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reds1 · 07-01-2017, 07:15 PM

March 30, 1947

Eastern League: Eagles, Legends to Battle for Pennant

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The Queensland Eagles finish in top spot for the first time in their ten-year existence, and qualify for the playoffs for just the second time. Back in 1937-38, the United Leagues’ inaugural season, the Eagles won 88 games, their best mark thus far. That was good enough for the wild card, as they finished 1 game back of the Wellington Athletics. But this season, their 86 victories secured them first place and home field advantage in the playoffs. That may make a difference, as the Eagles sported the best home record in the East (47-30), while they finished just one game above .500 (39-38) on the road.

Offense: .266/.339/.391 (2nd/3rd/1st)
Pitching: 3.57/3.64/3.21 (4th/5th/5th)
Defense: .687 (7th)

Difference Makers: Queensland enjoyed one of the top offenses in the Eastern League, so there is no shortage of candidates. But I’ll go with RF Jilenko Vergara (.309/.388/.498, 17 HR, 70 RBI, 62 BB, 6.1 WAR). The 27-year old enjoyed his best season by far in his 3-year career and was solid in the outfield as well (.975 PCT, 2.60 RNG, +9.6 ZR, 1.050 EFF).

Queensland’s pitching staff is not the most dominant unit around, but it can still hold its own. It was led by two Australians: 27-year old Aaron Saunderson (17-15, 3.54 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 2.86 FIP) and 39-year old Stewart Colcott (15-11, 3.35 ERA, 1.42 WHP, 3.05 FIP). Colcott in particular, finished the season strong, going 8-1, 2.03 ERA in February and March, winning Pitcher of the Month honours in March. That stretch included two complete game shutouts; one against the Fort Richmond Generals in February and one against the Brunswick Legends in March. No doubt the Eagles hope his strong play carries over into the playoffs when they face the Legends for the Pennant.

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The Brunswick Legends return to the playoffs after a one-year absence, but their resurgence, if you can call it that has more to do with the League’s overall parity than to any particular dominance on their part. Brunswick won 82 games, just 2 more than last season, when they finished in 4th place. Their expected record was only 79-75, so we are not dealing with the same team that won 101 games back in 1944-45. In fact, they beat out the Cobourg Red Stockings by just one game to make the playoffs.
Still, they know how to win, and their pitching squad, at least the rotation, remains top-notch.

Offense: .246/.328/.345 (7th/4th/7th)
Pitching: 3.15/2.92/4.09 (1st/1st/7th)
Defense: .699 (6th)

Difference Makers: Offense is showing signs of going to seed, but 30-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (.314/.403/.500, 24HR, 72 RBI, 90 BB, 5.2 WAR) remained his stalwart self and actually got better as the season wound down.

The four lefties in the Legends’ rotation are all seasoned veterans, but No. 1 starter Anastasio Rodríguez (20-12, 2.42 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 2.63 FIP) was easily Brunswick’s best pitcher this season.

Player of the Week Awards:

February 24 – 1B Stuart Bentham (.526, 10 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R)

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They came oh so close, but in the end the Cobourg Red Stockings came up short in reaching the playoffs for the first time in their existence. It was a tough finish, as they were beaten by Brunswick by just a single game for the wild card. Still, their 81 wins marks the first time they finished with a winning record and their 3rd place finish, just 5 games back of first place, is easily their best mark to date. In their previous 9 seasons, they finished in last place 6 times and in 6th place three times.

Offense: .266/.324/.366 (3rd/5th/4th)
Pitching: 3.36/3.53/2.61 (3rd/4th/1st)
Defense: .705 (4th)

Difference Makers: With nine 1st round draft picks on their 40-man roster and three No. 1 overall picks in their lineup, you know good things should start happening soon. Still, with a roster so young, the Red Stockings endured some growing pains. But 25-year old SS John Medley (.293/.355/.422, 2 HR, 61 RBI, 56 BB, 4.7 WAR) may be outgrowing them, as he enjoyed his best season thus far in his young career. He was solid on defense as well (.952 PCT, 4.82 RNG, +3.4 ZR, 1.009 EFF).

