OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

reds1 · 02-28-2016, 01:15 AM

December 1, 1942

Western League: Balmoral Leading Power Shift

--------

The Balmoral Giants made hints late last season that they were finally turning the corner when they nearly captured the wild card. A late push by the Kingston Pelicans prevented the Giants from crashing the playoff party, but the Giants are sending out all kinds of signals that they are serious about shaking things up in the West this season. After the first two months, Balmoral leads the way, 2.5 games up on the Hespeler Stars. Yes, the power in the Western League does appear to be shifting. It will be exciting to see if it will continue over the course of the season.

The Giants have been a strong offensive team (.284/.350/.399 – 1st/1st/2nd) for some time, but now their pitching is improving as well (3.49/3.82/1.91 – 3rd/4th/1st). Combine that with a strong defense (.708– 3rd), and its little wonder the Giants are in first place.

Top Position Player: 3B Otton Overbeek (.336/.367/.500, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 34 R, 12 BB) is just in this second season, but the 22-year old started this season red hot and has only gotten better.

Top Pitcher: 34-year old RHP Charlie Crocombe (7-1, 2.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) has been with Balmoral since Day 1, but he is enjoying his best start by far this season. Unfortunately, he is out of action for a bit due to an injury.

Key Injuries: 37-year old LHP Dave Mapp (3-3, 4.04 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) tore an upper arm muscle while pitching in a game back on November 19. He is out for 3 months.

Charlie Crocombe experienced shoulder stiffness in a game on November 28. He is out of action for another 1-2 weeks.

--------

The Hespeler Stars were not projected to be much of a factor this season and October more or less bore that out. But a 16-10 November catapulted them into second spot, just 2.5 games back of first place Balmoral. Like the Giants, the Stars have been rebuilding for some time and if they continue to have months like November, then they just might have joined the power shift that’s playing out in the Western League right now.

But the offense will have to pick up the pace (.266/.337/.368 – 6th/6th/4th). To their credit, the offense has modestly improved over last season in the first two months, but the young guns on the team really need to finally figure things out.

The pitching, however, has really blossomed this season (3.19/3.29/2.76 – 1st/2nd/2nd), as has the defense (.709 – 2nd). If the offense can find the switch, then this could be a really exciting season in the West.

Top Position Player: There’s not a lot to get too excited about, at least not yet, but 23-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.265/.396/.395, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 24 R, 35 BB) shows a lot of promise. He was the first overall pick for Hespeler back in 1940-41.

24-year old 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (.230/.371/.361, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 27 R, 41 BB) started off slow, but had a fine month in November, winning Rookie of the Month honours.

Top Pitcher: Hespeler enjoyed some nice pitching performances to start the season, so it’s not easy to choose one. But 31-year old RHP Freddie Ventriss (5-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) has had a fine start to the season. He just needs to cut down on BB a bit (51 BB, 21 K).

Key Injuries: 38-year old RF Louie Maylam tore ankle ligaments in a ‘spring’ training game back in September 7. He is out for another 8 weeks.

24-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (1-2, 2.66 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) experienced a slip disc while pitching in a game back on October 18. He will be out for at least another week.

32-year old LHP Anthony Schmidt (1-3, 4.42 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) separated his hip joint while pitching on November 10. He is out for 3 more months.

--------

General Manager Bill Byers is embarking on his sixth season at the helm of the Fort Richmond Generals. They have yet to make the playoffs and the bold moves Byers made last season to try and break that drought blew up big time as the Generals tumbled to sixth place in the West. Yet somehow, Byers kept his job and has another chance this season to try and turn things around. The Generals have essentially treaded water over the years and it’s time to either make a serious push for the playoffs or commit to a rebuilding project.

They are not a bad team on either offense (.272/.346/.366 – 4th/3rd/5th) or pitching (3.69/3.60/4.39 – 4th/3rd/7th), but it does represent a step back from the start of last season. They have fallen to 6th place in defensive efficiency (.689).

Top Position Player: 26-year old SS Steven Wormleighton (.296/.338/.393, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 27 R, 12 BB, 4 SB), a former 5th overall pick back in 1938-39, is both a solid offensive and defensive player. He was Fort Richmond’s best position player to start the season.

