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reds1 · 11-26-2016, 12:27 AM

September 3, 1945

1945 Off-Season: Returning Players Eager to Leave the Battlefield Behind

Driving gas and oil trucks for refueling planes wasn't exactly the most exciting assignment in the war, but it was one Steven Winstanley took seriously nonetheless.

“Somebody had to do it”, opined Private Winstanley, “so I was proud to do it.”

But as the returning outfielder for the Stratford Barons noted, it was not all routine.

“I was stationed at the beachhead at Torokina on Bourgainville in November 1943, as part of the battalion maintaining the newly constructed air strips. The Japanese Army didn't care for our presence there and began shelling the beachhead, targeting the air strips and our supply dumps. It got pretty hot there for a while, as the Japanese had taken control of the ridges overlooking the beach. We survived, but it wasn't until mid-December that the 21st Marines finally drove them off and took control of the southern half of the island. Didn't leave a lot of time for playing baseball, I can tell you.”

Harrowing experiences such as Winstanley's proved to be the exception rather than the rule, fortunately. But for all involved, the knowledge that attacks could come without warning was stressful enough.

Able Seaman Wilson Villas and Seaman Jamie Florey both served on the corvette HMBR Arrow in New Caledonia, serving on patrol and convoy escort duty. While they saw little in the way of actual fighting, they were involved in the search back on August 19, 1943, for the Japanese submarine I-17, the first Axis ship to shell the United States mainland.

“We accompanied the US Scouting Squadron VS-57 as they joined up with the New Zealand HMNZS Tui, who had spotted the sub 40 miles off the coast of New Caledonia” explained Villas, who will be returning to pitch for the defending champion Brunswick Legends. “Both Jamie and I watched as the Tui and the Kingfisher floatplanes struck her and finished her off. It was the Arrow who picked up the survivors, just six of them, out of a crew of 97 sailors.”

Like Winstanley, their duties during the course of their service left little time for organizing ball games.

“We sometimes heard of the exploits of the Base 30 Manila Dodgers and the U.S. Navy all-star team,” added Jamie, who will attempt to work his way back into the starting lineup of the Pulberry Trolleys. “But we were far removed from that sort of action. Needless to say, we're all pretty anxious to get back onto the ballfield and leave the battlefields behind. ”

The same can be said for Braelanders in general, as the country looks to another season of action. But this time, they will be welcoming back their baseball heroes instead of seeing them off to war.

With an eye on the upcoming 'Coconut Leagues', many of the teams spent the off-season wheeling and dealing, with the hopes of positioning themselves for success in the upcoming 1945-46 season.

Here are the noteworthy trades this off-season:

June 2:

The Stratford Barons acquired 25-year old OF Ricardo Castellanos (65/67) from the Downie Chiefs.

In return, the Chiefs received three minor leaguers:
21-year old RP Bill Lafontaine (47/78),
22-year old SP Kent Allomes (20/48),
24-year old SP Teune van Heijbeeck (23/36),
$7,500.

Knee-jerk reaction: Not sure what the Chiefs were thinking here. Downie is nowhere near to competing for a pennant, so the trade of Castellanos to a contending team for some younger prospects isn't all that surprising. But their haul is a bit underwhelming. Right now, Lafontaine is a borderline starter, but he if can develop his changeup (20/25), then the complexion of this deal changes. Then both he and Allomes would be potentially nice additions to a future rotation.
Meanwhile, Castellanos is a 3-time all-star and 2-time Top Fielder, so the Barons' lineup gets a much needed boost. The Baron's team batting average (.264) hit an all-time low last season where they lost 82 games. The season before, they won 93 and finished in first place.

-----------

June 7:

The Sherburn Tigers acquired 26-year old C Neil Voigt (65/65) and $4,200 from the Cobourg Red Stockings.

In return, the Red Stockings received four minor leaguers:
21-year old SP Hank Bennett (20/59),
21-year old IF/OF Conor Almond (22/23),
24-yearold OF Kane Tabor (22/22),
24-year old RF Manuel Ocampto (22/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: With 3-time all-star C Joe Gault turning 40-years old in November, the Tigers felt the need to make an upgrade behind the plate and found a willing partner in Cobourg. Voigt fills that need and is pegged as Sherburn's No. 4 hitter in the lineup. Voight had somewhat of a down year last season and perhaps that affected his trade value. But the Red Stockings do get a serviceable starter in Bennett who immediately becomes their top pitching prospect. At any rate, Cobourg obviously feels that 3rd round pick from 1942-43, 22 year old Jilenko Batiles (56/66) is ready to take over.

