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reds1 · 03-03-2017, 06:03 PM

December 1, 1946

Eastern League: Brunswick, Cobourg in Early Battle for First Place

An old familiar face has returned to the top of the standings, with the Brunswick Legends starting the season off strong. But a new face is making an appearance at the top of the standings – the Cobourg Red Stockings. The Red Stockings have flirted with first place a couple of times already in the early going, such as in early October when they started the season 6-1.

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The Brunswick Legends are back in business after an uncharacteristically poor showing last season. That became evident when they went on a 10-game winning streak in late October to grab top spot in the East. Once again, their pitching, particularly the starters, are dominant. Four of the five starters are lefties, and all four are enjoying great success in the early going:

30-year old Anastasio Rodríguez (8-3, 2.22 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 155 ERA+)
31-year old Hirotada Fukushima (6-0, 2.86 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 120 ERA+)
36-year old Matthew Monroe (5-2, 2.96 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 116 ERA+)
32-year old Wilson Villas (3-3, 2.49 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 138 ERA+)

Rodríguez won Pitcher of the Month honours for his performance in November. But it hasn’t all been about the pitching: 32-year old LF Terry Aspden (.348/.418/.559, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 21 BB) is off to his best start since the 1940-41 season when he was a 26-year old with the Queensland Eagles. But the Legends will need a few other stalwarts on offense to pick up the pace if they want to hang onto first place in the East.

Offense: .251/.336/.350 (6th/3rd/7th)
Pitching: 2.95/2.82/3.47 (1st/1st/6th)
Defense: .705 (Tied for 5th)

Player of the Week Awards:

November 4 – LF Terry Aspden (.500, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
November 25 – LF Terry Aspden (.524, 11 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI)

Noteworthy:

Back on October24, C Maurice Evans (.253/.305/.379, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 13 BB) drove in 6 runs in a game against the Embro Suns. Evans went 3-5 with 1 HR, 1R. The Legends crushed Embro 11-1. 1B Stuart Bentham (.289/.403/.442, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 35 BB) went 4-5 with 2 RBI, 2 R in the same game.

In the course of winning two Player of the Week awards, Terry Aspden went 5-7 against the Hespeler Stars on November 21, with 1-2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R. The Legends won 8-5.

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The pitchers of the Cobourg Red Stockings are not quite as dominant as the Brunswick Legends squad, but they are not far behind. And that is saying something for a staff that has been a weak link on a weak team for years. Only once has Cobourg’s team ERA finished below 4.00 (3.68 in 1943-44). This year, it stands at 3.06 through the first two months. Two starters are a large reason why: 24-year old RHP Trent Beaton (8-2, 2.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 163 ERA+) and 37-year old RHP Carlo Foronda (5-4, 1 SV, 2.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 126 ERA+). Foronda’s start is particularly noteworthy: now in his 10th season with the Red Stockings, he has never enjoyed a winning record in a season and only once has his ERA finished below 4.00 (3.83 in 1943-44). That no doubt speaks in large part to the terrible teams he has had to pitch for, so it’s nice to see him enjoy the start he is having.

For its part, the bullpen has been outstanding. 35-year old RHP Quentin Teague (2-0, 1.90, 1.39 WHIP), 22- year old RHP José Fernández (1-1, 1 SV, 1.80 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) and closer 26-year old RHP Brent Nix (4-2, 7 SV, 1.80 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) have been downright nasty (boys) so far.

The offense is giving encouraging signs that it is becoming competitive and ready to support the pitching. While no individual player has jumped out as an offensive powerhouse yet, the lineup is noteworthy in that it includes three former first overall picks: leadoff hitter 25-year old SS John Medley (.243/.296/.344, 11-2B, 18 RBI, 14 BB, 10 SB), No. 3 hitter 24-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.287/.355/.400, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 21 BB) and No 8 hitter 20-year old CF Raymond Williams (.133/.148/.183, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB). Williams was drafted last year and is just getting his feet wet. He has spent all of 18 games in the majors thus far.