Top Pitcher: 28-year old RHP Oscar Burress (7-3, 2.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) was his team’s best pitcher over the first two months of the season, winning Pitching of the Month honours in November. 34-year old RHP Tristan Purss (8-3, 3.69 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) won the Pitching of the Month award in October, but he struggled a bit in November (3-2, 5.90 ERA).

30-year old LHP David Nixon (5-0, 2.78 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) is enjoying his best season by far, as Fort Richmond’s No. 5 starter. Nixon was a Rule 5 draft pick (from the Stratford Barons) back in 1939.

Key Injuries: None.

--------

Last season, the Kingston Pelicans were up and down from month-to-month. They are continuing that trend in October/November as well, sitting at .500 after two months. But that is a good thing for Kingston, as they are dealing with significant injuries to key players. Despite the adversities, they sit just 1.5 games back of the wild card and just 4.0 games out of first place. If they keep within striking distance, the wily Pelicans always have a chance at returning to the playoffs. They won’t allow themselves to be written off just yet.

The offense is not what it was, but there still plenty of time to rebound (.267/.341/.370 – 5th/4th/4th). The rotation is performing well, but the bullpen is a concern (3.44/3.21/5.03 – 2nd/1st/8th). Defensively, Kingston saw a modest improvement over last season (.696 – 5th) in the first two months.

Top Position Player: Both 32-year old 2B Mo Symes (.330/.394/.456, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 34 R, 23 BB) and 34-year old LF Jayden Tennant (.345/.442/.580, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 18 R, 24 BB) are the offensive leaders for the Kingston Pelicans in the early going.

However, the loss of starting catcher Nick Hewat of Australia in the off-season due to being called up for military service, has given a heretofore unknown player a chance to shine. 24-year old C Freddie Duran (.311/.391/.393, 9-2B, 17 RBI, 17 R, 19 BB) is now in the regular lineup against right-handed pitching this season and won Rookie of the Month honours in October. Duran was traded away from the Embro Suns to the Cambria Cannons back in 1938, and then released by Cambria in 1940, without ever having reached the major league level. Two weeks later, Kingston signed him to a minor league deal and he finally reached the majors this season. It will be interesting to see how he fares the rest of the way.

Top Pitcher: 24-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (7-4, 2.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) is in his second season in the majors. The former 16th overall pick back in 1939-40 is off to great start.

Key Injuries: 32-year old RHP Francis Slocock sprained his ankle in a ‘Coconut’ League game back in September. He missed 2-3 months but could be back in 3 days.

29-year old RF Chong-sik Lee (.318/.348/.409) tore a knee ligament in a game back on October 10. He is out for the season (5 more months).

33-year old RHP Yasushi Kobayashi (1-1, 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) injured himself while pitching back on October 25. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is out for the season as well (5 more months).

27-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.208/.289/.350, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 19 R, 13 BB) tore ankle ligaments in a game on November 7 and suffered a setback on top of that. He is out a further 1-2 weeks.

--------

After running away with the league lead last season, the Cambria Cannons find themselves playing catch up in the early going. The Cannons are struggling and it is largely due to their lacklustre pitching.

The offense is as strong as ever (.282/.346/.405 –2nd/2nd/1st) if not stronger, but the pitching is really struggling (4.08/4.22/3.14 – 6th/6th/4th). They are once again the top rated defensive team (.712) in the West.

Top Position Player: The offense is riding high right now, but no one is as hot as 25-year old LF Ron Westmacott (.340/.448/.592, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 37 R, 36 BB, 7 SB). After missing nearly 5 months last season due to various ailments, Westmacott has returned with a vengeance and won Batter of the Month honours in November.

Top Pitcher: Unfortunately, the pitching staff is struggling right now, but 25-year old RHP Carl Luscombe (5-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) has been the main go-to guy out of the bullpen thus far and has performed well.

Key Injuries: 29-year old RHP Shaun Alford (0-1, 1 SV, 2.22 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) tore his knee joint while pitching in a game on November 29. He is out for 3 months.

31-year old RHP Bradley Dodson (3-6, 4.60 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) suffered a slip disc while pitching, also on November 29. He is day-to-day for the next 6 days.

Noteworthy: On November 3, Ron Westmacott hit for the cycle in a 9-5 victory over the Kingston Pelicans. Westmacott singled in the 1st, flied out in the 3rd, hit a two-run home run in the 5th, doubled in the 7th and hit a two-run triple in the 8th. In all, he went 4-5, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R.
It’s the second cycle for Westmacott, who hit for his first cycle back on December 25, 1939. It’s the first cycle in nearly two years and the ninth in United Leagues history. Terry Maxwell was the last to hit for the cycle back on November 10, 1940.