As a side note, the Tigers also acquired C Brian Pittman from the Balmoral Giants in a minor deal to serve as Voigt's backup. Pittman was a 6th round pick back in 1937-38 who went on to win Rookie of the Year honours in 1942-43.

-----------

June 25:

The Braeland City Monarchs traded for 25-year old IF Otton Overbeek (23/32) from the Balmoral Giants.

In return, the Giants received 36-year old LF Scott Kessler (35/35) and 19-year old minor league C Dominic Pipard (23/71).

Knee-jerk reaction: My feeling is that OOTP17 is underselling Overbeek as he is coming off consecutive outstanding seasons or at least penalizing him as a shortstop (yes – in fact, he's rated as 38/65 at the hot corner where he has played for most of his career). Overbeek will take over from 36-year old Finlay Ridd who regressed a little last season. Ridd will move to 2B.

For the Giants, the loss of Overbeek will be felt, as his current replacement, 32-year old Chito Domogma (38/38) is definitely not an upgrade. But at least they have an up-an-coming prospect in Pipard, whose development has consistently been trending upward since he was drafted in the 4th round in 1943-44. As for Kessler, a former 5-time all-star, his starting days appear over and will serve as a utility OF for Balmoral.

-----------

July 5:

The Cambria Cannons acquired 27-year old C Heung-su Park (67/67) and $5,600 from the Fort Richmond Generals.

In return, the Generals received four minor leaguers:
23-year old SS Clive Lanham (23/34),
24-year old RP Arthur Collier (32/69),
20-year old OF Johhny [that’s how he spells his name] Barberie (22/26),
24-year old 2B Juan Estrada (23/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: An absolute puzzler from my end, as the Generals ship out yet another 1st round pick in Park, who is coming off his best season yet. (Fort Richmond traded 2nd overall pick C Danny Trowbridge back in 1943). Unless they make a trade in the near future, the Cannons will boast the strongest catching tandem in the ULB, as Park is expected to take over the primary catching duties from 25-year old Scott Weller, who earned a trip to the All-Star game last year as well as a Top Fielder Award for good measure.

Fort Richmond does get two former 1st round picks in return, but Lanham has not developed his earlier promise and Collier is a relief pitcher. A potentially decent one mind you, but still just a reliever. Fort Richmond will be his sixth team – and he has still yet to get a sniff of the majors. 'Nuff said.

-----------

July 12:

The Stratford Barons acquired 25-year old C Aaron Skidmore (74/77) and $8,300 from the Hespeler Stars.

In return, the Stars received 21-year old SP/RP Stephen Tindall (29/79) and 24-year old minor league SP/RP Francisco Báez (20/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: Seeing 25-year old C Geoff Lemoine severely regress last season prompted the Barons to make another major acquisition. This time, they got the best catcher in the ULB not named Danny Trowbridge. While he doesn't hit for high average, Skidmore enjoyed a tremendous season last and has been rock-solid ever since he reached the majors.

The Stars in turn feel that 23-year old C Enrique García (23/66) is ready to take over. He was a 2nd round pick just this past season. Tindall is projected as a future starter, but the former 7th overall pick from 1943-44 is not as highly touted as he was initially. Still, he has lots of potential , and could be an ace if everything falls into place.

-----------

July 31:

The Embro Suns acquired 26-year old SP Jim Hogue (68/68) from the Kingston Pelicans.

In return, the Pelicans got 27-year old 3B Britt Wing (65/68).

Knee-jerk reaction: With their infield stacked (and with 1B Jim Friend's imminent return to the lineup from military service), the Suns deemed the lightly-used Wing expendable. Britt Wing has not done a whole lot since he was drafted in the second round by the Fort Richmond Generals back in 1938-39 and he will be essentially buried in Kingston's depth chart, so it's not entirely clear what the Pelicans were thinking here. Despite the loss of Hogue, Kingston is still disgustingly strong in their rotation, so the loss of Hogue will not be all that noticeable.

For the Suns, however, Hoque is pegged as their No. 3 starter and should provide a nice 1-2-3 punch in rotation, behind Oscar Burress (72/72) and Myung-gu Son (72/72). I like this trade a lot for Embro.

-----------

Below is the War Gained chart and it documents the aggressive moves made by the Stratford Barons to land C Skidmore and OF Castellanos. The Barons missed the playoffs last season after finishing in first place the season before. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the defending United Cup champions, the Brunswick Legends, who were rather quiet this off-season.

On the other hand, the Cambria Cannons are not standing idle, despite finishing in first place last season. It's pretty clear they want to beat the Kingston Pelicans in the playoffs next time – not just in the regular season.