Offense: .266/.321/.361 (3rd/6th/4th)
Pitching: 3.06/3.17/2.54 (2nd/2nd/3rd)
Defense: .724 (2nd)

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The Braeland City Monarchs were riding high in October, but suffered a severe setback in November with the loss of 35-year old LHP Max MacColl (5-2, 1.71 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 202 ERA+) to an extended injury. MacColl pitched shutouts in consecutive starts (a 3-hitter and a 5-hitter, both against the Stratford Barons) en route to winning Pitcher of the Month honours in October.

Couple that with the loss of promising 26-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes (0-0, 1.46 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) also to an extended injury just two games into the season, and it’s not hard to understand why the Monarchs faltered a bit in November. Still, they are a talented team and should hang around the first division. If they can do that until their pitchers come back from injury, then they should be in great shape for the second half – provided they suffer no more serious injuries.

Offense: .261/.311/.378 (4th/8th/3rd)
Pitching: 3.32/3.38/3.01 (4th/4th/5th)
Defense: .719 (4th)

Key Injuries:

LHP Max MacColl – November 13 – torn back muscle. Out 6 more weeks.

LHP Nicholas Grimes – October 15 – fractured hand. Out 5 more weeks.

2B Trevor Bolen (.255/.282/.431, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 4 BB) – November 16 sprained ankle. Out 3-4 more weeks.

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The Queensland Eagles could be vying for first place in the East if only the pitching was pulling its weight. RHP Aaron Saunderson (5-5, 3.87 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 87 ERA+) is showing some consistency, but even he is experiencing a down year so far. Two other pitchers have had moments as well: RHP Francisco López (3-2, 4.70 ERA, 1.39 WHIP), who was performing well before being injured, and RHP Okura Suzuki (4-1, 1 SV, 1.67 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) who pitched a 7-hit shut-out against the Fort Richmond Generals on November 30 (Queensland won 2-0). It was his first start of the season.

The offense is the story, however, and 28-year old C Elijah Sheppard (.303/.383/.554, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 22 BB) is front and center. Sheppard won Batter of the Month honours in October and is quickly rising in the Top Player rankings. He is currently rated 7th; he did not appear in the Top 20 at all on Opening Day.

24-year old rookie RF Ron Gavin (.485/.514/.750, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 4 BB in 68 AB) is producing when he able to get into the lineup. The switch-hitter can play LF and 1B as well, but RF Jilenko Vergara (.451/.533/.725, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 9 BB), LF Héctor García (.289/.365/.416, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 18 BB) and 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (.271/.390/.373, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 35 BB) have all been productive as well.

Offense: .271/.343/.396 (2nd/1st/1st)
Pitching: 4.19/4.59/2.55 (7th/8th/4th)
Defense: .676 (8th)

Player of the Week Awards:

November 11 – RHP Francisco López (2-0, 15 IP, 8 K, 0.00 ERA)

Key Injuries:

RHP Francisco López – November 19 – broken elbow bone. Out 7 weeks.

RHP Joong Ling (2-1, 4.55 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) – November 28 – broken hand. Out 3-4 months.

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The defending United Cup champions, the Stratford Barons, started off slow but appear to have things back on track in November. The offense can be blamed for that, as several stalwarts are struggling in the early going. But one that isn’t struggling is 33-year old SS Jake Walker (.364/.456/.484, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 31 BB), who is off to the best start of his career, both offensively and in the field. Last season, he was worth 6.4 WAR; through the first two months of this season, he has been worth 3.3. He is second only to Kingston’s Danny Trowbridge in the Top Position Players rankings and has already earned Player of the Week and Batter of the Month awards after just the first two months.

Also worth keeping tabs on is 26-year old 1B Won-Ho Kim (2.88/.353/.397, 9-2B, 15 RBI, 16 BB, 4 SB), who won Rookie of the Month honours in November. The 26-year old signed out of Korea as a minor league free agent back in 1944, took over 1B duties just last month for the Barons. He can play anywhere in the outfield as well.