--------

The Wolseley Unions are obviously a team the marches to the beat of its own drummer. They have made a number of trades lately that have left me scratching my head. Trades that appear to have either netted them very little in return or where they have traded away players that could have helped them now. Such transactions have done little to really strengthen their farm system. They rank 5th this year. That doesn’t too bad, but their ranking a year ago was exactly the same and not much better than what it was two seasons ago. To me it appears they are squandering time and talent that could have helped them to be much better now than what they really are.

So it’s no surprise that the Unions are struggling. The offense (.245/.317/.342 – 8th/7th/8th) has regressed from last season as has the pitching (4.48/4.54/4.16 – 7th/7th/5th). Defense has hit rock bottom (.685 – 8th).

Top Position Player: He’s only 25-years old but RF Nicky Willis (.312/.401/.516, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 28 R, 29 BB) is already a 4-year veteran of the ULB. He is off to his best start.

Top Pitcher: Like Willis, 23-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (6-4, 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) is in his fourth season in the ULB and he is far and away Wolseley’s best pitching to start the season.

Key Injuries: 34-year old RHP Jean-Pierre Da Silva (2-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) was out for 6 weeks due to a torn back muscle suffered in a game back on October 22. He recently returned to the rotation.

--------

The Sherburn Tigers have consistently maintained one of the deepest farm systems over the last few seasons, but the payoff from all that talent has yet to appear. That may change soon. The talent is starting to rise to the major league level. If that talent can blossom, then Sherburn may become formidable in the not-too-distant future. But for now, the Tigers will have to content themselves with more struggles in the standings.

Sherburn’s offense has improved in some areas (.277/.341/.362 – 3rd/5th/6th) but lags in other areas as well (HRs, BBs for example). The pitching is still largely a nightmare (4.50/4.55/4.17 – 8th/8th/6th). Defensively, they haven’t improved much (.688 – 7th).

Top Position Player: From a consistency perspective, 28-year old 3B Harley Simmons (.290/.351/.420, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 24 R, 16 BB) has been Sherburn’s best player thus far.
1B Francis Pynchon (.305/.356/.492, 7 HR, 33 RBI, 30 R, 13 BB) was hot in October and won the Batter of the Month Award, but he cooled off in November. He is also on the disabled list for the new few weeks.

Top Pitcher: 27-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (7-2, 3.19 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) was off to a good start and was the best pitcher in the rotation, but he too has fallen to injury and will not be back this season.
22-year old RHP Chris Herrera (3-0, 2.51 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) who came over from Embro during the offseason in a trade is slowly being eased into the rotation as a 5th starter. No doubt Sherburn is hoping he can fit in quickly now that Pierson is unavailable.

Key Injuries: On November 28, Francis Pynchon was injured in a collision at a base. He suffered a thigh muscle strain and will miss four weeks.

Daniel Pierson suffered shoulder swelling while pitching on November 29. He is gone for the season (6 months).

--------

The Pulberry Trolleys are in a bit of a precarious spot. The bulk of their prospects are now on the major league roster and in various degrees of adjustment. However, they do not have much high-end talent left in the pipeline, as their farm system is currently ranked last in the United Leagues. Thus the Trolleys are in a ‘sink or swim’ situation. So far, they are sinking further into the basement of the Western League. But they have talent for sure – it just needs to start producing. When and if it does, it may finally pull Pulberry into relevancy – something it has yet to experience.

Their offense (.248/.313/.344 – 7th/8th/7th) has regressed from last season, while the pitching (4.02/4.16/2.88 – 5th/5th/3rd) has slowly improved. The defense is holding steady (.704 – 4th).

Top Position Player: Not a lot to choose from as many of the players got off to very slow starts. In contrast, 26-year old SS Wenceslsas Jasmin (.286/.359/.367, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 27 R, 24 BB, 5 SB) got off to a fast start, but then cooled off in November. But he was still Pulberry’s best position player to start the season.

Top Pitcher: Slim pickings thus far, but 23-year old RHP Lee Dowdeswell (2-1, 1.23 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) has been outstanding pitching out of the bullpen. Dowdeswell was a 5th round pick back in 1939-40 and is projected to one day be a starter.

