with their high octane offense and beefed up rotation. They did start off strong, winning 31 games, the second best in the ULB. But it turns out that’s only good for 2nd place, as the Brunswick Legends have stolen their thunder a bit, leaving the Suns 6.0 games back of first place.
While most of the credit must go to the Legends for their hot start, the Suns’ offense is also partly to blame, as it looked rather human to open the season. Injuries have been a factor, but main cogs like 1B Jim Friend (.279/.378/.401, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 28 R, 30 BB) and CF Terence Durney (.256/.370/.372, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 37 R, 38 BB, 5 SB) are off to uncharacteristically slow starts.

As a result, the offense has slumped as a whole (.247/.334/.346 – 7th/5th/6th). The pitching has been performing pretty much as expected (3.24/3.40/2.18 – 2nd/4th/1st). The defense could use some shoring up (.694 – 7th) though.

Top Position Player: 35-year old 2B Kian Meadmore (.246/.329/.503, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 32 R, 23 BB) has swung and missed a lot (51 K), but when he does connect, he’s been productive and is the offensive leader of the Suns in the early going.

Top Pitcher: A rather difficult choice, as Embro’s top three starters are pitching well. I’ll go with LHP Edward Hill (6-4, 2.31 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) who’s had a wonderful start to the season. But RHP Colm Soper (5-3, 2.57 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) and RHP Myung-gu Son (7-3, 2.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) can also make the same claim.

Key Injuries: 37-year old OF Paul Hooks (.289/.373/.356, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 6 BB) suffered a strained upper arm back on October 19. He missed 6 weeks and just got back into the lineup on November 29.

SP Edward Hill strained a stomach muscle in a game on the last day of November. He is out for 6 more days.

Key Trade: On November 12, Embro acquired 25-year old RF Spencer Marsland (60/69) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, the Unions received 20-year old minor leaguer IF/OF Joey Phinney (22/25) and 21-year old minor leaguer LHP Sam Champman (23/32).

Knee-jerk reaction: With the injury to Paul Hooks and the underwhelming overall performance of its outfield, such as 27-year old OF Charles Usherwood (.214/.306/.286, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 13 BB), Embro sought an upgrade. Marsland (.309/.329/.481, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 13 R, 3 BB, 3 SB), a second-round pick for Wolseley back in 1939-40, won’t wow anyone at the plate. But he can hit a little, is a speed demon and is a defensive wizard in right field. Little used by Wolseley, he will be in the starting lineup for Embro. Hooks will move over the left field to accommodate.

In return, the Unions receive very little: a couple of former fourth-round picks whose chances at making a major league roster don’t look promising. While the Unions already have Nicky Willis and Zak Kidd holding down rightfield and centerfield respectively, left field was wide open, a spot Marsland could have filled. Just another confounding move made by Wolseley.

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The Stratford Barons got off to slow start in October, but picked things up a bit in November. With Brunswick and Embro setting the pace in the East, the Barons find themselves as a good team that’s just a step behind the current leaders. They came close last year to returning to the playoffs, finishing just 1 game behind Brunswick for the wild card. This season is starting off eerily similar, with Stratford just on the outside, trying to keep pace and within striking distance. But it’s really no mystery, as the offense (.270/.341/.387 – 4th/3rd/3rd), pitching (3.28/3.24/3.79 – 3rd/3rd/4th) and defense (3rd – .698) all reveal a third-place team. That said, the Barons are not without hope, as they have some fine rookies stepping up at just the right time.

Top Position Player: 27-year old CF Ben Watson (.325/.386/.468, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 20 BB, 6 SB) has found a nice groove in the early going. He joins 26-year old LF Steven Winstanley (.281/.384/.449, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 33 R, 34 BB) as Stratford’s offensive leaders.

Also worthy of note is the ascendance of 22-year old C Geoff Lemoine (.298/.418/.484, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R, 27 BB), who has taken over the main catching duties from 31-year old, 3-time all-star Gavin Hurley (.222/.257/.286). It appears that Lemoine, a former 5th round pick by Wolseley back in 1940-41 and who has been traded a couple of times, has finally found a regular spot on a roster. In fact, he is currently rated 2nd overall among catchers in the United Leagues, behind only the Fort Richmond Generals’ Danny Trowbridge.