Offense: .243/.339/.343 (8th/2nd/8th)
Pitching: 3.47/3.34/4.21 (5th/3rd/7th)
Defense: .705 (Tied for 5th)

Player of the Week Awards:

October 21 – SS Jake Walker (.545, 12 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R)

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The Wellington Athletics are the victims of a tough stretch, where they have actually played respectably but find themselves 5 games below .500. Their Pyt. Rec. is 26-25. That could be explained by their 6-12 record in one-run games. They are also having trouble winning at home where they are 7-15 so far (they are 16-13 on the road). If they can even out those things, then they could find themselves rising into the first division.

The two trades Wellington made during the off-season are working out pretty well so far. 27-year old LHP Arthur Bence (6-4, 2.17 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 156 ERA+) is pitching like the ace Wellington was hoping he would be (he was a No. 5 starter with the Sherburn Tigers last season). And 28-year old 3B Thomas Murphy (.286/.344/.402, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 18 BB) is off to the best start of his career. Last season with the Cambria Cannons, he was worth 1.6 WAR. After the first two months of this season, he has already racked up 1.5 WAR.

Offense: .279/.334/.391 (1st/4th/2nd)
Pitching: 3.25/3.46/2.24 (3rd/5th/1st)
Defense: .720 (3rd)

Player of the Week Awards:

November 18 – 2B Ryley McLarnon (.708, 17 H, 8 RBI, 8 R)
October 14 – 1B Rubén Sánchez (.517, 15 H, 6 RBI)

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The Downie Chiefs are a team firmly in rebuild mode, so their occupation near the bottom of the standings is not surprising. However, the loss of three starting pitchers to various injuries is certainly not helping matters, as the Chiefs’ pitching has not been terrible by any means. The lineup is filled with good but young players as well, so if they can get develop as hoped, Downie could conceivably have a decent team one day. One such player is 20-year old CF Alfonso León (.294/.360/.412, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 BB), a second overall pick in 1944-45. He has just been promoted from AAA, but is currently blocked from playing regularly in the outfield. If he blossoms, then the Chiefs will have to look at moving one of the outfielders to the infield.

Offense: .252/.315/.355 (5th/7th/5th)
Pitching: 3.81/4.25/2.24 (6th/6th/2nd)
Defense: .728 (1st)

Noteworthy:

October 26 – 27-year old 1B Ramiro Urbina (.315/.342/.375, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 8 BB) went 5-for-5 against the Stratford Barons. Urbina hit four singles and a double in 7-6 10-inning victory.

Key Injuries:

RHP Jim Ferguson (1-2, 3.34 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) – October 24 – torn back muscle. Out 3 more months.

RHP Harley Bracher (3-3, 3.36 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) – November 29 – strained forearm. Out 5 days.

RHP Kelii Pelanekilina (2-3, 3.68 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) – November 1 – sprained ankle. Out 1 more week.

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Has the sky fallen on the Embro Suns? That is the question being pondered as a number of things have conspired against the team this season. They have endured a slew of injuries, including to last year’s Babe Ruth Award winner 1B Jim Friend (.292/.375/.604, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 7 BB) who suffered a knee-bone bruise in mid-October and missed 5 weeks. But he wasn’t the only one.

And like the Wellington Athletics, the Suns have come out on the short end of the stick in one-run games (5-13). But so many players are underperforming right now, it’s hard to gauge whether that’s a trend or an anomaly. The Suns have already put a couple of starters on the trading block, namely 33-year old 3B Toshifumi Tamura (.179/.291/.388, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 11 BB) and 35-year old 2B Wayne Balmer (.306/.306/.389, 1-3B, 2 RBI), so it looks as though Embro is attempting to reconfigure things on the fly. They have strong farm system, but it’s pitcher-heavy. 23-year old 3B/SS Rafael De La Cruz, signed as a free agent out of the Dominican in the off-season is their only notable young position player, other than 24-year old 2B José Sánchez (.244/.340/.375, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 24 BB, 9 SB). It wouldn’t hurt the Suns to at least consider cultivating a few non-pitching prospects.

