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reds1 · 04-08-2016, 12:08 PM

December 1, 1943

Western League: The Pelicans Mean Business

At first, it looked as though the Hespeler Stars were going to set the pace as they jumped out to a 10-0 record, 3.5 games up on the Cambria Cannons. But the Kingston Pelicans had other ideas. Through inspired play and inspired trades, the Pelicans have quickly retooled themselves into a powerhouse. Once again, the rest of the Western League are playing catch-up. But this is not a one-team race. After two months, no less than 5 teams boast above .500 records. That is not something that could be said in previous seasons. If nothing else, it appears that improved competition is arriving in the West.

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The Kingston Pelicans have no intention of just ‘hanging around’ this season. After two seasons of pulling off late-season comebacks to make the playoffs, the Pelicans have ‘gone for the jugular’ as it were and surged into top spot in the West with play on both sides of the ball. They also blindsided the competition with two major trades to shore up some weak spots. In the process, Kingston has transformed themselves into a powerhouse once again.

Offense: .297/.365/.414 (1st/1st/1st);
Pitching: 2.92/2.97/2.45 (2nd/2nd/3rd – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA);
Defense: .711 (1st).

Top Position Player: Too close to call between 33-year old 2B Mo Symes (.388/.456/.500, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 34 R, 24 BB) and 35-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.287/.408/.495, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 34 R, 39 BB). Symes picked up October’s Batter of the Month Award, while Chitty followed him with November’s honour.

Top Pitcher: 33-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (11-0, 2.11 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is in the zone. The six-time all-star won Pitcher of the Month honours for both October and November and he is on pace to win 31 games this season. I wouldn’t bet against him either.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade #1: November 7 with the Fort Richmond Giants.

To Kingston – 24-year old C Danny Trowbridge (79/79).
To Fort Richmond – four minor league players:
• 20-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (20/74);
• 22-year old LHP Mo Goldstraw (23/67);
• 24-year old LHP Joy-shan Liu (20/27) and
• 20-year old SS Demy Kamphuis (21/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: While 25-year old C Freddie Duran (.231/.286/.423, 3-2B, 4 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB) was the feel-good story of last season, winning Rookie of the Year honours, Kingston obviously felt that he was not going to be their long-term answer at backstop. So the Pelicans went out and got the best catcher in the United Leagues. Trowbridge is as good as they come, and although he had a down year last season, he should benefit from having plenty of offensive support in Kingston. He immediately becomes Kingston’s top rated player.
Fort Richmond meanwhile, picks up two outstanding starting pitching prospects in Sherlock and Goldstraw; two former second-round picks. Fort Richmond now has the deepest farm system in the United Leagues as they are clearly in rebuilding mode. Liu has joined the Generals as their No. 5 starter. While he does not have the control of movement as the other two pitching prospects, he’s done all he can in the minors and is ready for the big-league challenge.

Key Trade #2: November 18 with the Sherburn Tigers.

To Kingston – 29-year old 3B Harley Simmons (44/63).
To Sherburn – two minor league players:
• 20-year old LF Maurice Moroni (22/51) and
• 22-year old RHP Francisco Báez (20/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: Kingston added some infield depth with the acquisition of Simmons, who is coming off a monster year last season where he came in third place in the WL Babe Ruth Award voting. While this is a coup for Kingston, it might be hard for Simmons to be reduced to bench duties. While he is not a great contact hitter, he has some pop and can play any infield position with seemingly award-worthy ease.
Sherburn gives Simmons up for a pittance, as Moroni is a fine outfield defender with terrific speed, but it woeful with the bat. Báez is project to be a starter one day, but in the majors would seem a long shot.

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The story for this season in the Western League initially appeared to be the Hespeler Stars when they jumped out to the best start in the United Leagues: 10 straight wins. But while Kingston’s reloading has stolen their thunder, there’s no denying that the Stars are determined to be in mix for their first playoff spot in March. They are currently tied with the Stratford Barons with the second best record in the ULB, but if they are going to succeed, they are going to have to jump-start their offense, which is the worst in the West.

