December 1, 1945
Eastern League: Suns Lead in Tight Battle for First
At first, it appeared that the Stratford Barons would be the class of the East, as they started the season off with a 9-game winning streak. But the Embro Suns were right on their heels, and by the time the Barons lost their first game, the Suns were winning their 7th in a row and just one game back.
Since then, the Barons have faltered, going 19-28 and falling to 5th spot. This is not what Stratford was expecting after making a couple of major trades to beef up their lineup. While C Aaron Skidmore (.287/.449/.450, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 1.8 WAR) and returning war veteran RF Steven Winstanley (.299/.382/.468, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 1.8 WAR) have been rock solid, the rest of the lineup has not kept up. Two that have, SS Jake Walker (.311/.414/.530, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 2.0 WAR) and CF Ricardo Castellanos (.294/.407/.500, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 0.6 WAR), have been out with extended injuries. But if the Barons can tread water until they return, they could very easily get back into the thick of it.
That’s because no team is truly dominating the League in the first two months of the season. Even the Brunswick Legends, the defending champions are not that far behind, despite a ho-hum campaign thus far. Most alarming for them is that 37-year old RF Mark Elston (.162/.286/.305, 3 HR, 18 RBI, -0.8 WAR) has declined dramatically. Elston finished 2nd in the Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting only last season, after going .279/.395/.456, 20 HR, 99 RBI, 5.1 WAR in 1944-45.
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Offense: .262/.343/.397 (7th/5th/3rd)
Pitching: 4.14/4.03/4.69 (6th/4th/6th)
Defense: .676 (6th)
Player of the Week Awards:
October 22 –1B Jim Friend (.480, 12 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI)
October 29 – 1B Jim Friend (.407, 11 H, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 10 R)
November 26 – SS Gary Watkinson (.500, 11 H, 1 RBI, 8 R)
Noteworthy:
October 21 – RHP Oscar Burress (6-3, 2.39 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) went 10.2 IP, 8 HA, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K against the Brunswick Legends, but did not get the win. RHP Colm Soper picks up the win throwing a single pitch (a strike), as the Suns score a run in the bottom of the 11th, to win 1-0. But Burress’ performance did earn him the Eastern League’s highest score for a pitcher thus far this season with 88.
November 5 – C Scott Weller (.242/.319/.366, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 0.7 WAR) drove in 6 runs against the Queensland Eagles, going 3-6, 1HR.
Key Injuries: None
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Offense: .278/.346/.408 (3rd/3rd/2nd)
Pitching: 3.74/3.61/4.57 (2nd/2nd/5th)
Defense: .708 (3rd)
Noteworthy:
October 4 – CF Daniel Martin (.271/.361/.438, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 0.5 WAR) was responsible for all 7 runs in a 7-6 victory over the Brunswick Legends. Martin singled in 2 runs in the 1st inning, slammed a 3-run home run in the 3rd and hit a walk-off, come-from-behind 2-out, 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th. All told, Martin went 3-5, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 R.
Key Injuries: None
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Offense: .291/.364/.428 (1st/1st/1st)
Pitching: 4.06/4.38/2.59 (5th/6th/1st)
Defense: .678 (5th)
Player of the Week Awards:
October 8 – RF Jilenko Vergara (.516, 16H, 2 HR, 7 RBI)
November 5 –RF Jilenko Vergara (.464, 13 H, 2 HR, 10 RBI)
Noteworthy:
October 1 – RF Jilenko Vergara (.342/.388/.550, 10 HR, 38 RBI, 2.4 WAR) went 5-5 on Opening Day against the Cobourg Red Stockings, with 1 RBI, 1R.
October 13- Héctor Gutiérrez (.335/.436/.458, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 1.8 WAR) goes 5-7 against the Embro Suns, with 2 RBI.
Injury:
38-year old RHP Stewart Colcott – torn meniscus (knee) – 5 weeks
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Offense: .284/.349/.393 (2nd/2nd/4th)
Pitching: 4.03/4.15/3.42 (4th/5th/2nd)
Defense: .714 (2nd)
Player of the Week Award:
October 15 – SS Mac Medley (.650, 13 H, 6 RBI, 4 R)
Noteworthy:
October 12 – SS Mac Medley (.327/.406/.505, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 2.4 WAR) goes 6-6 against the Cobourg Red Stockings, with 1-2B, 4 RBI, 2R. Medley’s performance is rated the highest in the Eastern League thus far, with a score of 90.
October 23 – 3B Ryley McLarnon (.297/.325/.393, 8-3B, 32 RBI, 1.7 WAR) goes 0-4 as his 22-game hitting streak come to an end against the Cambria Cannons.
Injuries:
25-year old RHP Gavin Meadows – torn meniscus (knee) – 2 months
26-year old LF Baden Morrall – strained rib cage muscle – 1 week
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Offense: .260/.344/.389 (8th/4th/5th)
Pitching: 3.40/3.30/4.26 (1st/1st/4th)
Defense: .692 (4th)
Injuries:
32-year old SS Jake Walker – torn ankle ligaments – 3 weeks
25-year old CF Ricardo Castellanos – fractured thumb – 3 days
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Offense: .263/.340/.377 (6th/7th/7th)
Pitching: 3.95/3.66/5.12 (3rd/3rd/7th)
Defense: .660 (8th)
Injury:
28-year old LF Cliff Jordan– foot contusion – 4 days
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Offense: .276/.340/.385 (4th/6th/6th)
Pitching: 4.46/4.65/3.50 (7th/7th/3rd)
Defense: .675 (7th)
Injury:
28-year old RHP Pedro Gómez – ruptured ulnar collateral ligament – 5 months
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Offense: .265/.326/.371 (5th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 5.05/4.88/5.80 (8th/8th/8th)
Defense: .716(1st)
Player of the Week Award:
November 12 – RF Nathan Ashman (.467, 14 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
Noteworthy:
November 19 – LF Sean Murchie (.302/.333/.441, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 1.3 WAR) goes 0-4 against the Wolseley Unions, ending his hitting streak at 23 games.
Injuries:
31-year old LHP Don Marable – elbow ligament reconstruction surgery – 3 weeks
34-year old RHP Freddie Ventriss – strained rib cage muscle – 1 week
21-year old 3B Max Westgate – strained rib cage muscle – 2-3 weeks
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