Key Injuries: None.

--------

02-28-2016, 01:15 AM	#224
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,899	December 1, 1942 Western League: Balmoral Leading Power Shift -------- The Balmoral Giants made hints late last season that they were finally turning the corner when they nearly captured the wild card. A late push by the Kingston Pelicans prevented the Giants from crashing the playoff party, but the Giants are sending out all kinds of signals that they are serious about shaking things up in the West this season. After the first two months, Balmoral leads the way, 2.5 games up on the Hespeler Stars. Yes, the power in the Western League does appear to be shifting. It will be exciting to see if it will continue over the course of the season. The Giants have been a strong offensive team (.284/.350/.399 – 1st/1st/2nd) for some time, but now their pitching is improving as well (3.49/3.82/1.91 – 3rd/4th/1st). Combine that with a strong defense (.708– 3rd), and its little wonder the Giants are in first place. *Top Position Player:* 3B Otton Overbeek (.336/.367/.500, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 34 R, 12 BB) is just in this second season, but the 22-year old started this season red hot and has only gotten better. *Top Pitcher:* 34-year old RHP Charlie Crocombe (7-1, 2.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) has been with Balmoral since Day 1, but he is enjoying his best start by far this season. Unfortunately, he is out of action for a bit due to an injury. *Key Injuries:* 37-year old LHP Dave Mapp (3-3, 4.04 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) tore an upper arm muscle while pitching in a game back on November 19. He is out for 3 months. Charlie Crocombe experienced shoulder stiffness in a game on November 28. He is out of action for another 1-2 weeks. -------- The Hespeler Stars were not projected to be much of a factor this season and October more or less bore that out. But a 16-10 November catapulted them into second spot, just 2.5 games back of first place Balmoral. Like the Giants, the Stars have been rebuilding for some time and if they continue to have months like November, then they just might have joined the power shift that’s playing out in the Western League right now. But the offense will have to pick up the pace (.266/.337/.368 – 6th/6th/4th). To their credit, the offense has modestly improved over last season in the first two months, but the young guns on the team really need to finally figure things out. The pitching, however, has really blossomed this season (3.19/3.29/2.76 – 1st/2nd/2nd), as has the defense (.709 – 2nd). If the offense can find the switch, then this could be a really exciting season in the West. *Top Position Player:* There’s not a lot to get too excited about, at least not yet, but 23-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.265/.396/.395, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 24 R, 35 BB) shows a lot of promise. He was the first overall pick for Hespeler back in 1940-41. 24-year old 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (.230/.371/.361, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 27 R, 41 BB) started off slow, but had a fine month in November, winning Rookie of the Month honours. *Top Pitcher:* Hespeler enjoyed some nice pitching performances to start the season, so it’s not easy to choose one. But 31-year old RHP Freddie Ventriss (5-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) has had a fine start to the season. He just needs to cut down on BB a bit (51 BB, 21 K). *Key Injuries:* 38-year old RF Louie Maylam tore ankle ligaments in a ‘spring’ training game back in September 7. He is out for another 8 weeks. 24-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (1-2, 2.66 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) experienced a slip disc while pitching in a game back on October 18. He will be out for at least another week. 32-year old LHP Anthony Schmidt (1-3, 4.42 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) separated his hip joint while pitching on November 10. He is out for 3 more months. -------- General Manager Bill Byers is embarking on his sixth season at the helm of the Fort Richmond Generals. They have yet to make the playoffs and the bold moves Byers made last season to try and break that drought blew up big time as the Generals tumbled to sixth place in the West. Yet somehow, Byers kept his job and has another chance this season to try and turn things around. The Generals have essentially treaded water over the years and it’s time to either make a serious push for the playoffs or commit to a rebuilding project. They are not a bad team on either offense (.272/.346/.366 – 4th/3rd/5th) or pitching (3.69/3.60/4.39 – 4th/3rd/7th), but it does represent a step back from the start of last season. They have fallen to 6th place in defensive efficiency (.689). *Top Position Player:* 26-year old SS Steven Wormleighton (.296/.338/.393, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 27 R, 12 BB, 4 SB), a former 5th overall pick back in 1938-39, is both a solid offensive and defensive player. He was Fort Richmond’s best position player to start the season. *Top Pitcher:* 28-year old RHP Oscar Burress (7-3, 2.