Offense: .255/.317/.363 (8th/8th/6th);
Pitching: 2.86/2.89/2.70 (1st/1st/4th);
Defense: .706 (2nd).

Top Position Player: 25-year old CF Vic Weetman (.299/.329/.431, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 34 R, 11 BB) is off to another fine start and leads an offense that is struggling to get on track. He was the first overall pick for Hespeler back in 1939-40. He recently saw his 24-game hitting streak come to an end back on November 24 when he went 0-4 against the Stratford Barons.

Top Pitcher: 35-year old RHP Brendon De san miguel (9-1, 3.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) has been with the Stars since Day 1 and has endured his share of losing. He has never won more than 13 games in a season (back in 1937-38) and has never won more games than he lost. But his ERA has slowly improved over the past four seasons. This season, he has pitched four shutouts (two in October, two in November). If he keeps it up, not only will he finally enjoy his first winning season, but also his first all-star appearance.

Key Injuries: LHP Gavin Hewat (3-3, 1.98 ERA, 116 WHIP) injured himself while pitching back on November 17. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is gone for four months.

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The Balmoral Giants broke it open in November to sit nine games above .500. They enjoyed an 11-game winning streak before falling to the Cobourg Red Stockings on the last day of November. Such would be cause for rejoicing but the Giants find themselves a half-game out of a playoff spot. Such speaks of the improved competition in the Western League. It appears Balmoral and all the other up-and-coming teams will need to fight it out for every win just to get into the playoffs this season.

Offense: .281/.339/.386 (3rd/3rd/2nd);
Pitching: 3.70/3.66/4.02 (6th/5th/7th);
Defense: .701 (3rd).

Top Position Player: Some good performances so far, but I’ll go with 23-year old 3B Otton Overbeek (.335/.361/.462, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 29 R, 7 BB) who is off to another fine start.

Top Pitcher: He only joined the Giants on October 27, but 32-year old RHP Derek Cawley (7-4, 1.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) has quickly emerged as Balmoral’s top starter, going 4-2, 2.21 ERA with two 5-hit shutouts in seven starts. Cawley, who pitched for the Giants in the United Leagues first two seasons, has never been overly impressive as a starter - until this season. Like Brendon De san miguel of the Hespeler Stars, Cawley may be receiving his first invitation to an All-Star game this season if he is able to keep it up.

Key Injuries: On October 6, 41-year old 1B Roger Tyler tore a knee joint while running the bases. He is out of commission for another 4-5 weeks.

33-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (2-0, 1 SV, 4.85 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) fractured his thumb in a collision at a base. He is out another 4 weeks.

Noteworthy: RF Carlton Broadbent became the fourth player in United Leagues history to hit 3 home runs in a single game. He did it on October 24 against the Cambria Cannons facing three different pitchers. Broadbent doubled in the 1st, flied out in the 4th, hit a 2-run home run off Owen Tautor in the 6th, hit a 2-run home run off Carl Luscombe in the 7th and hit a solo home run off Nick Paddock in the 9th. In all, he went 4-5, 3 HR, 1-2B, 5 RBI, 4 R. Broadbent is the second Giant to smack 3 home runs in a game. The first Giant – and first player – to achieve it was OF Domenic Carmody (now with Cambria), back on October 7, 1938.

Key Trade: October 20 with the Cambria Cannons.

To Balmoral – 32-year old 2B Wayne Balmer (67/67).
To Cambria – 37-year old RHP Henny Akerval (45/45) and 23-year old minor league 3B George Morven (29/50).