If that weren’t enough, Stratford enjoyed the performance of 23-year old 2B Maurice Keyworth (.309/.367/.482, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 24 R, 10 BB, 5 SB) who was sensational in November and won Rookie of the Month honours.

Top Pitcher: 33- year old RHP Darwin Monday (5-2, 2.35 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) may simply be a fifth starter at this stage of his career, but he showed he can still pitch with the best of them in Oct/Nov.

Not to be overlooked is rookie RHP Donn Griffin (4-0, 2.63 ERA, 1.29 WHIP). The 23-year old, who was selected 11th overall in the 1939-40 amateur draft, made his major league debut in November. All he did was win Pitcher of the Month honours. Not bad for a guy who missed the entire 1940-41 season due to a torn rotator cuff.

Key Injuries: Steven Winstanley is having trouble staying healthy again this season. Twice now, he has injured himself while running the bases. On October 20, he strained his neck, missing a week; then on November 29, he strained his back. He is now out 2-3 weeks.

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Last season, the Queensland Eagles embarked on a rebuild when they traded away top players SS Katsunan Chikafuji and LHP Mac MacColl last season before the trade deadline. The trades continued in the off-season. But a funny thing happened: Three of those trades are actually paying dividends for the Eagles right now.

CF Jon Moreau (acquired from the Wolseley Unions), 1B Merlin Teeters (Fort Richmond Generals) and even 3B Gabriel Fairless (acquired in a minor trade with Wellington on November 2) have all made contributions that have helped the Eagles start the season 3 games above .500 and just 4.0 games behind the wildcard.

That said, the offense could use a little more help (.268/.331/.376 – 5th/6th/5th) if Queensland is going to seriously challenge for a playoff spot. The pitching (3.51/3.19/6.16 – 4th/2nd/8th), with the exception of the bullpen, has been quite good. Defensively, Queensland is in the middle of the pack (.697 – 4th).

Top Position Player: The trade for OF Jon Moreau (.320/.369/.483, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 32 R, 17 BB, 4 SB) is looking like a steal for the Eagles. The former 4th overall pick in the 1938-39 amateur draft leads in a number of offensive categories. Also doing well are Merlin Teeters (.279/.323/.446, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 30 R, 15 BB) and 33-year old Gabriel Fairless (.395/.462/.494, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 14 R, 9 BB), who was little used in Wellington, but is now getting a chance to start every day in Queensland and appears to be making the most of it.

Top Pitcher: 33-year old RHP Bradley Paris (6-4, 1.92 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) had enjoyed a very fine start to the season. 35-year old RHP Stewart Colcott (6-5, 3.02 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) had not been far behind.

Key Injuries: Gabriel Fairless missed a week in late November. He suffered a deep hand bruise from a fight with his father-in-law.

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The Wellington Athletics are the definition of average, as they played .500 ball in both October and November. They definitely have talented players on the roster, but not enough to seriously challenge for a playoff spot. But it appears that the Athletics are a confused bunch. Last December, they declared that they were going into rebuilding mode and I expected them to be busy in the off-season. But they made no significant transactions. Now, on November 30, they once again declared they are focusing on rebuilding. Perhaps they’ll mean it this time?

This is not a bad bunch by any means. Both the offense (.277/.336/.381 – 3rd/4th/4th), and pitching (3.88/3.78/4.42 – 5th/5th/6th) have made some improvements over last season. Defense has not been great, however (.679 – 7th).

Top Position Player: I’m an unabashed Brian Main fan. The 30-year old second baseman has made the all-star team once, won a top fielder award once and has won the odd Player of the Week award here and there. But he just seems to fly under the radar. Nevertheless, he is enjoying perhaps his best season to date (.337/.375/.561, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 43 R, 15 BB, 6 SB). If he keeps it up, he should get some of the recognition he deserves.

Top Pitcher: 33-year old LHP Clyde Boney (7-3, 2.31 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) is one of the best pitchers in the United Leagues and demonstrated that in Oct/Nov. Especially in October, when he went 4-1, 1.13 ERA.

