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reds1 · 06-23-2016, 12:17 AM

December 1, 1944

Eastern League: A Legendary Start for Brunswick

The month of October saw the Brunswick Legends and the Queensland Eagles jump out to a hot start, separating themselves from the rest of the pack. But in November, the Legends continued their strong play while the Eagles cooled off. After the first two months, Brunswick finds itself enjoying a comfortable lead with the Eagles and Embro Suns battling for second spot.

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Last season, the Brunswick Legends stumbled out of the gate to fall below .500 after two months, but this year, there was no such sluggishness. The Legends began the season 15-0 and have kept up the pressure to enjoy a commanding lead in the East. If they keep it up, the Legends may finally finish a season in first place, something that has eluded them so far.

The Legends swept the monthly awards in October, while 1B Stuart Bentham (.361/.476/.574, 10 HR, 34 RBI, 38 R, 44 BB) won his second consecutive monthly award in November. He remains the top-rated 1B in the United Leagues (No. 6 overall).

Offense: .270/.343/.391 (3rd/2nd/2nd)
Pitching: 2.66/2.65/2.80 (1st/1st/3rd)
Defense: .700 (3rd)

Noteworthy Performances: CF Harry Chatwin went 5 for 5 against the Wolseley Unions in a game on November 29. Chatwin singled in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 5th; hit a two-run homer in the 7th and hit an RBI single in the 9th. The Legends prevailed 9-5.

Key Trade: November 7 with the Pulberry Trolleys.

To Bruwnswick – 26-year old RHP Morgan Tice (63/71)
To Pulberry – 20-year old minor league 2B Stephan Cumberbatch (23/62)

Knee-jerk reaction: Overall a minor deal, except that the Legends swap their top-ranked prospect for a relief pitcher. Tice replaces 33-year old RHP Andrei-Luiz Rosacega, who was placed on waivers after the deal was done and subsequently claimed by the Cobourg Red Stockings. Rosacega was little used by Brunswick anyway, but Tice should be a decent upgrade: he has pretty good stuff (fastball and sinker), decent movement and pretty good control.
Cumberbatch, a 3rd round pick from last season, should become a solid contact hitter with no power to speak of, but a solid eye, plus speed and an improving defense. He is rated as Pulberry’s 5th overall prospect in their farm system.

--------

The Queensland Eagles put up a game fight in the first couple of weeks as the Brunswick Legends started the season on a tear; staying within a couple of game of first place. But the Eagles soon fell back and find themselves just ahead of the Embro Suns for second place.
One of the early pleasant surprises for Queensland is 25-year old Filipino OF Jilenko Vergara (.277/.360/.400, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R, 9 BB), who was signed to a minor league contract back in July. Jilenko stuck with the major league team out of spring training and made the most of his 35 at-bats in November, winning the Rookie of the Month honour.

Offense: .273/.341/.394 (1st/3rd/1st)
Pitching: 3.24/3.05/4.69 (2nd/2nd/8th)
Defense: .704 (2nd)

Noteworthy Performances: 24-year old SS Dermot Akers (.252/.320/.393) won Player of the Week honours on October 9, batting .387 (12 H in 31 AB) with 1 HR, 5 RBI.

23-year old LF Héctor García was a singles machine against the Cobourg Red Stockings back on October 21. García went 5 for 5, as he singled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, signaled in the 4th, singled in the 6th and singled in the 7th. The Eagles won 10-1.

On November 20, RF Aaron Flanagan was named Player of the Week, as he batted .550 (11 H in 20 AB) with 5 RBI.

Key Injuries: 37-year old RHP Stewart Colcott (8-3, 2.52 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) suffered a rotator cuff strain while throwing on November 29 against the Hespeler Stars. He is expected to miss 4 weeks.