Knee-jerk reaction: With the acquisition of Cawley, Balmoral deemed Akerval expendable and found a trading partner in Cambria, who appears desperate for any kind of pitching. Balmer has been a productive player for both Cambria and Downie in seasons past, but he was struggling this season and will be little more than a back-up to 2B Allen Cattanach. Balmer is a tough out with little power who won’t embarrass himself in the field.
Akerval is a once productive starter who is starting to regress, so it’s curious as to how much help he can be for the Cannons. He did pitch a 5-hit shut-out against the Brunswick Legends in his first start for the Cannons back on November 7, however.
Morven is capable of showing some offensive flashes from time-to-time, but is nothing special at the plate. His strengths lie in his excellence defense and above-average speed.

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The Pulberry Trolleys are no strangers to losing, so finding themselves one game above .500 and 4.5 games within the wildcard must bring some hope that they are finally making some strides to escape the second division. But they will have to pick up the pitching, as it is rated as worst in the league. Their offense is actually quite strong despite the loss of IF Wenceslsas Jasmin to Cambria, as a number of young players are finding their groove. Improve the pitching, even just a little, and the Trolleys may be a player this season as well.

Offense: .286/.348/.386 (2nd/2nd/3rd);
Pitching: 4.56/4.46/5.27 (8th/8th/8th);
Defense: .689 (7th).

Top Position Player: 26-year old 2B Colin Strudwick (.360/.383/.471, 11-2B, 30 RBI, 28 R, 5 BB) is enjoying his best start. The former 3rd overall pick from 1937-38 won a Player of the Week Award in late October; thus far, he’s had two games where he batted 4-5 and one other where he went 4-4 at the plate.

Top Pitcher: The pitching staff is struggling, but No. 1 starter 27-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (5-1, 3.35 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) is holding his own.

Key Injuries: None.

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The fact that so many teams appear more competitive this season in the West bodes well for the league as a whole. This includes the Wolseley Unions, as they are also hanging around the .500 mark. But they too will need to make further strides if they want to really improve their fortunes. For the Unions, it’s the starting lineup that could afford to pick things up, as the pitching has been decent thus far. Of course, the loss of RF Nicky Willis to the Cambria Cannons in the off-season must also be factored in.

Offense: .256/.320/.367 (7th/7th/5th);
Pitching: 3.38/3.40/3.27 (3rd/3rd/6th);
Defense: .697 (4th).

Top Position Player: Despite the struggles, this is actually a tough choice. I’ll start with 25-years old but CF Zak Kidd (.280/.375/.461, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 26 R, 28 BB, 9 SB) who has been with the Unions since Day 1 and is looked upon as a veteran by his teammates, despite his young age.
One of those young teammates is 21-year old RF Rizalino Ringor (.294/.400/.435, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 27 R, 30 BB, 7 SB), who won back-to-back Rookie of the Month Awards. The former 7th overall pick from 1941-42, just needs to work on his defense a bit.

Top Pitcher: 24-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (6-4, 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is far and away Wolseley’s best pitcher and has pitched two shutouts thus far. He is currently rated No. 7 overall in the ULB. He is also consistent – last season at this time, his record was 6-4, 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP.

Key Injuries: Free agent rookie 28-year old 2B Oscar Agnolutto (.336/.381/.434, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 14 R, 10 BB) fractured his calf bone while running the bases back on November 22. He is out a further 3 months.

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The Sherburn Tigers sit at .500 two months into the season and they have not been all that bad, but it is hard to see them making significant strides, at least for this season. Their trading away 3B Harley Simmons, their best player last season, also indicates that they too, realize that they are not quite ready to make a serious push for the playoffs. But they will have to do a better job of cultivating quality prospects, as their haul from Kingston for Simmons was rather light.

Offense: .261/.329/.356 (6th/6th/7th);
Pitching: 3.50/3.54/3.10 (4th/4th/5th);
Defense: .691 (6th).

Top Position Player: 29-year old 1B Francis Pynchon (.313/.366/.477, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 31 R, 17 BB) is enjoying the best start of his career. It appears that he has finally found his groove with the Tigers. After producing little in his first four seasons and getting traded twice, Pynchon has turned things around. In 1941-42, he produced 2.0 WAR; in 1942-43 he produced 3.0 WAR and earned his first all-star appearance. This season he is on pace for 4.2 WAR.