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) was his team’s best pitcher over the first two months of the season, winning Pitching of the Month honours in November. 34-year old RHP Tristan Purss (8-3, 3.69 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) won the Pitching of the Month award in October, but he struggled a bit in November (3-2, 5.90 ERA). 30-year old LHP David Nixon (5-0, 2.78 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) is enjoying his best season by far, as Fort Richmond’s No. 5 starter. Nixon was a Rule 5 draft pick (from the Stratford Barons) back in 1939. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- Last season, the Kingston Pelicans were up and down from month-to-month. They are continuing that trend in October/November as well, sitting at .500 after two months. But that is a good thing for Kingston, as they are dealing with significant injuries to key players. Despite the adversities, they sit just 1.5 games back of the wild card and just 4.0 games out of first place. If they keep within striking distance, the wily Pelicans always have a chance at returning to the playoffs. They won’t allow themselves to be written off just yet. The offense is not what it was, but there still plenty of time to rebound (.267/.341/.370 – 5th/4th/4th). The rotation is performing well, but the bullpen is a concern (3.44/3.21/5.03 – 2nd/1st/8th). Defensively, Kingston saw a modest improvement over last season (.696 – 5th) in the first two months. *Top Position Player:* Both 32-year old 2B Mo Symes (.330/.394/.456, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 34 R, 23 BB) and 34-year old LF Jayden Tennant (.345/.442/.580, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 18 R, 24 BB) are the offensive leaders for the Kingston Pelicans in the early going. However, the loss of starting catcher Nick Hewat of Australia in the off-season due to being called up for military service, has given a heretofore unknown player a chance to shine. 24-year old C Freddie Duran (.311/.391/.393, 9-2B, 17 RBI, 17 R, 19 BB) is now in the regular lineup against right-handed pitching this season and won Rookie of the Month honours in October. Duran was traded away from the Embro Suns to the Cambria Cannons back in 1938, and then released by Cambria in 1940, without ever having reached the major league level. Two weeks later, Kingston signed him to a minor league deal and he finally reached the majors this season. It will be interesting to see how he fares the rest of the way. *Top Pitcher:* 24-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (7-4, 2.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) is in his second season in the majors. The former 16th overall pick back in 1939-40 is off to great start. *Key Injuries:* 32-year old RHP Francis Slocock sprained his ankle in a ‘Coconut’ League game back in September. He missed 2-3 months but could be back in 3 days. 29-year old RF Chong-sik Lee (.318/.348/.409) tore a knee ligament in a game back on October 10. He is out for the season (5 more months). 33-year old RHP Yasushi Kobayashi (1-1, 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) injured himself while pitching back on October 25. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is out for the season as well (5 more months). 27-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.208/.289/.350, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 19 R, 13 BB) tore ankle ligaments in a game on November 7 and suffered a setback on top of that. He is out a further 1-2 weeks. -------- After running away with the league lead last season, the Cambria Cannons find themselves playing catch up in the early going. The Cannons are struggling and it is largely due to their lacklustre pitching. The offense is as strong as ever (.282/.346/.405 –2nd/2nd/1st) if not stronger, but the pitching is really struggling (4.08/4.22/3.14 – 6th/6th/4th). They are once again the top rated defensive team (.712) in the West. *Top Position Player:* The offense is riding high right now, but no one is as hot as 25-year old LF Ron Westmacott (.340/.448/.592, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 37 R, 36 BB, 7 SB). After missing nearly 5 months last season due to various ailments, Westmacott has returned with a vengeance and won Batter of the Month honours in November. *Top Pitcher:* Unfortunately, the pitching staff is struggling right now, but 25-year old RHP Carl Luscombe (5-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) has been the main go-to guy out of the bullpen thus far and has performed well. *Key Injuries:* 29-year old RHP Shaun Alford (0-1, 1 SV, 2.22 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) tore his knee joint while pitching in a game on November 29. He is out for 3 months. 