Key Trade: November 13 with the Hespeler Stars

To Queensland – 25-year old 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (67/77)
To Hespeler – two minor league players:
20-year old CF Donald Heijnen (22/56);
24-year old 3B Douglas Paget (23/31)

Knee-jerk reaction: It appears the Kenneth Logan era is over in Queensland as the Eagles acquired Gutiérrez to take over 1B and assigned the 39-year old Logan to AAA Elmhurst. It’s not entirely clear to me why Queensland traded for Logan last season in the first place, as he was clearly past his prime. Gutiérrez is definitely younger and has a lot of upside, but he has yet to prove that he can hit major league pitching. He is good at drawing walks, but has only average contact at best and a very poor fielder.
Hespeler gets a couple of warm bodies in return with Heijnen appearing to have the best chance of making the majors. Like Gutiérrez, he has average hitting abilities and is a nightmare defensively. Such speaks of the low estimation Hespeler had for Gutiérrez.

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Despite the loss of marquee player 1B Jim Friend, who left the team in the off-season to enlist in the Braeland Armed Forces, the Embro Suns have to be quite optimistic at their play and standing after the first two months. Both 30-year old CF Terence Durney (.297/.381/.446, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 38 R, 32 BB, 7 SB) and 27-year old 2B Britt Wing (.327/.414/.435, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 27 R, 23 BB) are off to their best start in years and the team is just a half game out of the wild card. It is a much different situation from this time last season, when they were struggling just to stay of Eastern League basement.

Offense: .271/.352/.357 (2nd/1st/5th)
Pitching: 3.91/3.92/3.86 (5th/5th/5th)
Defense: .695 (6th)

Noteworthy Performances: 37-year old SS Gary Watkinson (.308/.419/.385) won Player of the Week honours on October 23, batting .500 (13 H in 26 AB) with 7 RBI, 6 R.

CF Terence Durney enjoyed a 20-game hitting streak in October that ended on October 28, when the Cobourg Red Stockings held him hitless. The Suns prevailed however, 5-1. As the month of November draws to a close, Durney is currently on a 17-game hitting streak. So we’ll have to see how long he can maintain that streak.

2B Britt Wing was named Player of the Week back on October 30. Wing went .414 (12 H in 29 AB) with 2 HR, 5 RBI.

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In contrast with the Embro Suns, who have seen their fortunes improve over last season, the Stratford Barons have struggled in the early going and find themselves 5 games below .500 at the end of November. The offense has lost a step since last year and with the exception of November’s Pitcher of Month winner LHP Ryan Borden (7-4, 1.24 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) and RHP Larry Parrish (1-1, 4 SV, 1.66 ERA, 1.06 WHIP), the pitching has been a bit underwhelming. But the Barons, who finished in first place last season with 93 wins, is still a good team that still has lots of time to get back into the playoff race.

Offense: .261/.324/.346 (5th/4th/7th)
Pitching: 3.48/3.40/4.05 (4th/3rd/6th)
Defense: .688 (7th)

Key Trade: September 12 with the Wolseley Unions

To Stratford – 26-year old RF Dan Hunter (67/68) and 23-year old CF Stephen Dronfield (22/24)
To Wolseley – 35-year old 3B Matthew Lane (28/28)

Knee-jerk reaction: A trade consummated in the middle of the Coconut Leagues, the Barons somehow found a taker for Mathew Lane, a once fine player that is now just playing out the string (and perhaps would be out of baseball if not for the war?)
Hunter (.230/.316/.314, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 29 R, 25 BB, 16 SB) has some fine tools, with good contact, solid eye, excellent defense and speed. But with the exception of his stealing prowess, he has yet to put it all together. In Wolseley, he may have been only their fourth outfielder at best, but it’s hard to see what use Lane will be for the Unions. Even his defense is poor. Yet another head-scratcher from the Unions’ brain trust.

--------

Bucking expectations of another last-place performance, the Downie Chiefs actually started the season with a modest 4-game winning streak and have remained within reach of first division of the League. The Chiefs have benefited in the early going by a respectable showing from the pitching staff and a stout defense. But with the exception of LF Ricardo Castellanos (.319/.383/.492, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 32 R, 20 BB, 5 SB), the offense has hindered Downie from making a stronger push for a playoff position. If the pitching can hold steady and the offense can pick things up in support of Castellanos, then the Chiefs will have a chance to surprise.