Top Pitcher: The Tigers boast four first round picks on their pitching staff and three other highly touted young pitchers, making the future looks bright.
One of those pitchers is 28-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (6-3, 2.22 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) who is off to a sensational start.

Key Injuries: 33-year old RHP Leo Chesters tore an elbow ligament last season while pitching. He is out for a further 4 weeks.

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There appears to have been a seismic shift in Cambria. On December 1, the Cambria Cannons announced that they have reset their focus from ‘Win Now’ to ‘Rebuild’. That is quite the shift, especially after the major trades they made to acquire the likes of OF Nicky Willis, IF Wenceslsas Jasmin and most recently, RHP Henny Akerval. But the Cannons have been merely average to open the season and sit 4.0 games below .500, 11.5 games out of first place. With the loss of star player Ron Westmacott to an extended injury making things only worse, no doubt the Cannons’ brain trust feel that a major reboot is the only way to turn things around. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out during the rest of the season.

Offense: .263/.331/.376 (5th/5th/4th);
Pitching: 3.50/3.76/1.60 (5th/6th/2nd);
Defense: .693 (5th).

Top Position Player: 29-year old CF Clint Jones (.308/.363/.468, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 25 R, 19 BB) has played mostly in centerfield, but has also seen a bit of playing time at first base, left field and third base. Despite the merry-go-round, he has continued to produce.

Top Pitcher: 32-year old RHP Bradley Dodson (6-3, 2.72 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) has been Cambria’s best pitcher thus far. Dodson recently pitched a 4-hit shut-out against the Downie Chiefs on November 29.

Key Injuries: 26-year old RF Ron Westmacott (.275/.378/.443, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 22 BB) injured himself in a collision at a base back on November 28. The diagnosis is brain fever. He is expected to miss five more months.

Noteworthy: In the second game of the season, Cambria pasted the Balmoral Giants 18-5, and three Cannons had big games. LF Nicky Willis went 5-6 with 1-2B, 1HR, 4 RBI and 3 R. SS Rubén Sánchez drove in 6 runs, going 3-6 with 1HR. Finally, 1B Wenceslsas Jasmin went 4-5 with 1 RBI, 3 R.

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Last year at this time, I opined that the Fort Richmond Generals needed to decide whether to make a push for the playoffs or commit to rebuilding, as they were treading water season after season. Well it appears they have finally committed to a complete rebuild, as they have parted with key players like C Danny Trowbridge, LHP Oscar Burress and 3B Britt Wing. Such losses will hurt in the short-term, but the Generals did very well with the young prospects they got in return. Their farm system is now rated No. 1 in the ULB and they can finally look to a promising future. Relegating yourself to last place is never fun, but having a light at the end of the tunnel certainly softens the blow.

Offense: .278/.339/.350 (4th/4th/8th);
Pitching: 3.85/4.23/1.41 (7th/7th/1st);
Defense: .683 (8th).

Top Position Player: Trowbridge and Wing were producing for the Generals before they were traded, so this selection falls to 25-year old LF Rommel Ballena (.293/.321/.381, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 20 R, 9 BB). Ballena was a second round pick from 1939-40 and is in his third full season in the majors.

Top Pitcher: The loss of ace RHP Oscar Burress will be felt, as he was Fort Richmond’s top pitcher once again. So I’ll go with 30-year old RHP Leo Bonfield (3-2, 1 SV, 1.89 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) who was claimed off waivers from the Stratford Barons on November 9. In Stratford he used very sparingly, but in Fort Richmond, he is now their top starter. In his last start, on November 29, he pitched a 6-hit shutout against the Embro Suns, with 2 K, 4 BB.

Key Injuries: 24-year old RF Gavin Bansfield (.312/.353/.416, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB, 4 SB) suffered a swollen disc on a defensive play back on November 12. He is expected to miss 5-6 months.