Noteworthy: Speaking of Boney, he also became the all-time career leader in wins back on October 21, when he picked up win No. 99 in a 5-1 victory over the Cobourg Red Stockings. Boney surpassed Kingston’s Brady Murdy. Boney now leads with 103 wins as of November 30. Following Brady Murdy, who has 98, are Stratford’s Joel Fearn with 94 and Braeland City teammates David Cooling and Lenny Freke, who are tied with 93.

Key Injuries: None.

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Injuries are just killing the Braeland City Monarchs. Three starters are out of the lineup for extended periods and the team’s fortunes can’t help but be negatively affected. But on December 1, the Monarchs announced that they are shifting to rebuilding mode, so it will be interesting to see what they do between now and the trade deadline on January 31.

But the offense has been quite good (.287/.356/.407 – 2nd/1st/2nd). The pitching, however, is struggling overall (3.94/4.10/2.51 – 7th/7th/2nd) and their defense is dead last (.677 – 8th) in the ULB.

Top Position Player: 29-year old SS Adam Ashley (.321/.383/.419, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 33 R, 23 BB, 9 SB) is one of the best defensive shortstops in the ULB, having won four consecutive Top Fielder Awards. But he has been a solid offensive contributor as well. He is currently playing 2B due to the rash of injuries.

Top Pitcher: 32-year old LHP David Cooling (6-2, 3.09 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) continues to play at a high level. Mention should also be given to 24-year old RHP Samuel Hollier (2-3, 5 SV, 1.83 ERA, 0.93 WHIP). The former second round pick (17th overall) from 1937-38 has carried the bulk of the load for the bullpen and has been lights out for the Monarchs.

Key Injuries: IF Finlay Ridd was injured in a collision at a base in a game back on October 12 and suffered brain fever. He is out for at least 7 more weeks.

RHP Lenny Freke (0-2, 6.43 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) was injured while pitching in a game back on October 17. He was diagnosed with shoulder swelling and will miss another 2-3 months.

On November 29, 2B Trevor Bolan (.317/.356/.471, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 37 R, 12 BB, 2 SB) broke his knee cap while running the bases. He is gone for the season (7 months).

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The Cobourg Red Stockings started off the season in typical fashion, losing a lot more games than they won. But in November, they actually put together a winning record. No doubt that was a blip, as the Red Stockings are just not set up to turn things around quite yet. Their young players are struggling mightily. 3B Shelby Cain (.183), 2B George Simpson (.165), LF Cliff Jordan (.199) and CF Dwayne Whit (.220) are all getting regular playing time despite their struggles to adjust to the majors. Even all-star veterans like 3B Mathew Lane (.143) have stopped producing and are currently relegated to back-up duties.

Not surprisingly, the offense is woeful (.231/.291/.319 – 8th/8th/8th). The rotation is only somewhat better (3.90/3.89/3.97 – 6th/6th/5th). But their defense is the best in the East (.719 – 1st).

Top Position Player: The offensive stats for this team are not for the faint of heart, but 24-year old SS Dennis Borton (.281/.311/.372, 6-3B, 23 RBI, 17 R, 10 BB, 8 SB) is at least showing some consistency.

Top Pitcher: 26-year old RHP Luke Mason saw limited action in the majors with the Sherburn Tigers before he was traded to the Kingston Pelicans last season. Claimed off of waivers by the Red Stockings back in May, Mason (4-0, 2.56 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) is now their No. 5 starter in the rotation. He has been easily Cobourg’s best pitcher in the first two months.

Key Injuries: 24-year old RHP Tom Mayor (0-0, 2 SV, 2.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) tore an elbow ligament in a game back on November 7. He is out for at least 6 more months.

24-year old C Neil Voigt (.281/.337/.461, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R, 8 BB) suffered a knee-bone bruise in a game back on November 8. He was out for 4 weeks.