Offense: .257/.310/.348 (6th/7th/6th)
Pitching: 3.38/3.54/2.27 (3rd/4th/1st)
Defense: .710 (1st)

Noteworthy Performances: LF Ricardo Castellanos had a memorable November. First he won Player of the Week honours on November 13, batting .520 (13 H in 25 AB) with 3 HR, 8 RBI.

Then, on November 27, he went 5 for 6 with 2 RBI, 1 R in a game against the Cambria Cannons. After striking out in the 2nd, Castellanos hit an RBI single in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, singled in the 9th and singled in the 11th. The Chiefs prevailed 10-9.

--------

The prognosticators appear to have missed the mark on the Braeland City Monarchs. Predicted to challenge for a playoff spot this season, the Monarchs have floundered instead and are sinking farther to the bottom in the Eastern League. Braeland City made a couple of trades in November and demoted some former mainstays (33-year old LHP Quentin Teague was claimed off of waivers by Cobourg, for example). The offense, which was one of the best in the East last season has struggled and the pitching has only regressed. But realization of a lost season appears to be settling in, as the team shifted team focus from ‘neutral’ to ‘rebuild’ on November 27.

Offense: .254/.315/.361 (7th/5th/3rd);
Pitching: 4.21/4.22/4.12 (7th/6th/7th);
Defense: .692 (6th).

Key Trade #1: November 5 with the Hespeler Stars.

To Braeland City – 26-year old OF John Tassell (61/63)
To Hespeler – five minor league players:
21-year old RHP Dan Turner (20/53 – 12th overall pick in 1942-43);
23-year old C Anoi Hoalohanani (23/28);
24-year old SS Palmer Bunch (21/23);
22-year old 2B Mauk Kenselaar (21/23) and
19-year old CF Javier Castro (21/25).

Knee-jerk reaction: The Monarchs make two interesting trades with Hespeler in the days leading up to their decision to rebuild. Tassell is a decent contact hitter whose biggest strengths are his defense in rightfield and speed. But there’s nothing to suggest that he will jumpstart the offense, something that Braeland City sorely needs.
Hespeler gets a potentially useful pitcher in Turner, who has decent but not great pitching skills. His work ethic is second to none; but he doesn’t seem to have warranted his high draft selection.

Key Trade #2: November 20 with the Hespeler Stars.

To Braeland City – 28-year old LHP Gavin Hewat (42/52)
To Hespeler – 22-year old minor league LF Toby Dooley (25/56)

Knee-jerk reaction: Braeland City springs for a veteran starter to try and shore up the rotation. Hewat definitely has solid stuff and good command, but not very good movement. He will serve as the Monarchs’ No. 4 starter in the rotation.
Hespeler adds a little bit to its prospect depth with Dooley, a former 2nd-round pick from 1940-41. Dooley has some offensive skills and great speed, but looks out of place in the outfield.

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What the 1944-45 season has in store for the Wellington Athletics was probably summed up in their 10-game losing that started the season. Although the did recover somewhat in the latter half of October, it is abundantly clear that the Athletics will struggle just to stay out of the basement. Overall, their offense is abysmal and the pitching, while not horrible, is in no shape to take up the slack. If that weren't enough, their farm system is one of the weakest in the ULB (14th overall). In short, winter is coming for the Wellington Athletics, or something along those lines.

Offense: .245/.305/.332 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 4.08/3.24/2.73 (6th/7th/2nd)
Defense: .698 (4th)

Noteworthy: LF Phillip Trew won Player of the Weeks honours on November 27. He batted .565 (13 H in 23 AB).

Key Injuries: On November 10, 33-year old 3B Ryley McLarnon (.279/.309/.314, 5-2B, 9 RBI, 17 R, 7 BB), strained his shoulder while throwing the ball. He is out a further 1-2 weeks.