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04-08-2016, 12:08 PM	#251
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,903	December 1, 1943 Western League: The Pelicans Mean Business At first, it looked as though the Hespeler Stars were going to set the pace as they jumped out to a 10-0 record, 3.5 games up on the Cambria Cannons. But the Kingston Pelicans had other ideas. Through inspired play and inspired trades, the Pelicans have quickly retooled themselves into a powerhouse. Once again, the rest of the Western League are playing catch-up. But this is not a one-team race. After two months, no less than 5 teams boast above .500 records. That is not something that could be said in previous seasons. If nothing else, it appears that improved competition is arriving in the West. -------- The Kingston Pelicans have no intention of just ‘hanging around’ this season. After two seasons of pulling off late-season comebacks to make the playoffs, the Pelicans have ‘gone for the jugular’ as it were and surged into top spot in the West with play on both sides of the ball. They also blindsided the competition with two major trades to shore up some weak spots. In the process, Kingston has transformed themselves into a powerhouse once again. Offense: .297/.365/.414 (1st/1st/1st); Pitching: 2.92/2.97/2.45 (2nd/2nd/3rd – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA); Defense: .711 (1st). *Top Position Player:* Too close to call between 33-year old 2B Mo Symes (.388/.456/.500, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 34 R, 24 BB) and 35-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.287/.408/.495, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 34 R, 39 BB). Symes picked up October’s Batter of the Month Award, while Chitty followed him with November’s honour. *Top Pitcher:* 33-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (11-0, 2.11 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is in the zone. The six-time all-star won Pitcher of the Month honours for both October and November and he is on pace to win 31 games this season. I wouldn’t bet against him either. *Key Injuries: None. Key Trade #1:* November 7 with the Fort Richmond Giants. To Kingston – 24-year old C Danny Trowbridge (79/79). To Fort Richmond – four minor league players: • 20-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (20/74); • 22-year old LHP Mo Goldstraw (23/67); • 24-year old LHP Joy-shan Liu (20/27) and • 20-year old SS Demy Kamphuis (21/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* While 25-year old C Freddie Duran (.231/.286/.423, 3-2B, 4 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB) was the feel-good story of last season, winning Rookie of the Year honours, Kingston obviously felt that he was not going to be their long-term answer at backstop. So the Pelicans went out and got the best catcher in the United Leagues. Trowbridge is as good as they come, and although he had a down year last season, he should benefit from having plenty of offensive support in Kingston. He immediately becomes Kingston’s top rated player. Fort Richmond meanwhile, picks up two outstanding starting pitching prospects in Sherlock and Goldstraw; two former second-round picks. Fort Richmond now has the deepest farm system in the United Leagues as they are clearly in rebuilding mode. Liu has joined the Generals as their No. 5 starter. While he does not have the control of movement as the other two pitching prospects, he’s done all he can in the minors and is ready for the big-league challenge. *Key Trade #2: November 18 with the Sherburn Tigers. To Kingston* – 29-year old 3B Harley Simmons (44/63). To Sherburn – two minor league players: • 20-year old LF Maurice Moroni (22/51) and • 22-year old RHP Francisco Báez (20/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Kingston added some infield depth with the acquisition of Simmons, who is coming off a monster year last season where he came in third place in the WL Babe Ruth Award voting. While this is a coup for Kingston, it might be hard for Simmons to be reduced to bench duties. While he is not a great contact hitter, he has some pop and can play any infield position with seemingly award-worthy ease. Sherburn gives Simmons up for a pittance, as Moroni is a fine outfield defender with terrific speed, but it woeful with the bat. Báez is project to be a starter one day, but in the majors would seem a long shot. -------- The story for this season in the Western League initially appeared to be the Hespeler Stars