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Like the Cobourg Red Stockings, the Downie Chiefs got off to a horrendous start but fared somewhat better in November. But make no mistake: this is a bad team that will experience some pain before they start to turn things around. The good news is that their farm system is slowly becoming a strength, as it is now ranked 4th overall in the ULB, a marked improvement over last season. That said, Downie is still behind other rebuilding teams and it will take a while before we see positive results in the standings. Thus, the Chiefs should get comfy in the basement; they will be staying there for the foreseeable future.

As such, the offense (.253/.304/.345 – 6t/7th/7th) is lackluster, but the pitching, while not great by any means (4.44/4.68/2.97 – 8th/8th/6th) actually saw an improvement over last season. Whether they can keep it up is another thing. Defensively, they are 2nd (.698) overall in the East.

Top Position Player: Not a lot to choose from. But 30-year old SS Ninfa Puzon (.293/.363/.419, 14-2B, 21 RBI, 24 R, 22 BB, 6 SB) started off the season well offensively.

Top Pitcher: No standout performances to speak of, but 31-year old SP Reece Abberley (5-5, 3.28 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) is Downie’s ace and was a steady presence on the mound in both Oct/Nov.

Key Injuries: 36-year old 3B Andy Johnson (.292/.357/.313, 1-2B, 4 RBI, 8 R, 6 BB) was injured on a defensive play in a game on November 28. He suffered a deep hand cut and is considered day-to-day for the next two weeks.

Key Trade: The Chiefs traded 31-year old 1B William Tozer (40/40) to the Balmoral giants, getting three minor league players in return:
22-year old RHP Louis Le Roy (20/50),
21-year old RF Paea Lukela (22/23), and
24- year old RHP Byron Poskitt (22/40).

Knee-jerk reaction: Tozer joins the fifth team of his career, as the Chiefs finally traded him away. Tozer is not quite the player he once was, but the two-time all-star and two-time Top Fielder Award winner brings experience and a steady hand to a young Balmoral team that feels it is ready to make the playoffs. Tozer will face RHP for now.
Downie gets nothing special in return. RP Louis Le Roy does not have great stuff or great movement, but has decent control and can hit his spots well. Poskitt was originally a 6th round draft pick by the Chiefs back in 1938. This is his fourth trade and it sees him returning to his original club. Like Le Roy, Poskitt has so-so stuff and movement, but has decent control.