31-year old RHP Bradley Dodson (3-6, 4.60 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) suffered a slip disc while pitching, also on November 29. He is day-to-day for the next 6 days. *Noteworthy:* On November 3, Ron Westmacott hit for the cycle in a 9-5 victory over the Kingston Pelicans. Westmacott singled in the 1st, flied out in the 3rd, hit a two-run home run in the 5th, doubled in the 7th and hit a two-run triple in the 8th. In all, he went 4-5, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R. It’s the second cycle for Westmacott, who hit for his first cycle back on December 25, 1939. It’s the first cycle in nearly two years and the ninth in United Leagues history. Terry Maxwell was the last to hit for the cycle back on November 10, 1940. -------- The Wolseley Unions are obviously a team the marches to the beat of its own drummer. They have made a number of trades lately that have left me scratching my head. Trades that appear to have either netted them very little in return or where they have traded away players that could have helped them now. Such transactions have done little to really strengthen their farm system. They rank 5th this year. That doesn’t too bad, but their ranking a year ago was exactly the same and not much better than what it was two seasons ago. To me it appears they are squandering time and talent that could have helped them to be much better now than what they really are. So it’s no surprise that the Unions are struggling. The offense (.245/.317/.342 – 8th/7th/8th) has regressed from last season as has the pitching (4.48/4.54/4.16 – 7th/7th/5th). Defense has hit rock bottom (.685 – 8th). *Top Position Player:* He’s only 25-years old but RF Nicky Willis (.312/.401/.516, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 28 R, 29 BB) is already a 4-year veteran of the ULB. He is off to his best start. *Top Pitcher:* Like Willis, 23-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (6-4, 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) is in his fourth season in the ULB and he is far and away Wolseley’s best pitching to start the season. *Key Injuries:* 34-year old RHP Jean-Pierre Da Silva (2-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) was out for 6 weeks due to a torn back muscle suffered in a game back on October 22. He recently returned to the rotation. -------- The Sherburn Tigers have consistently maintained one of the deepest farm systems over the last few seasons, but the payoff from all that talent has yet to appear. That may change soon. The talent is starting to rise to the major league level. If that talent can blossom, then Sherburn may become formidable in the not-too-distant future. But for now, the Tigers will have to content themselves with more struggles in the standings. Sherburn’s offense has improved in some areas (.277/.341/.362 – 3rd/5th/6th) but lags in other areas as well (HRs, BBs for example). The pitching is still largely a nightmare (4.50/4.55/4.17 – 8th/8th/6th). Defensively, they haven’t improved much (.688 – 7th). *Top Position Player:* From a consistency perspective, 28-year old 3B Harley Simmons (.290/.351/.420, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 24 R, 16 BB) has been Sherburn’s best player thus far. 1B Francis Pynchon (.305/.356/.492, 7 HR, 33 RBI, 30 R, 13 BB) was hot in October and won the Batter of the Month Award, but he cooled off in November. He is also on the disabled list for the new few weeks. *Top Pitcher:* 27-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (7-2, 3.19 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) was off to a good start and was the best pitcher in the rotation, but he too has fallen to injury and will not be back this season. 22-year old RHP Chris Herrera (3-0, 2.51 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) who came over from Embro during the offseason in a trade is slowly being eased into the rotation as a 5th starter. No doubt Sherburn is hoping he can fit in quickly now that Pierson is unavailable. *Key Injuries:* On November 28, Francis Pynchon was injured in a collision at a base. He suffered a thigh muscle strain and will miss four weeks. Daniel Pierson suffered shoulder swelling while pitching on November 29. He is gone for the season (6 months). -------- The Pulberry Trolleys are in a bit of a precarious spot. The bulk of their prospects are now on the major league roster and in various degrees of adjustment. However, they do not have much high-end talent left in the pipeline, as their farm system is currently ranked last in the United Leagues. Thus the Trolleys are in a ‘sink or swim’ situation. So far, they are sinking further into the basement of the Western League. But they have talent for sure – it just needs to start producing. When and if it does, it may finally pull Pulberry into relevancy – something it has yet to experience. Their offense (.248/.313/.344 – 7th/8th/7th) has regressed from last season, while the pitching (4.02/4.16/2.88 – 5th/5th/3rd) has slowly improved. The defense is holding steady (.704 – 4th). *Top Position Player:* Not a lot to choose from as many of the players got off to very slow starts. In contrast, 26-year old SS Wenceslsas Jasmin (.286/.359/.367, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 27 R, 24 BB, 5 SB) got off to a fast start, but then cooled off in November. But he was still Pulberry’s best position player to start the season. *Top Pitcher:* Slim pickings thus far, but 23-year old RHP Lee Dowdeswell (2-1, 1.23 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) has been outstanding pitching out of the bullpen. Dowdeswell was a 5th round pick back in 1939-40 and is projected to one day be a starter. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 11:50 PM.