25-year old RHP Trent Beaton (20-10, 2.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.39 FIP) enjoyed his best season of his young career as well. The 17th overall pick from 1943-1944 completed his 3rd season in the ULB.

Noteworthy:

March 28 – CF Raymond Williams (.243/.264/.349, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB, 0.9 WAR), Coborug’s lead-off hitter and first overall pick from 1945-46 had a big day against the Embro Suns, going 5-for-5 in Cobourg’s 4-2 win. The 20-year old rookie singled in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 8th innings, with 1 R.
But just the day before, Williams went 2-3 at the plate, scoring 5 RBI and 4 R off of two home runs, the last one being a grand slam. He also drew two BB for good measure, helping the Red Stockings to an 11-5 victory. It’s no surprise he won Rookie of the Month honours for March.

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The Wellington Athletics tied the Queensland Eagles for most wins in the East in the second half of the season (44), but it wasn’t enough for them to seriously push Brunswick for the wild card, as they cooled off in the final days of the season (3-7). Still, their 78 victories moved them into the first division and gave them their first winning season since 1942-43, when they also won 78 games.

Offense: .265/.322/.360 (4th/7th/5th)
Pitching: 3.18/3.18/3.18 (2nd/2nd/4th)
Defense: .715 (2nd)

Difference Makers: 27-year old C Mick Gunnis (.315/.364/.440, 15 HR, 91 RBI, 42 BB, 6.0 WAR) has come into his won in just his third full season in the ULB, leading his team in a slew of offensive categories. Only his defense needs some refining (.971 PCT, 3.95 RNG, -2.9 ZR, .997 EFF).

The player awards won’t be handed out until the off-season, but the Eastern League Satchel Paige Award winner should be a mere formality, as 27-year old LHP Arthur Bence (22-10, 1.93 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.89 FIP, 289.1 IP, 75 BB, 142 K) pulled off one of the greatest seasons in the ULB by a pitcher, winning the Triple Crown. It is the just the second triple crown won by a pitcher (Kingston’s Brady Murdy first won it in 1938-39) and fourth overall. Only Wolseley’s RHP Jeremy Albury prevented him from achieving a ULB-wide triple crown by striking out more batters (150).

Player of the Week Awards:

February 17 – 1B Rubén Sánchez (.524, 11 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI)

Noteworthy:

March 12 – SS Zhao-hui Qian (.251/.297/.389, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 16 BB, 4 SB, 1.6 WAR) went 5 for 5 against the Cobourg Red Stockings, helping the Athletics prevail 6-5. Qian singled in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, doubled in the 5th, hit an RBI single in the 6th and singled in the 8th.

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Indifferent pitching and hitting throughout the season did the Stratford Barons in, preventing them from successfully defending their United Cup title. The Barons have been alternating first place finishes with losing records the past few seasons. Last year, they won 87 games and the Cup. The year before, they won only 72 games and finished 29 games back of Brunswick. In 1943-44, they won 93 games but lost to the Legends in the Pennant Series. In 1942-44, they lost 78 games and finished in 6th place. Finally, in 1941-42, they won 92 games but finished 1 game back of Brunswick for the wild card. Perhaps next season, they will bounce back.

Getting full, productive seasons from players like 31-year old RF Steven Winstanley (.262/.344/.366, 6 HR, 45 RBI, 49 BB, 2.8 WAR) and 27-year old CF Ricardo Castellanos (.276/.336/.410, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 31 BB, 8vSB, 3.4 WAR) will go a long way in achieving that. After excruciatingly slow starts, both picked things up in the second half of the season.
Losing their top starter, 38-year old Ryan Borden (3-7, 3.33 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 2.05 FIP) in December to a season-ending injury didn’t help matters either.

Offense: .256/.347/.352 (6th/1st/6th)
Pitching: 3.64/3.52/4.35 (6th/3rd/8th)
Defense: .700 (5th)

Difference Makers: 27-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.285/.417/.437, 16 HR, 87 RBI, 116 BB, 7.5 WAR) just keeps getting better and better with each passing season, while 34-year old SS Jake Walker (.336/.441/.453, 5 HR, 63 RBI, 80 BB, 6.2 WAR) remains one of the top-rated players in the ULB (just behind No. 1 C Danny Trowbridge and just ahead of teammate Skidmore).