when they jumped out to the best start in the United Leagues: 10 straight wins. But while Kingston’s reloading has stolen their thunder, there’s no denying that the Stars are determined to be in mix for their first playoff spot in March. They are currently tied with the Stratford Barons with the second best record in the ULB, but if they are going to succeed, they are going to have to jump-start their offense, which is the worst in the West. Offense: .255/.317/.363 (8th/8th/6th); Pitching: 2.86/2.89/2.70 (1st/1st/4th); Defense: .706 (2nd). *Top Position Player:* 25-year old CF Vic Weetman (.299/.329/.431, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 34 R, 11 BB) is off to another fine start and leads an offense that is struggling to get on track. He was the first overall pick for Hespeler back in 1939-40. He recently saw his 24-game hitting streak come to an end back on November 24 when he went 0-4 against the Stratford Barons. *Top Pitcher:* 35-year old RHP Brendon De san miguel (9-1, 3.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) has been with the Stars since Day 1 and has endured his share of losing. He has never won more than 13 games in a season (back in 1937-38) and has never won more games than he lost. But his ERA has slowly improved over the past four seasons. This season, he has pitched four shutouts (two in October, two in November). If he keeps it up, not only will he finally enjoy his first winning season, but also his first all-star appearance. *Key Injuries:* LHP Gavin Hewat (3-3, 1.98 ERA, 116 WHIP) injured himself while pitching back on November 17. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is gone for four months. -------- The Balmoral Giants broke it open in November to sit nine games above .500. They enjoyed an 11-game winning streak before falling to the Cobourg Red Stockings on the last day of November. Such would be cause for rejoicing but the Giants find themselves a half-game out of a playoff spot. Such speaks of the improved competition in the Western League. It appears Balmoral and all the other up-and-coming teams will need to fight it out for every win just to get into the playoffs this season. Offense: .281/.339/.386 (3rd/3rd/2nd); Pitching: 3.70/3.66/4.02 (6th/5th/7th); Defense: .701 (3rd). *Top Position Player:* Some good performances so far, but I’ll go with 23-year old 3B Otton Overbeek (.335/.361/.462, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 29 R, 7 BB) who is off to another fine start. *Top Pitcher:* He only joined the Giants on October 27, but 32-year old RHP Derek Cawley (7-4, 1.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) has quickly emerged as Balmoral’s top starter, going 4-2, 2.21 ERA with two 5-hit shutouts in seven starts. Cawley, who pitched for the Giants in the United Leagues first two seasons, has never been overly impressive as a starter - until this season. Like Brendon De san miguel of the Hespeler Stars, Cawley may be receiving his first invitation to an All-Star game this season if he is able to keep it up. *Key Injuries:* On October 6, 41-year old 1B Roger Tyler tore a knee joint while running the bases. He is out of commission for another 4-5 weeks. 33-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (2-0, 1 SV, 4.85 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) fractured his thumb in a collision at a base. He is out another 4 weeks. *Noteworthy:* RF Carlton Broadbent became the fourth player in United Leagues history to hit 3 home runs in a single game. He did it on October 24 against the Cambria Cannons facing three different pitchers. Broadbent doubled in the 1st, flied out in the 4th, hit a 2-run home run off Owen Tautor in the 6th, hit a 2-run home run off Carl Luscombe in the 7th and hit a solo home run off Nick Paddock in the 9th. In all, he went 4-5, 3 HR, 1-2B, 5 RBI, 4 R. Broadbent is the second Giant to smack 3 home runs in a game. The first Giant – and first player – to achieve it was OF Domenic Carmody (now with Cambria), back on October 7, 1938. *Key Trade:* October 20 with the Cambria Cannons. To Balmoral – 32-year old 2B Wayne Balmer (67/67). To Cambria – 37-year old RHP Henny Akerval (45/45) and 23-year old minor league 3B George Morven (29/50). *Knee-jerk reaction:* With the acquisition of Cawley, Balmoral deemed Akerval expendable and found a trading partner in Cambria, who appears desperate for any kind of pitching. Balmer has been a productive player for both Cambria and Downie in seasons past, but he was struggling this season and will be little more than a back-up to 2B Allen Cattanach. Balmer is a tough out with little power who won’t embarrass himself in the field. Akerval is a once productive starter who is starting to regress, so it’s curious as to how much help he can be for the Cannons. He did pitch a 5-hit shut-out against the Brunswick Legends in his first start for the Cannons back on November 7, however. Morven is capable of showing some offensive flashes from time-to-time, but is nothing special at the plate. His strengths lie in his excellence defense and above-average speed. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys are no strangers to losing, so finding themselves one game above .500 and 4.5 games within the wildcard must bring some hope that they are finally making some strides to escape the second division. But they will have to pick up the pitching, as it is rated as worst in the league. Their offense is actually quite strong despite the loss of IF Wenceslsas Jasmin to Cambria, as a number of young players are finding their groove. Improve the pitching, even just a little, and the Trolleys may be a player this season as well. Offense: .286/.348/.386 (2nd/2nd/3rd); Pitching: 4.56/4.46/5.27 (8th/8th/8th); Defense: .689 (7th). *Top Position Player:* 26-year old 2B Colin Strudwick (.360/.383/.471, 11-2B, 30 RBI, 28 R, 5 BB) is enjoying his best start. The former 3rd overall pick from 1937-38 won a Player of the Week Award in late October; thus far, he’s had two games where he batted 4-5 and one other where he went 4-4 at the plate. *Top Pitcher:* The pitching staff is struggling, but No. 1 starter 27-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (5-1, 3.35 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) is holding his own. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The fact that so many teams appear more competitive this season in the West bodes well for the league as a whole. This includes the Wolseley Unions, as they are also hanging around the .500 mark. But they too will need to make further strides if they want to really improve their fortunes. For the Unions, it’s the starting lineup that could afford to pick things up, as the pitching has been decent thus far. Of course, the loss of RF Nicky Willis to the Cambria Cannons in the off-season must also be factored in. Offense: .256/.320/.367 (7th/7th/5th); Pitching: 3.38/3.40/3.27 (3rd/3rd/6th); Defense: .697 (4th). *Top Position Player:* Despite the struggles, this is actually a tough choice. I’ll start with 25-years old but CF Zak Kidd (.280/.375/.461, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 26 R, 28 BB, 9 SB) who has been with the Unions since Day 1 and is looked upon as a veteran by his teammates, despite his young age. One of those young teammates is 21-year old RF Rizalino Ringor (.294/.400/.435, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 27 R, 30 BB, 7 SB), who won back-to-back Rookie of the Month Awards. The former 7th overall pick from 1941-42, just needs to work on his defense a bit. *Top Pitcher:* 24-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (6-4, 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is far and away Wolseley’s best pitcher and has pitched two shutouts thus far. He is currently rated No. 7 overall in the ULB. He is also consistent – last season at this time, his record was 6-4, 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP. *Key Injuries: Free agent rookie 28-year old 2B Oscar Agnolutto (.336/.381/.434, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 14 R, 10 BB) fractured his calf bone while running the bases back on November 22. He is out a further 3 months. -------- The Sherburn Tigers* sit at .500 two months into the season and they have not been all that bad, but it is hard to see them making significant strides, at least for this season. Their trading away 3B Harley Simmons, their best player last season, also indicates that they too, realize that they are not quite ready to make a serious push for the playoffs. But they will have to do a better job of cultivating quality prospects, as their haul from Kingston for Simmons was rather light. Offense: .261/.329/.356 (6th/6th/7th); Pitching: 3.50/3.54/3.10 (4th/4th/5th); Defense: .691 (6th). *Top Position Player:* 29-year old 1B Francis Pynchon (.313/.366/.477, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 31 R, 17 BB) is enjoying the best start of his career. It appears that he has finally found his groove with the Tigers. After producing little in his first four