11-26-2016, 12:27 AM	#300
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,925	September 3, 1945 1945 Off-Season: Returning Players Eager to Leave the Battlefield Behind Driving gas and oil trucks for refueling planes wasn't exactly the most exciting assignment in the war, but it was one Steven Winstanley took seriously nonetheless. “Somebody had to do it”, opined Private Winstanley, “so I was proud to do it.” But as the returning outfielder for the Stratford Barons noted, it was not all routine. “I was stationed at the beachhead at Torokina on Bourgainville in November 1943, as part of the battalion maintaining the newly constructed air strips. The Japanese Army didn't care for our presence there and began shelling the beachhead, targeting the air strips and our supply dumps. It got pretty hot there for a while, as the Japanese had taken control of the ridges overlooking the beach. We survived, but it wasn't until mid-December that the 21st Marines finally drove them off and took control of the southern half of the island. Didn't leave a lot of time for playing baseball, I can tell you.” Harrowing experiences such as Winstanley's proved to be the exception rather than the rule, fortunately. But for all involved, the knowledge that attacks could come without warning was stressful enough. Able Seaman Wilson Villas and Seaman Jamie Florey both served on the corvette HMBR Arrow in New Caledonia, serving on patrol and convoy escort duty. While they saw little in the way of actual fighting, they were involved in the search back on August 19, 1943, for the Japanese submarine I-17, the first Axis ship to shell the United States mainland. “We accompanied the US Scouting Squadron VS-57 as they joined up with the New Zealand HMNZS Tui, who had spotted the sub 40 miles off the coast of New Caledonia” explained Villas, who will be returning to pitch for the defending champion Brunswick Legends. “Both Jamie and I watched as the Tui and the Kingfisher floatplanes struck her and finished her off. It was the Arrow who picked up the survivors, just six of them, out of a crew of 97 sailors.” Like Winstanley, their duties during the course of their service left little time for organizing ball games. “We sometimes heard of the exploits of the Base 30 Manila Dodgers and the U.S. Navy all-star team,” added Jamie, who will attempt to work his way back into the starting lineup of the Pulberry Trolleys. “But we were far removed from that sort of action. Needless to say, we're all pretty anxious to get back onto the ballfield and leave the battlefields behind. ” The same can be said for Braelanders in general, as the country looks to another season of action. But this time, they will be welcoming back their baseball heroes instead of seeing them off to war. With an eye on the upcoming 'Coconut Leagues', many of the teams spent the off-season wheeling and dealing, with the hopes of positioning themselves for success in the upcoming 1945-46 season. Here are the noteworthy trades this off-season: June 2: The Stratford Barons acquired 25-year old OF Ricardo Castellanos (65/67) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs received three minor leaguers: 21-year old RP Bill Lafontaine (47/78), 22-year old SP Kent Allomes (20/48), 24-year old SP Teune van Heijbeeck (23/36), $7,500. *Knee-jerk reaction:* Not sure what the Chiefs were thinking here. Downie is nowhere near to competing for a pennant, so the trade of Castellanos to a contending team for some younger prospects isn't all that surprising. But their haul is a bit underwhelming. Right now, Lafontaine is a borderline starter, but he if can develop his changeup (20/25), then the complexion of this deal changes. Then both he and Allomes would be potentially nice additions to a future rotation. Meanwhile, Castellanos is a 3-time all-star and 2-time Top Fielder, so the Barons' lineup gets a much needed boost. The Baron's team batting average (.264) hit an all-time low last season where they lost 82 games. The season before, they won 93 and finished in first place. ----------- June 7: The Sherburn Tigers acquired 26-year old C Neil Voigt (65/65) and $4,200 from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, the Red Stockings received four minor leaguers: 21-year old SP Hank Bennett (20/59), 21-year old IF/OF Conor Almond (22/23), 24-yearold OF Kane Tabor (22/22), 24-year old RF Manuel Ocampto (22/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* With 3-time all-star C Joe Gault turning 40-years old in November, the Tigers felt the need to make an upgrade behind the plate and found a willing partner in Cobourg. Voigt fills that need and is pegged as Sherburn's No. 4 hitter in the lineup. Voight had somewhat of a down year last season and perhaps that affected his trade value. But the Red Stockings do get a serviceable starter in Bennett who immediately becomes their top pitching prospect. At any rate, Cobourg obviously feels that 3rd round pick from 1942-43, 22 year old Jilenko Batiles (56/66) is ready to take over. As a side note, the Tigers also