36-year old SP Joel Fearn (20-12, 3.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.98 FIP) enjoyed his third 20-win season and continues to lead the ULB in career wins (178), complete games (229), IP (2733.2) and Pitching WAR (64.3).

Player of the Week Awards:

February 3 – CF Ricardo Castellanos (.444, 12 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI)

Noteworthy:

March 12 – The Brunswick Legends just could not figure out SS Jake Walker, and they paid dearly for it, falling 10-3 to Stratford. Walker went 5 for 5 on the day, with singles in the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th innings. He capped it off with a 2-run triple in the 8th.

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After bottoming out in January, the Downie Chiefs rebounded with back-to-back winning months. Their 72 victories mark the first time in 6 seasons that they finished with more than 70 wins. Perhaps that’s stretching things in order to find some optimism with this team, but they have a strong farm system and their top seven prospects have now reached the major leagues. So hopefully this means the Chiefs will finally turn the corner soon.

Offense: .244/.303/.343 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 3.65/3.84/2.66 (7th/7th/2nd)
Defense: .722 (1st)

Difference Makers: The offense is a work in progress (i.e. a nightmare), so no difference maker this year. But 24-year old SP Kelii Pelanekelina (14-13, 2.99 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 3.50 FIP) is developing into a solid pitcher for the Chiefs. The former third round pick from 1941-42 won his first Pitcher of the Month Award in February.

Player of the Week Awards:

March 3 – CF Alfonzo León (.417, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI)

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The Embro Suns could not overcome the worst ranked pitching staff in the United Leagues (their 4.8 R/G was comfortably ahead of Hespeler’s 4.4), and slumped to 7th place in the East, their worst showing thus far in the ULB. It’s just the second time that they finished below .500; back in 1943-44, they also finished with a 72-82 record.

But help may soon be on the way. The Suns have three Top 20 SP prospects making their way through the minors: 21-year old LHP Carl McBroom (7th overall – 6th overall pick in 1944-45), 21-year old RHP Juan Rivas (9th overall – 14th overall pick in 1945-46) and 20-year old RHP Reece McLaughlin (17th overall – 3rd round pick in 1945-46). McBroom and Rivas are in AAA and with a little more experience; they may be ready for prime time in a season or two. In the meantime, Embro no doubt hopes their current staff can rebound and tide them over until the young guns are ready.

Offense: .264/.346/.375 (5th/2nd/3rd)
Pitching: 4.03/4.14/3.61 (8th/8th/6th)
Defense: .684 (8th)

Difference Makers: After missing most of October and November due to a knee injury, 32-year old 1B Jim Friend (.322/.405/.550, 23 HR, 97 RBI, 64 BB, 5.8 WAR) returned to being one of the most feared hitters in the United Leagues, winning back-to-back Batter of the Month Awards in February and March.
33-year old CF Terence Durney (.340/.416/.484, 9 HR, 70 RBI, 60 BB, 4.5 WAR) also had a terrific season at the plate, winning the Eastern League Batting Title.

Although the rest of the pitching staff struggled all season, 37-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-5, 24 SV, 1.85 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 2.76 FIP) was simply outstanding, leading the United Leagues in saves. The 8-time all-star and former Satchel Paige Award winner won 22 games in a season twice, but for the past four seasons, he has turned himself into one of the top relievers in the ULB, behind only Cambria’s RHP Carl Luscombe.

Noteworthy:

March 26 – The Embro Suns had their struggles this season, but 24-year old back-up C César Morales contributed one highlight, as he went 5 for 5 in a 18-7 shellacking of the Queensland Eagles. Morales singled in the 2nd and 3rd, hit an RBI double in the 4th, struck out in the 4th, singled in the 6th and hit an RBI double in the 8th.