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02-26-2016, 10:24 AM	#223
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,899	December 1, 1942 Eastern League: Legends Rule The Roost -------- Towards the end of last season, the Brunswick Legends appeared to be a team that was just happy to have made the playoffs, as they were hampered by injuries and fought off a furious pursuit by the Stratford Barons for the wild card. Then they proceeded to sweep the Embro Suns in the Eastern Pennant Series and won the United Cup in six games over the Cambria Cannons. Well this year, it appears the Legends have no intention of settling for the wild card or allowing their championship last season to be a one-off event. They have stormed out of the gate in October and November with the best record in the United Leagues and enjoy a 6-game lead over the Embro Suns, who are no slouches either. If Brunswick can stay relatively healthy, then watch out; this unit looks scary good. The offense, not surprisingly is top notch (.287/.355/.421 – 1st/2nd/1st), while their pitching, at least the starting rotation, has been dominating (2.89/2.71/4.60 – 1st/1st/7th – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA). Defensively, they are in the middle (.695 – 5th). *Top Position Player:* After returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon that saw him miss almost 9 months last season, Mark Elston (.375/.485/.646, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 41 R, 43 BB) is a man playing possessed – a 34-year old man playing possessed. He won back-to-back Player of the Month Awards to the start the season, as well as Player of the Week Award in November to boot. Now, if only he can stay healthy for an entire season. He has been one the ULB’s biggest and most popular stars. Brunswick (and the entire ULB) needs him to stay healthy (I just jinxed him, right?) *Top Pitcher:* 32-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (9-1, 2.28 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) always has his game face on (no, seriously, just look at his baseball card above) and was simply dominating in October/November. He did have control issues in November (26 BB verses 8 BB in October), but Monroe is a major component of perhaps the best starting rotation in the United Leagues right now: • Anastasio Rodríguez: 6-4, 2.73 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, • Matthew Monroe: 9-1, 2.28 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, • Hirotada Fukushima: 5-5, 3.64 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, • Wilson Villas: 8-0, 2.46 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, • Roger Battle: 5-1, 2.38 ERA, 1.27 WHIP. *Key Injuries:* 3B Derek Sakurai (.393/.413/.595, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R, 4 BB) suffered shoulder swelling back on October 29; he should be beck in another day or two. *Key Trade #1:* On November 17, Brunswick acquired 31-year old RHP Andrie-Luiz Rosacega (48/48) and 20-year old minor league RHP Finlay Capstick (33/80) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, Wolseley received 34-year old 1B Teuk-chin Kim (40/40). *Knee-jerk reaction:* The bullpen has been one of the few weaknesses for the Legends in the early going, so it not surprising that they went out and acquired a reliever. But Rosacega is not very consistent and not a long-term answer. But they do get Capstick, a promising young reliever that has tremendous stuff and control. He projects to be dominating reliever in the future. Why Wolseley felt they had to part with him to get Kim escapes me. Kim has average contact and above average power and will be a modest upgrade at 1B for the Unions. If he can help the Unions make a serious challenge for the wildcard, then it may have been worth it. But that’s a big if, even if the Western League is in flux in the early going. *Key Trade #2:* On December 1, Brunswick acquired 30-year old LF Rhett Curnow (42/42) from the Stratford Barons. In return, Stratford received 33-year old RF John Dugan (49/49) and 22-year old minor league RF Robin Gare (22/34). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Not a key trade by any means, but is noteworthy for the inclusion of a three-time all-star in Curnow. Curnow won a batting title two season ago (.355) and came within a cat’s whisker last year of winning it, but is not the player he once was. He can still hit a little and will provide Brunswick with infield depth. Similarly, Dugan will provide outfield depth for the Barons, as he has good power and decent defense. -------- The Embro Suns appeared poised to explode out of the gate this season, with their high octane offense and beefed up rotation. They did start off strong, winning 31 games, the second best in the ULB. But it turns out that’s only good for 2nd place, as the Brunswick Legends have stolen their thunder a bit, leaving the Suns 6.0 games back of first place. While most of the credit must go to the Legends for their hot start, the Suns’ offense is also partly to blame, as it looked rather human to open the season. Injuries have been a factor, but main cogs like 1B Jim Friend (.279/.378/.401, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 28 R, 30 