acquired C Brian Pittman from the Balmoral Giants in a minor deal to serve as Voigt's backup. Pittman was a 6th round pick back in 1937-38 who went on to win Rookie of the Year honours in 1942-43. ----------- June 25: The Braeland City Monarchs traded for 25-year old IF Otton Overbeek (23/32) from the Balmoral Giants. In return, the Giants received 36-year old LF Scott Kessler (35/35) and 19-year old minor league C Dominic Pipard (23/71). *Knee-jerk reaction:* My feeling is that OOTP17 is underselling Overbeek as he is coming off consecutive outstanding seasons or at least penalizing him as a shortstop (yes – in fact, he's rated as 38/65 at the hot corner where he has played for most of his career). Overbeek will take over from 36-year old Finlay Ridd who regressed a little last season. Ridd will move to 2B. For the Giants, the loss of Overbeek will be felt, as his current replacement, 32-year old Chito Domogma (38/38) is definitely not an upgrade. But at least they have an up-an-coming prospect in Pipard, whose development has consistently been trending upward since he was drafted in the 4th round in 1943-44. As for Kessler, a former 5-time all-star, his starting days appear over and will serve as a utility OF for Balmoral. ----------- July 5: The Cambria Cannons acquired 27-year old C Heung-su Park (67/67) and $5,600 from the Fort Richmond Generals. In return, the Generals received four minor leaguers: 23-year old SS Clive Lanham (23/34), 24-year old RP Arthur Collier (32/69), 20-year old OF Johhny [that’s how he spells his name] Barberie (22/26), 24-year old 2B Juan Estrada (23/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* An absolute puzzler from my end, as the Generals ship out yet another 1st round pick in Park, who is coming off his best season yet. (Fort Richmond traded 2nd overall pick C Danny Trowbridge back in 1943). Unless they make a trade in the near future, the Cannons will boast the strongest catching tandem in the ULB, as Park is expected to take over the primary catching duties from 25-year old Scott Weller, who earned a trip to the All-Star game last year as well as a Top Fielder Award for good measure. Fort Richmond does get two former 1st round picks in return, but Lanham has not developed his earlier promise and Collier is a relief pitcher. A potentially decent one mind you, but still just a reliever. Fort Richmond will be his sixth team – and he has still yet to get a sniff of the majors. 'Nuff said. ----------- July 12: The Stratford Barons acquired 25-year old C Aaron Skidmore (74/77) and $8,300 from the Hespeler Stars. In return, the Stars received 21-year old SP/RP Stephen Tindall (29/79) and 24-year old minor league SP/RP Francisco Báez (20/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Seeing 25-year old C Geoff Lemoine severely regress last season prompted the Barons to make another major acquisition. This time, they got the best catcher in the ULB not named Danny Trowbridge. While he doesn't hit for high average, Skidmore enjoyed a tremendous season last and has been rock-solid ever since he reached the majors. The Stars in turn feel that 23-year old C Enrique García (23/66) is ready to take over. He was a 2nd round pick just this past season. Tindall is projected as a future starter, but the former 7th overall pick from 1943-44 is not as highly touted as he was initially. Still, he has lots of potential , and could be an ace if everything falls into place. ----------- July 31: The Embro Suns acquired 26-year old SP Jim Hogue (68/68) from the Kingston Pelicans. In return, the Pelicans got 27-year old 3B Britt Wing (65/68). *Knee-jerk reaction:* With their infield stacked (and with 1B Jim Friend's imminent return to the lineup from military service), the Suns deemed the lightly-used Wing expendable. Britt Wing has not done a whole lot since he was drafted in the second round by the Fort Richmond Generals back in 1938-39 and he will be essentially buried in Kingston's depth chart, so it's not entirely clear what the Pelicans were thinking here. Despite the loss of Hogue, Kingston is still disgustingly strong in their rotation, so the loss of Hogue will not be all that noticeable. For the Suns, however, Hoque is pegged as their No. 3 starter and should provide a nice 1-2-3 punch in rotation, behind Oscar Burress (72/72) and Myung-gu Son (72/72). I like this trade a lot for Embro. ----------- Below is the War Gained chart and it documents the aggressive moves made by the Stratford Barons to land C Skidmore and OF Castellanos. The Barons missed the playoffs last season after finishing in first place the season before. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the defending United Cup champions, the Brunswick Legends, who were rather quiet this off-season. On the other hand, the Cambria Cannons are not standing idle, despite finishing in first place last season. It's pretty clear they want to beat the Kingston Pelicans in the playoffs next time – not just in the regular season. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-15-2017 at 12:17 AM.