Key Trade: November 25 with the Kingston Pelicans

To Wellington – 29-year old RF Rovilson Valdevieso (49/50)
To Kingston – two minor league players:
26-year old RHP Cisco Juárez (46/46);
21-year old 3B Fraser Rae (23/52)

Knee-jerk reaction: Another relatively minor deal, other than just to not that the one-time all-star Valdevieso is on the move again. In his defense, Valdevieso can still hit and field, although he has poor plate discipline and is not really a front-line starter any longer. The bigger question is why Wellington traded for him at when they need to rebuild.
As for Kingston, they get a couple of mid-level prospects that may make the majors. But the Pelicans are short on position player prospects at the moment and Rae immediately becomes their second overall batting prospect. Rae is a former 2nd-round draft pick from 1942-43 who has been trending upward in his development thus far. He has good contact with plate discipline issues, OK defense and well above-average speed.

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Last season, it appeared that the Cobourg Red Stockings were finally beginning to make some strides, as they escaped the basement of the Eastern League for the first time in six seasons. A small step to be sure, but a step just the same. But if Cobourg is ever going to take the next step, it will not be this season, as they stumbled badly out of the gate. Pitching is largely the culprit, and unfortunately the Red Stockings have not place much emphasis in the past few years to cultivate any significant pitching prospects. It may appear that they are finally starting to address that if their recent trade with the Cambria Cannons is any indication (that trade will be discusses in the upcoming Cambria section. But in the meantime, Cobourg will be held back as long as their pitching prospects remain thin.

Offense: .268/.314/.358 (4th/6th/4th);
Pitching: 4.50/4.71/3.28 (8th/8th/4th);
Defense: .679 (8th).

Noteworthy: 2B Alexander Tolmie won Player of the Weeks honours on October 16. He batted .565 (13 H in 23 AB) with 4 RBI, 4R.

On November 6, SS John Medley himself was named Player of the Week, as he batted .480 (12 H in 25 AB), 1 HR, 7 RBI.

Key Injuries: 37-year old RHP Ramón Ramírez (4-5, 4.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) strained his rotator cuff while pitching back on November 22. He is out a further 4-5 weeks.