seasons and getting traded twice, Pynchon has turned things around. In 1941-42, he produced 2.0 WAR; in 1942-43 he produced 3.0 WAR and earned his first all-star appearance. This season he is on pace for 4.2 WAR. *Top Pitcher:* The Tigers boast four first round picks on their pitching staff and three other highly touted young pitchers, making the future looks bright. One of those pitchers is 28-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (6-3, 2.22 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) who is off to a sensational start. *Key Injuries:* 33-year old RHP Leo Chesters tore an elbow ligament last season while pitching. He is out for a further 4 weeks. -------- There appears to have been a seismic shift in Cambria. On December 1, the Cambria Cannons announced that they have reset their focus from ‘Win Now’ to ‘Rebuild’. That is quite the shift, especially after the major trades they made to acquire the likes of OF Nicky Willis, IF Wenceslsas Jasmin and most recently, RHP Henny Akerval. But the Cannons have been merely average to open the season and sit 4.0 games below .500, 11.5 games out of first place. With the loss of star player Ron Westmacott to an extended injury making things only worse, no doubt the Cannons’ brain trust feel that a major reboot is the only way to turn things around. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out during the rest of the season. Offense: .263/.331/.376 (5th/5th/4th); Pitching: 3.50/3.76/1.60 (5th/6th/2nd); Defense: .693 (5th). *Top Position Player:* 29-year old CF Clint Jones (.308/.363/.468, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 25 R, 19 BB) has played mostly in centerfield, but has also seen a bit of playing time at first base, left field and third base. Despite the merry-go-round, he has continued to produce. *Top Pitcher:* 32-year old RHP Bradley Dodson (6-3, 2.72 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) has been Cambria’s best pitcher thus far. Dodson recently pitched a 4-hit shut-out against the Downie Chiefs on November 29. Key Injuries: 26-year old RF Ron Westmacott (.275/.378/.443, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 22 BB) injured himself in a collision at a base back on November 28. The diagnosis is brain fever. He is expected to miss five more months. *Noteworthy:* In the second game of the season, Cambria pasted the Balmoral Giants 18-5, and three Cannons had big games. LF Nicky Willis went 5-6 with 1-2B, 1HR, 4 RBI and 3 R. SS Rubén Sánchez drove in 6 runs, going 3-6 with 1HR. Finally, 1B Wenceslsas Jasmin went 4-5 with 1 RBI, 3 R. -------- Last year at this time, I opined that the Fort Richmond Generals needed to decide whether to make a push for the playoffs or commit to rebuilding, as they were treading water season after season. Well it appears they have finally committed to a complete rebuild, as they have parted with key players like C Danny Trowbridge, LHP Oscar Burress and 3B Britt Wing. Such losses will hurt in the short-term, but the Generals did very well with the young prospects they got in return. Their farm system is now rated No. 1 in the ULB and they can finally look to a promising future. Relegating yourself to last place is never fun, but having a light at the end of the tunnel certainly softens the blow. Offense: .278/.339/.350 (4th/4th/8th); Pitching: 3.85/4.23/1.41 (7th/7th/1st); Defense: .683 (8th). *Top Position Player:* Trowbridge and Wing were producing for the Generals before they were traded, so this selection falls to 25-year old LF Rommel Ballena (.293/.321/.381, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 20 R, 9 BB). Ballena was a second round pick from 1939-40 and is in his third full season in the majors. *Top Pitcher:* The loss of ace RHP Oscar Burress will be felt, as he was Fort Richmond’s top pitcher once again. So I’ll go with 30-year old RHP Leo Bonfield (3-2, 1 SV, 1.89 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) who was claimed off waivers from the Stratford Barons on November 9. In Stratford he used very sparingly, but in Fort Richmond, he is now their top starter. In his last start, on November 29, he pitched a 6-hit shutout against the Embro Suns, with 2 K, 4 BB. *Key Injuries: 24-year old RF Gavin Bansfield (.312/.353/.416, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB, 4 SB) suffered a swollen disc on a defensive play back on November 12. He is expected to miss 5-6 months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland* Last edited by reds1; 07-06-2017 at 08:20 PM.