Offense: .249/.331/.353 (7th/5th/6th)
Pitching: 4.33/4.36/4.22 (8th/7th/8th)
Defense: .677 (7th)

Player of the Week Awards:

October 28 – CF Terence Durney (.483, 14 H, 7 RBI)

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03-03-2017, 06:03 PM	#330
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 1, 1946 Eastern League: Brunswick, Cobourg in Early Battle for First Place An old familiar face has returned to the top of the standings, with the Brunswick Legends starting the season off strong. But a new face is making an appearance at the top of the standings – the Cobourg Red Stockings. The Red Stockings have flirted with first place a couple of times already in the early going, such as in early October when they started the season 6-1. -------- The Brunswick Legends are back in business after an uncharacteristically poor showing last season. That became evident when they went on a 10-game winning streak in late October to grab top spot in the East. Once again, their pitching, particularly the starters, are dominant. Four of the five starters are lefties, and all four are enjoying great success in the early going: 30-year old Anastasio Rodríguez (8-3, 2.22 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 155 ERA+) 31-year old Hirotada Fukushima (6-0, 2.86 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 120 ERA+) 36-year old Matthew Monroe (5-2, 2.96 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 116 ERA+) 32-year old Wilson Villas (3-3, 2.49 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 138 ERA+) Rodríguez won Pitcher of the Month honours for his performance in November. But it hasn’t all been about the pitching: 32-year old LF Terry Aspden (.348/.418/.559, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 21 BB) is off to his best start since the 1940-41 season when he was a 26-year old with the Queensland Eagles. But the Legends will need a few other stalwarts on offense to pick up the pace if they want to hang onto first place in the East. Offense: .251/.336/.350 (6th/3rd/7th) Pitching: 2.95/2.82/3.47 (1st/1st/6th) Defense: .705 (Tied for 5th) *Player of the Week Awards:* November 4 – LF Terry Aspden (.500, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI) November 25 – LF Terry Aspden (.524, 11 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI) *Noteworthy:* Back on October24, C Maurice Evans (.253/.305/.379, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 13 BB) drove in 6 runs in a game against the Embro Suns. Evans went 3-5 with 1 HR, 1R. The Legends crushed Embro 11-1. 1B Stuart Bentham (.289/.403/.442, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 35 BB) went 4-5 with 2 RBI, 2 R in the same game. In the course of winning two Player of the Week awards, Terry Aspden went 5-7 against the Hespeler Stars on November 21, with 1-2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R. The Legends won 8-5. -------- The pitchers of the Cobourg Red Stockings are not quite as dominant as the Brunswick Legends squad, but they are not far behind. And that is saying something for a staff that has been a weak link on a weak team for years. Only once has Cobourg’s team ERA finished below 4.00 (3.68 in 1943-44). This year, it stands at 3.06 through the first two months. Two starters are a large reason why: 24-year old RHP Trent Beaton (8-2, 2.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 163 ERA+) and 37-year old RHP Carlo Foronda (5-4, 1 SV, 2.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 126 ERA+). Foronda’s start is particularly noteworthy: now in his 10th season with the Red Stockings, he has never enjoyed a winning record in a season and only once has his ERA finished below 4.00 (3.83 in 1943-44). That no doubt speaks in large part to the terrible teams he has had to pitch for, so it’s nice to see him enjoy the start he is having. For its part, the bullpen has been outstanding. 35-year old RHP Quentin Teague (2-0, 1.90, 1.39 WHIP), 22- year old RHP José Fernández (1-1, 1 SV, 1.80 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) and closer 26-year old RHP Brent Nix (4-2, 7 SV, 1.80 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) have been downright nasty (boys) so far. The offense is giving encouraging signs that it is becoming competitive and ready to support the pitching. While no individual player has jumped out as an offensive powerhouse yet, the lineup is noteworthy in that it includes three former first overall picks: leadoff hitter 25-year old SS John Medley (.243/.296/.344, 11-2B, 18 RBI, 14 BB, 10 SB), No. 3 hitter 24-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.287/.355/.400, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 