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06-23-2016, 12:17 AM	#277
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 1, 1944 Eastern League: A Legendary Start for Brunswick The month of October saw the Brunswick Legends and the Queensland Eagles jump out to a hot start, separating themselves from the rest of the pack. But in November, the Legends continued their strong play while the Eagles cooled off. After the first two months, Brunswick finds itself enjoying a comfortable lead with the Eagles and Embro Suns battling for second spot. -------- Last season, the Brunswick Legends stumbled out of the gate to fall below .500 after two months, but this year, there was no such sluggishness. The Legends began the season 15-0 and have kept up the pressure to enjoy a commanding lead in the East. If they keep it up, the Legends may finally finish a season in first place, something that has eluded them so far. The Legends swept the monthly awards in October, while 1B Stuart Bentham (.361/.476/.574, 10 HR, 34 RBI, 38 R, 44 BB) won his second consecutive monthly award in November. He remains the top-rated 1B in the United Leagues (No. 6 overall). Offense: .270/.343/.391 (3rd/2nd/2nd) Pitching: 2.66/2.65/2.80 (1st/1st/3rd) Defense: .700 (3rd) *Noteworthy Performances:* CF Harry Chatwin went 5 for 5 against the Wolseley Unions in a game on November 29. Chatwin singled in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 5th; hit a two-run homer in the 7th and hit an RBI single in the 9th. The Legends prevailed 9-5. *Key Trade:* November 7 with the Pulberry Trolleys. To Bruwnswick – 26-year old RHP Morgan Tice (63/71) To Pulberry – 20-year old minor league 2B Stephan Cumberbatch (23/62) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Overall a minor deal, except that the Legends swap their top-ranked prospect for a relief pitcher. Tice replaces 33-year old RHP Andrei-Luiz Rosacega, who was placed on waivers after the deal was done and subsequently claimed by the Cobourg Red Stockings. Rosacega was little used by Brunswick anyway, but Tice should be a decent upgrade: he has pretty good stuff (fastball and sinker), decent movement and pretty good control. Cumberbatch, a 3rd round pick from last season, should become a solid contact hitter with no power to speak of, but a solid eye, plus speed and an improving defense. He is rated as Pulberry’s 5th overall prospect in their farm system. -------- The Queensland Eagles put up a game fight in the first couple of weeks as the Brunswick Legends started the season on a tear; staying within a couple of game of first place. But the Eagles soon fell back and find themselves just ahead of the Embro Suns for second place. One of the early pleasant surprises for Queensland is 25-year old Filipino OF Jilenko Vergara (.277/.360/.400, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R, 9 BB), who was signed to a minor league contract back in July. Jilenko stuck with the major league team out of spring training and made the most of his 35 at-bats in November, winning the Rookie of the Month honour. Offense: .273/.341/.394 (1st/3rd/1st) Pitching: 3.24/3.05/4.69 (2nd/2nd/8th) Defense: .704 (2nd) *Noteworthy Performances:* 24-year old SS Dermot Akers (.252/.320/.393) won Player of the Week honours on October 9, batting .387 (12 H in 31 AB) with 1 HR, 5 RBI. 23-year old LF Héctor García was a singles machine against the Cobourg Red Stockings back on October 21. García went 5 for 5, as he singled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, signaled in the 4th, singled in the 6th and singled in the 7th. The Eagles won 10-1. On November 20, RF Aaron Flanagan was named Player of the Week, as he batted .550 (11 H in 20 AB) with 5 RBI. *Key Injuries:* 37-year old RHP Stewart Colcott (8-3, 2.52 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) suffered a rotator cuff strain while throwing on November 29 against the Hespeler Stars. He is expected to miss 4 weeks. *Key Trade:* November 13 with the Hespeler Stars To Queensland – 25-year old 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (67/77) To Hespeler – two minor league players: 20-year old CF Donald Heijnen (22/56); 24-year old 3B Douglas Paget (23/31) *Knee-jerk reaction:* It appears the Kenneth Logan era is over in Queensland as the Eagles acquired Gutiérrez to take over 1B and assigned the 39-year old Logan to AAA Elmhurst. It’s not entirely clear to me why Queensland traded for Logan last season in the first place, as he was clearly past his prime. Gutiérrez is definitely younger and has a lot of upside, but he has yet to prove that he can hit major league pitching. He is good at drawing walks, but has only average contact at best and a very poor fielder. Hespeler gets a couple of warm bodies in return with Heijnen appearing to have the best chance of making the majors. Like Gutiérrez, he has average hitting abilities and is a nightmare defensively. Such speaks of the low estimation Hespeler had for Gutiérrez. -------- Despite