BB) and CF Terence Durney (.256/.370/.372, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 37 R, 38 BB, 5 SB) are off to uncharacteristically slow starts. As a result, the offense has slumped as a whole (.247/.334/.346 – 7th/5th/6th). The pitching has been performing pretty much as expected (3.24/3.40/2.18 – 2nd/4th/1st). The defense could use some shoring up (.694 – 7th) though. *Top Position Player:* 35-year old 2B Kian Meadmore (.246/.329/.503, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 32 R, 23 BB) has swung and missed a lot (51 K), but when he does connect, he’s been productive and is the offensive leader of the Suns in the early going. *Top Pitcher:* A rather difficult choice, as Embro’s top three starters are pitching well. I’ll go with LHP Edward Hill (6-4, 2.31 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) who’s had a wonderful start to the season. But RHP Colm Soper (5-3, 2.57 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) and RHP Myung-gu Son (7-3, 2.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) can also make the same claim. *Key Injuries:* 37-year old OF Paul Hooks (.289/.373/.356, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 6 BB) suffered a strained upper arm back on October 19. He missed 6 weeks and just got back into the lineup on November 29. SP Edward Hill strained a stomach muscle in a game on the last day of November. He is out for 6 more days. *Key Trade:* On November 12, Embro acquired 25-year old RF Spencer Marsland (60/69) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, the Unions received 20-year old minor leaguer IF/OF Joey Phinney (22/25) and 21-year old minor leaguer LHP Sam Champman (23/32). *Knee-jerk reaction:* With the injury to Paul Hooks and the underwhelming overall performance of its outfield, such as 27-year old OF Charles Usherwood (.214/.306/.286, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 13 BB), Embro sought an upgrade. Marsland (.309/.329/.481, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 13 R, 3 BB, 3 SB), a second-round pick for Wolseley back in 1939-40, won’t wow anyone at the plate. But he can hit a little, is a speed demon and is a defensive wizard in right field. Little used by Wolseley, he will be in the starting lineup for Embro. Hooks will move over the left field to accommodate. In return, the Unions receive very little: a couple of former fourth-round picks whose chances at making a major league roster don’t look promising. While the Unions already have Nicky Willis and Zak Kidd holding down rightfield and centerfield respectively, left field was wide open, a spot Marsland could have filled. Just another confounding move made by Wolseley. -------- The Stratford Barons got off to slow start in October, but picked things up a bit in November. With Brunswick and Embro setting the pace in the East, the Barons find themselves as a good team that’s just a step behind the current leaders. They came close last year to returning to the playoffs, finishing just 1 game behind Brunswick for the wild card. This season is starting off eerily similar, with Stratford just on the outside, trying to keep pace and within striking distance. But it’s really no mystery, as the offense (.270/.341/.387 – 4th/3rd/3rd), pitching (3.28/3.24/3.79 – 3rd/3rd/4th) and defense (3rd – .698) all reveal a third-place team. That said, the Barons are not without hope, as they have some fine rookies stepping up at just the right time. *Top Position Player:* 27-year old CF Ben Watson (.325/.386/.468, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 20 BB, 6 SB) has found a nice groove in the early going. He joins 26-year old LF Steven Winstanley (.281/.384/.449, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 33 R, 34 BB) as Stratford’s offensive leaders. Also worthy of note is the ascendance of 22-year old C Geoff Lemoine (.298/.418/.484, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R, 27 BB), who has taken over the main catching duties from 31-year old, 3-time all-star Gavin Hurley (.222/.257/.286). It appears that Lemoine, a former 5th round pick by Wolseley back in 1940-41 and who has been traded a couple of times, has finally found a regular spot on a roster. In fact, he is currently rated 2nd overall among catchers in the United Leagues, behind only the Fort Richmond Generals’ Danny Trowbridge. If that weren’t enough, Stratford enjoyed the performance of 23-year old 2B Maurice Keyworth (.309/.367/.482, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 24 R, 10 BB, 5 SB) who was sensational in November and won Rookie of the Month honours. *Top Pitcher:* 33- year old RHP Darwin Monday (5-2, 2.35 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) may simply be a fifth starter at this stage of his career, but he showed he can still pitch with the best of them in Oct/Nov. Not to be overlooked is rookie RHP Donn Griffin (4-0, 2.63 ERA, 1.29 WHIP). The 23-year old, who was selected 11th overall in the 1939-40 amateur draft, made his major league debut in November. All he did was win Pitcher of the Month honours. Not bad for a guy who missed the entire 1940-41 season due to a torn rotator cuff. *Key Injuries:* Steven Winstanley is having trouble staying healthy