21 BB) and No 8 hitter 20-year old CF Raymond Williams (.133/.148/.183, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB). Williams was drafted last year and is just getting his feet wet. He has spent all of 18 games in the majors thus far. Offense: .266/.321/.361 (3rd/6th/4th) Pitching: 3.06/3.17/2.54 (2nd/2nd/3rd) Defense: .724 (2nd) -------- The Braeland City Monarchs were riding high in October, but suffered a severe setback in November with the loss of 35-year old LHP Max MacColl (5-2, 1.71 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 202 ERA+) to an extended injury. MacColl pitched shutouts in consecutive starts (a 3-hitter and a 5-hitter, both against the Stratford Barons) en route to winning Pitcher of the Month honours in October. Couple that with the loss of promising 26-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes (0-0, 1.46 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) also to an extended injury just two games into the season, and it’s not hard to understand why the Monarchs faltered a bit in November. Still, they are a talented team and should hang around the first division. If they can do that until their pitchers come back from injury, then they should be in great shape for the second half – provided they suffer no more serious injuries. Offense: .261/.311/.378 (4th/8th/3rd) Pitching: 3.32/3.38/3.01 (4th/4th/5th) Defense: .719 (4th) *Key Injuries:* LHP Max MacColl – November 13 – torn back muscle. Out 6 more weeks. LHP Nicholas Grimes – October 15 – fractured hand. Out 5 more weeks. 2B Trevor Bolen (.255/.282/.431, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 4 BB) – November 16 sprained ankle. Out 3-4 more weeks. -------- The Queensland Eagles could be vying for first place in the East if only the pitching was pulling its weight. RHP Aaron Saunderson (5-5, 3.87 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 87 ERA+) is showing some consistency, but even he is experiencing a down year so far. Two other pitchers have had moments as well: RHP Francisco López (3-2, 4.70 ERA, 1.39 WHIP), who was performing well before being injured, and RHP Okura Suzuki (4-1, 1 SV, 1.67 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) who pitched a 7-hit shut-out against the Fort Richmond Generals on November 30 (Queensland won 2-0). It was his first start of the season. The offense is the story, however, and 28-year old C Elijah Sheppard (.303/.383/.554, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 22 BB) is front and center. Sheppard won Batter of the Month honours in October and is quickly rising in the Top Player rankings. He is currently rated 7th; he did not appear in the Top 20 at all on Opening Day. 24-year old rookie RF Ron Gavin (.485/.514/.750, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 4 BB in 68 AB) is producing when he able to get into the lineup. The switch-hitter can play LF and 1B as well, but RF Jilenko Vergara (.451/.533/.725, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 9 BB), LF Héctor García (.289/.365/.416, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 18 BB) and 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (.271/.390/.373, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 35 BB) have all been productive as well. Offense: .271/.343/.396 (2nd/1st/1st) Pitching: 4.19/4.59/2.55 (7th/8th/4th) Defense: .676 (8th) *Player of the Week Awards:* November 11 – RHP Francisco López (2-0, 15 IP, 8 K, 0.00 ERA) *Key Injuries:* RHP Francisco López – November 19 – broken elbow bone. Out 7 weeks. RHP Joong Ling (2-1, 4.55 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) – November 28 – broken hand. Out 3-4 months. -------- The defending United Cup champions, the Stratford Barons, started off slow but appear to have things back on track in November. The offense can be blamed for that, as several stalwarts are struggling in the early going. But one that isn’t struggling is 33-year old SS Jake Walker (.364/.456/.484, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 31 BB), who is off to the best start of his career, both offensively and in the field. Last season, he was worth 6.4 WAR; through the first two months of this season, he has been worth 3.3. He is second only to Kingston’s Danny Trowbridge in the Top Position Players rankings and has already earned Player of the Week and Batter of the Month awards after just the first two months. Also worth keeping tabs on is 26-year old 1B Won-Ho Kim (2.88/.353/.397, 9-2B, 15 RBI, 16 BB, 4 SB), who won Rookie of the Month honours in November. The 26-year old signed out of Korea as a minor league free agent back in 1944, took over 1B duties just last month for the Barons. He