the loss of marquee player 1B Jim Friend, who left the team in the off-season to enlist in the Braeland Armed Forces, the Embro Suns have to be quite optimistic at their play and standing after the first two months. Both 30-year old CF Terence Durney (.297/.381/.446, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 38 R, 32 BB, 7 SB) and 27-year old 2B Britt Wing (.327/.414/.435, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 27 R, 23 BB) are off to their best start in years and the team is just a half game out of the wild card. It is a much different situation from this time last season, when they were struggling just to stay of Eastern League basement. Offense: .271/.352/.357 (2nd/1st/5th) Pitching: 3.91/3.92/3.86 (5th/5th/5th) Defense: .695 (6th) *Noteworthy Performances:* 37-year old SS Gary Watkinson (.308/.419/.385) won Player of the Week honours on October 23, batting .500 (13 H in 26 AB) with 7 RBI, 6 R. CF Terence Durney enjoyed a 20-game hitting streak in October that ended on October 28, when the Cobourg Red Stockings held him hitless. The Suns prevailed however, 5-1. As the month of November draws to a close, Durney is currently on a 17-game hitting streak. So we’ll have to see how long he can maintain that streak. 2B Britt Wing was named Player of the Week back on October 30. Wing went .414 (12 H in 29 AB) with 2 HR, 5 RBI. -------- In contrast with the Embro Suns, who have seen their fortunes improve over last season, the Stratford Barons have struggled in the early going and find themselves 5 games below .500 at the end of November. The offense has lost a step since last year and with the exception of November’s Pitcher of Month winner LHP Ryan Borden (7-4, 1.24 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) and RHP Larry Parrish (1-1, 4 SV, 1.66 ERA, 1.06 WHIP), the pitching has been a bit underwhelming. But the Barons, who finished in first place last season with 93 wins, is still a good team that still has lots of time to get back into the playoff race. Offense: .261/.324/.346 (5th/4th/7th) Pitching: 3.48/3.40/4.05 (4th/3rd/6th) Defense: .688 (7th) *Key Trade:* September 12 with the Wolseley Unions To Stratford – 26-year old RF Dan Hunter (67/68) and 23-year old CF Stephen Dronfield (22/24) To Wolseley – 35-year old 3B Matthew Lane (28/28) *Knee-jerk reaction:* A trade consummated in the middle of the Coconut Leagues, the Barons somehow found a taker for Mathew Lane, a once fine player that is now just playing out the string (and perhaps would be out of baseball if not for the war?) Hunter (.230/.316/.314, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 29 R, 25 BB, 16 SB) has some fine tools, with good contact, solid eye, excellent defense and speed. But with the exception of his stealing prowess, he has yet to put it all together. In Wolseley, he may have been only their fourth outfielder at best, but it’s hard to see what use Lane will be for the Unions. Even his defense is poor. Yet another head-scratcher from the Unions’ brain trust. -------- Bucking expectations of another last-place performance, the Downie Chiefs actually started the season with a modest 4-game winning streak and have remained within reach of first division of the League. The Chiefs have benefited in the early going by a respectable showing from the pitching staff and a stout defense. But with the exception of LF Ricardo Castellanos (.319/.383/.492, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 32 R, 20 BB, 5 SB), the offense has hindered Downie from making a stronger push for a playoff position. If the pitching can hold steady and the offense can pick things up in support of Castellanos, then the Chiefs will have a chance to surprise. Offense: .257/.310/.348 (6th/7th/6th) Pitching: 3.38/3.54/2.27 (3rd/4th/1st) Defense: .710 (1st) *Noteworthy Performances:* LF Ricardo Castellanos had a memorable November. First he won Player of the Week honours on November 13, batting .520 (13 H in 25 AB) with 3 HR, 8 RBI. Then, on November 27, he went 5 for 6 with 2 RBI, 1 R in a game against the Cambria Cannons. After striking out in the 2nd, Castellanos hit an RBI single in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, singled in the 9th and singled in the 11th. The Chiefs prevailed 10-9. -------- The prognosticators appear to have missed the mark on the Braeland City Monarchs. Predicted to challenge for a playoff spot this season, the Monarchs have floundered instead and are sinking farther to the bottom in the Eastern League. Braeland City made a couple of trades in November and demoted some former mainstays (33-year old LHP Quentin Teague was claimed off of waivers by Cobourg, for example). The offense, which was one of the best in the East last season has struggled and the pitching has only regressed. But realization of a lost season appears to be settling in, as the team shifted team focus from ‘neutral’ to ‘rebuild’ on November 27. Offense: .254/.315/.361 (7th/5th/3rd); Pitching: 4.21/4.22/4.12 (7th/6th/7th); Defense: .692 (6th). *Key Trade #1:* November 5 with the Hespeler Stars. To Braeland City – 26-year old OF John Tassell (61/63) To Hespeler – five minor league players: 21-year old RHP Dan Turner (20/53 – 12th overall pick in 1942-43); 23-year old C Anoi Hoalohanani (23/28); 24-year old SS Palmer Bunch (21/23); 22-year old 2B Mauk Kenselaar (21/23) and 19-year old CF Javier Castro (21/25). *Knee-jerk reaction:* The Monarchs make two interesting trades with Hespeler in the days leading up to their decision to rebuild. Tassell is a decent contact hitter whose biggest strengths are his defense in rightfield and speed. But there’s nothing to suggest that he will jumpstart the offense, something that Braeland City sorely needs. Hespeler gets a potentially useful pitcher in Turner, who has decent but not great pitching skills. His work ethic is second to none; but he doesn’t seem to have warranted his high draft selection. *Key Trade #2:* November 20 with the Hespeler Stars. To Braeland City – 28-year old LHP Gavin Hewat (42/52) To Hespeler – 22-year old minor league LF Toby Dooley (25/56) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Braeland City springs for a veteran starter to try and shore up the rotation. Hewat definitely has solid stuff and good command, but not very good movement. He will serve as the Monarchs’ No. 4 starter in the rotation. Hespeler adds a little bit to its prospect depth with Dooley, a former 2nd-round pick from 1940-41. Dooley has some offensive skills and great speed, but looks out of place in the outfield. -------- What the 1944-45 season has in store for the Wellington Athletics was probably summed up in their 10-game losing that started the season. Although the did recover somewhat in the latter half of October, it is abundantly clear that the Athletics will struggle just to stay out of the basement. Overall, their offense is abysmal and the pitching, while not horrible, is in no shape to take up the slack. If that weren't enough, their farm system is one of the weakest in the ULB (14th overall). In short, winter is coming for the Wellington Athletics, or something along those lines. Offense: .245/.305/.332 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.08/3.24/2.73 (6th/7th/2nd) Defense: .698 (4th) *Noteworthy:* LF Phillip Trew won Player of the Weeks honours on November 27. He batted .565 (13 H in 23 AB). *Key Injuries:* On November 10, 33-year old 3B Ryley McLarnon (.279/.309/.314, 5-2B, 9 RBI, 17 R, 7 BB), strained his shoulder while throwing the ball. He is out a further 1-2 weeks. *Key Trade:* November 25 with the Kingston Pelicans To Wellington – 29-year old RF Rovilson Valdevieso (49/50) To Kingston – two minor league players: 26-year old RHP Cisco Juárez (46/46); 21-year old 3B Fraser Rae (23/52) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Another relatively minor deal, other than just to not that the one-time all-star Valdevieso is on the move again. In his defense, Valdevieso can still hit and field, although he has poor plate discipline and is not really a front-line starter any longer. The bigger question is why Wellington traded for him at when they need to rebuild. As for Kingston, they get a couple of mid-level prospects that may make the majors. But the Pelicans are short on position player prospects at the moment and Rae immediately becomes their second overall batting prospect. Rae is a former 2nd-round draft pick from 1942-43 who has been trending upward in his development thus far. He has good contact with plate discipline issues, OK defense and well above-average speed. -------- Last season, it appeared that the Cobourg Red Stockings were finally beginning to make some strides, as they escaped the basement of the Eastern League for the first time in six seasons. A small step to be sure, but a step just the same. But if Cobourg is ever going to take the next step, it will not be this season, as they stumbled badly out of the gate. Pitching is largely the culprit, and unfortunately the Red Stockings have not place much emphasis in the past few years to cultivate any significant pitching prospects. It may appear that they are finally starting to address that if their recent trade with the Cambria Cannons is any indication (that trade will be discusses in the upcoming Cambria section. But in the meantime, Cobourg will be held back as long as their pitching prospects remain thin. Offense: .268/.314/.358 (4th/6th/4th); Pitching: 4.50/4.71/3.28 (8th/8th/4th); Defense: .679 (8th). *Noteworthy:* 2B Alexander Tolmie won Player of the Weeks honours on October 16. He batted .565 (13 H in 23 AB) with 4 RBI, 4R. On November 6, SS John Medley himself was named Player of the Week, as he batted .480 (12 H in 25 AB), 1 HR, 7 RBI. *Key Injuries:* 37-year old RHP Ramón Ramírez (4-5, 4.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) strained his rotator cuff while pitching back on November 22. He is out a further 4-5 weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-10-2017 at 09:04 PM.