again this season. Twice now, he has injured himself while running the bases. On October 20, he strained his neck, missing a week; then on November 29, he strained his back. He is now out 2-3 weeks. -------- Last season, the Queensland Eagles embarked on a rebuild when they traded away top players SS Katsunan Chikafuji and LHP Mac MacColl last season before the trade deadline. The trades continued in the off-season. But a funny thing happened: Three of those trades are actually paying dividends for the Eagles right now. CF Jon Moreau (acquired from the Wolseley Unions), 1B Merlin Teeters (Fort Richmond Generals) and even 3B Gabriel Fairless (acquired in a minor trade with Wellington on November 2) have all made contributions that have helped the Eagles start the season 3 games above .500 and just 4.0 games behind the wildcard. That said, the offense could use a little more help (.268/.331/.376 – 5th/6th/5th) if Queensland is going to seriously challenge for a playoff spot. The pitching (3.51/3.19/6.16 – 4th/2nd/8th), with the exception of the bullpen, has been quite good. Defensively, Queensland is in the middle of the pack (.697 – 4th). *Top Position Player:* The trade for OF Jon Moreau (.320/.369/.483, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 32 R, 17 BB, 4 SB) is looking like a steal for the Eagles. The former 4th overall pick in the 1938-39 amateur draft leads in a number of offensive categories. Also doing well are Merlin Teeters (.279/.323/.446, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 30 R, 15 BB) and 33-year old Gabriel Fairless (.395/.462/.494, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 14 R, 9 BB), who was little used in Wellington, but is now getting a chance to start every day in Queensland and appears to be making the most of it. *Top Pitcher:* 33-year old RHP Bradley Paris (6-4, 1.92 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) had enjoyed a very fine start to the season. 35-year old RHP Stewart Colcott (6-5, 3.02 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) had not been far behind. *Key Injuries:* Gabriel Fairless missed a week in late November. He suffered a deep hand bruise from a fight with his father-in-law. -------- The Wellington Athletics are the definition of average, as they played .500 ball in both October and November. They definitely have talented players on the roster, but not enough to seriously challenge for a playoff spot. But it appears that the Athletics are a confused bunch. Last December, they declared that they were going into rebuilding mode and I expected them to be busy in the off-season. But they made no significant transactions. Now, on November 30, they once again declared they are focusing on rebuilding. Perhaps they’ll mean it this time? This is not a bad bunch by any means. Both the offense (.277/.336/.381 – 3rd/4th/4th), and pitching (3.88/3.78/4.42 – 5th/5th/6th) have made some improvements over last season. Defense has not been great, however (.679 – 7th). *Top Position Player:* I’m an unabashed Brian Main fan. The 30-year old second baseman has made the all-star team once, won a top fielder award once and has won the odd Player of the Week award here and there. But he just seems to fly under the radar. Nevertheless, he is enjoying perhaps his best season to date (.337/.375/.561, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 43 R, 15 BB, 6 SB). If he keeps it up, he should get some of the recognition he deserves. *Top Pitcher:* 33-year old LHP Clyde Boney (7-3, 2.31 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) is one of the best pitchers in the United Leagues and demonstrated that in Oct/Nov. Especially in October, when he went 4-1, 1.13 ERA. *Noteworthy:* Speaking of Boney, he also became the all-time career leader in wins back on October 21, when he picked up win No. 99 in a 5-1 victory over the Cobourg Red Stockings. Boney surpassed Kingston’s Brady Murdy. Boney now leads with 103 wins as of November 30. Following Brady Murdy, who has 98, are Stratford’s Joel Fearn with 94 and Braeland City teammates David Cooling and Lenny Freke, who are tied with 93. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- Injuries are just killing the Braeland City Monarchs. Three starters are out of the lineup for extended periods and the team’s fortunes can’t help but be negatively affected. But on December 1, the Monarchs announced that they are shifting to rebuilding mode, so it will be interesting to see what they do between now and the trade deadline on January 31. But the offense has been quite good (.287/.356/.407 – 2nd/1st/2nd). The pitching, however, is struggling overall (3.94/4.10/2.51 – 7th/7th/2nd) and their defense is dead last (.677 – 8th) in the ULB. *Top Position Player:* 29-year old SS Adam Ashley (.321/.383/.419, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 33 R, 23 BB, 9 SB) is one of the best defensive shortstops in the ULB, having won four consecutive Top Fielder Awards. But he has been a solid offensive contributor as well. He is currently playing 2B due to the rash of injuries. *Top Pitcher:* 32-year old LHP David Cooling (6-2, 3.09 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) continues to play at a high level. Mention