can play anywhere in the outfield as well. Offense: .243/.339/.343 (8th/2nd/8th) Pitching: 3.47/3.34/4.21 (5th/3rd/7th) Defense: .705 (Tied for 5th) *Player of the Week Awards:* October 21 – SS Jake Walker (.545, 12 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R) -------- The Wellington Athletics are the victims of a tough stretch, where they have actually played respectably but find themselves 5 games below .500. Their Pyt. Rec. is 26-25. That could be explained by their 6-12 record in one-run games. They are also having trouble winning at home where they are 7-15 so far (they are 16-13 on the road). If they can even out those things, then they could find themselves rising into the first division. The two trades Wellington made during the off-season are working out pretty well so far. 27-year old LHP Arthur Bence (6-4, 2.17 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 156 ERA+) is pitching like the ace Wellington was hoping he would be (he was a No. 5 starter with the Sherburn Tigers last season). And 28-year old 3B Thomas Murphy (.286/.344/.402, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 18 BB) is off to the best start of his career. Last season with the Cambria Cannons, he was worth 1.6 WAR. After the first two months of this season, he has already racked up 1.5 WAR. Offense: .279/.334/.391 (1st/4th/2nd) Pitching: 3.25/3.46/2.24 (3rd/5th/1st) Defense: .720 (3rd) *Player of the Week Awards:* November 18 – 2B Ryley McLarnon (.708, 17 H, 8 RBI, 8 R) October 14 – 1B Rubén Sánchez (.517, 15 H, 6 RBI) -------- The Downie Chiefs are a team firmly in rebuild mode, so their occupation near the bottom of the standings is not surprising. However, the loss of three starting pitchers to various injuries is certainly not helping matters, as the Chiefs’ pitching has not been terrible by any means. The lineup is filled with good but young players as well, so if they can get develop as hoped, Downie could conceivably have a decent team one day. One such player is 20-year old CF Alfonso León (.294/.360/.412, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 BB), a second overall pick in 1944-45. He has just been promoted from AAA, but is currently blocked from playing regularly in the outfield. If he blossoms, then the Chiefs will have to look at moving one of the outfielders to the infield. Offense: .252/.315/.355 (5th/7th/5th) Pitching: 3.81/4.25/2.24 (6th/6th/2nd) Defense: .728 (1st) *Noteworthy:* October 26 – 27-year old 1B Ramiro Urbina (.315/.342/.375, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 8 BB) went 5-for-5 against the Stratford Barons. Urbina hit four singles and a double in 7-6 10-inning victory. *Key Injuries:* RHP Jim Ferguson (1-2, 3.34 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) – October 24 – torn back muscle. Out 3 more months. RHP Harley Bracher (3-3, 3.36 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) – November 29 – strained forearm. Out 5 days. RHP Kelii Pelanekilina (2-3, 3.68 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) – November 1 – sprained ankle. Out 1 more week. -------- Has the sky fallen on the Embro Suns? That is the question being pondered as a number of things have conspired against the team this season. They have endured a slew of injuries, including to last year’s Babe Ruth Award winner 1B Jim Friend (.292/.375/.604, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 7 BB) who suffered a knee-bone bruise in mid-October and missed 5 weeks. But he wasn’t the only one. And like the Wellington Athletics, the Suns have come out on the short end of the stick in one-run games (5-13). But so many players are underperforming right now, it’s hard to gauge whether that’s a trend or an anomaly. The Suns have already put a couple of starters on the trading block, namely 33-year old 3B Toshifumi Tamura (.179/.291/.388, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 11 BB) and 35-year old 2B Wayne Balmer (.306/.306/.389, 1-3B, 2 RBI), so it looks as though Embro is attempting to reconfigure things on the fly. They have strong farm system, but it’s pitcher-heavy. 23-year old 3B/SS Rafael De La Cruz, signed as a free agent out of the Dominican in the off-season is their only notable young position player, other than 24-year old 2B José Sánchez (.244/.340/.375, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 24 BB, 9 SB). It wouldn’t hurt the Suns to at least consider cultivating a few non-pitching prospects. Offense: .249/.331/.353 (7th/5th/6th) Pitching: 4.33/4.36/4.22 (8th/7th/8th) Defense: .677 (7th) *Player of the Week Awards:* October 28 – CF Terence Durney (.483, 14 H, 7 RBI) -------- Last edited by reds1; 07-17-2017 at 08:27 PM.