should also be given to 24-year old RHP Samuel Hollier (2-3, 5 SV, 1.83 ERA, 0.93 WHIP). The former second round pick (17th overall) from 1937-38 has carried the bulk of the load for the bullpen and has been lights out for the Monarchs. *Key Injuries:* IF Finlay Ridd was injured in a collision at a base in a game back on October 12 and suffered brain fever. He is out for at least 7 more weeks. RHP Lenny Freke (0-2, 6.43 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) was injured while pitching in a game back on October 17. He was diagnosed with shoulder swelling and will miss another 2-3 months. On November 29, 2B Trevor Bolan (.317/.356/.471, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 37 R, 12 BB, 2 SB) broke his knee cap while running the bases. He is gone for the season (7 months). -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings started off the season in typical fashion, losing a lot more games than they won. But in November, they actually put together a winning record. No doubt that was a blip, as the Red Stockings are just not set up to turn things around quite yet. Their young players are struggling mightily. 3B Shelby Cain (.183), 2B George Simpson (.165), LF Cliff Jordan (.199) and CF Dwayne Whit (.220) are all getting regular playing time despite their struggles to adjust to the majors. Even all-star veterans like 3B Mathew Lane (.143) have stopped producing and are currently relegated to back-up duties. Not surprisingly, the offense is woeful (.231/.291/.319 – 8th/8th/8th). The rotation is only somewhat better (3.90/3.89/3.97 – 6th/6th/5th). But their defense is the best in the East (.719 – 1st). *Top Position Player:* The offensive stats for this team are not for the faint of heart, but 24-year old SS Dennis Borton (.281/.311/.372, 6-3B, 23 RBI, 17 R, 10 BB, 8 SB) is at least showing some consistency. *Top Pitcher:* 26-year old RHP Luke Mason saw limited action in the majors with the Sherburn Tigers before he was traded to the Kingston Pelicans last season. Claimed off of waivers by the Red Stockings back in May, Mason (4-0, 2.56 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) is now their No. 5 starter in the rotation. He has been easily Cobourg’s best pitcher in the first two months. *Key Injuries:* 24-year old RHP Tom Mayor (0-0, 2 SV, 2.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) tore an elbow ligament in a game back on November 7. He is out for at least 6 more months. 24-year old C Neil Voigt (.281/.337/.461, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R, 8 BB) suffered a knee-bone bruise in a game back on November 8. He was out for 4 weeks. -------- Like the Cobourg Red Stockings, the Downie Chiefs got off to a horrendous start but fared somewhat better in November. But make no mistake: this is a bad team that will experience some pain before they start to turn things around. The good news is that their farm system is slowly becoming a strength, as it is now ranked 4th overall in the ULB, a marked improvement over last season. That said, Downie is still behind other rebuilding teams and it will take a while before we see positive results in the standings. Thus, the Chiefs should get comfy in the basement; they will be staying there for the foreseeable future. As such, the offense (.253/.304/.345 – 6t/7th/7th) is lackluster, but the pitching, while not great by any means (4.44/4.68/2.97 – 8th/8th/6th) actually saw an improvement over last season. Whether they can keep it up is another thing. Defensively, they are 2nd (.698) overall in the East. *Top Position Player:* Not a lot to choose from. But 30-year old SS Ninfa Puzon (.293/.363/.419, 14-2B, 21 RBI, 24 R, 22 BB, 6 SB) started off the season well offensively. *Top Pitcher:* No standout performances to speak of, but 31-year old SP Reece Abberley (5-5, 3.28 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) is Downie’s ace and was a steady presence on the mound in both Oct/Nov. *Key Injuries:* 36-year old 3B Andy Johnson (.292/.357/.313, 1-2B, 4 RBI, 8 R, 6 BB) was injured on a defensive play in a game on November 28. He suffered a deep hand cut and is considered day-to-day for the next two weeks. *Key Trade:* The Chiefs traded 31-year old 1B William Tozer (40/40) to the Balmoral giants, getting three minor league players in return: 22-year old RHP Louis Le Roy (20/50), 21-year old RF Paea Lukela (22/23), and 24- year old RHP Byron Poskitt (22/40). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Tozer joins the fifth team of his career, as the Chiefs finally traded him away. Tozer is not quite the player he once was, but the two-time all-star and two-time Top Fielder Award winner brings experience and a steady hand to a young Balmoral team that feels it is ready to make the playoffs. Tozer will face RHP for now. Downie gets nothing special in return. RP Louis Le Roy does not have great stuff or great movement, but has decent control and can hit his spots well. Poskitt was originally a 6th round draft pick by the Chiefs back in 1938. This is his fourth trade and it sees him returning to his original club. Like Le Roy, Poskitt has so-so stuff and movement, but has decent control. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 10:10 PM.