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It was a long season in the nation’s capital, as the Braeland City Monarchs quickly faded from relevance after sprinting out to a 16-9 record way back in October. They went just 52-77 the rest of the way, despite enjoying some fine performances from their key players. But injuries and ‘bad luck’ conspired against them. The Monarchs went just 18-32 (.360) in one-run games and ended -9 compared to their Pyt. Rec., easily the worst mark in the ULB. The end result was a last place finish, their first since their inaugural season, when they won just 66 games. But with some improved health and karma, next season could see a return of optimism.

Offense: .269/.324/.375 (1st/6th/2nd)
Pitching: 3.60/3.69/3.12 (5th/6th/3rd)
Defense: .706 (3rd)

Difference Makers: The career arc of 33-year old 3B Adam Ashley (.328/.397/.439, 2 HR, 51 RBI, 70 BB, 10 SB, 7.9 WAR) is just one the joys I glean from following the ULB. After being one of the most dominating players in the ULB in its first couple of seasons, his star began to fade if just a little. It then bottomed out from 1942-43 as he spent more time on the DL than on the field. But in 1944, he began his return to relevance to the point that he is now one of the top players in the ULB once again. This past season was his best yet and one of the best all-round seasons enjoyed by a player in the ULB. His WAR was second only to Kingston’s Danny Trowbridge (9.1). Ashley previously won 5 Top Fielder Awards when he was Braeland’s primary shortstop. He may very well add his sixth fielding award as his defense was sensational at the hot corner this season (.955 PCT, 2.98 RNG, +12.1 ZR, 1.041 EFF).

Player of the Week Awards:

February 10 – 1B Kyle Pryor (.381, 8 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R)
March 10 – 3B Adam Ashley (.458, 11 H, 2 RBI, 5 R)
March 17 – LF Patrick Vick (.500, 12 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI)
March 24 - – 1B Kyle Pryor (.619, 13 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI)

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07-01-2017, 07:15 PM	#337
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	March 30, 1947 Eastern League: Eagles, Legends to Battle for Pennant -------- The Queensland Eagles finish in top spot for the first time in their ten-year existence, and qualify for the playoffs for just the second time. Back in 1937-38, the United Leagues’ inaugural season, the Eagles won 88 games, their best mark thus far. That was good enough for the wild card, as they finished 1 game back of the Wellington Athletics. But this season, their 86 victories secured them first place and home field advantage in the playoffs. That may make a difference, as the Eagles sported the best home record in the East (47-30), while they finished just one game above .500 (39-38) on the road. Offense: .266/.339/.391 (2nd/3rd/1st) Pitching: 3.57/3.64/3.21 (4th/5th/5th) Defense: .687 (7th) *Difference Makers:* Queensland enjoyed one of the top offenses in the Eastern League, so there is no shortage of candidates. But I’ll go with RF Jilenko Vergara (.309/.388/.498, 17 HR, 70 RBI, 62 BB, 6.1 WAR). The 27-year old enjoyed his best season by far in his 3-year career and was solid in the outfield as well (.975 PCT, 2.60 RNG, +9.6 ZR, 1.050 EFF). Queensland’s pitching staff is not the most dominant unit around, but it can still hold its own. It was led by two Australians: 27-year old Aaron Saunderson (17-15, 3.54 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 2.86 FIP) and 39-year old Stewart Colcott (15-11, 3.35 ERA, 1.42 WHP, 3.05 FIP). Colcott in particular, finished the season strong, going 8-1, 2.03 ERA in February and March, winning Pitcher of the Month honours in March. That stretch included two complete game shutouts; one against the Fort Richmond Generals in February and one against the Brunswick Legends in March. No doubt the Eagles hope his strong play carries over into the playoffs when they face the Legends for the Pennant. -------- The Brunswick Legends return to the playoffs after a one-year absence, but their resurgence, if you can call it that has more to do with the League’s overall parity than to any particular dominance on their part. Brunswick won 82 games, just 2 more than last season, when they finished in 4th place. Their expected record was only 79-75, so we are not dealing with the same team that won 101 games back in 1944-45. In fact, they beat out the Cobourg Red Stockings by just one game to make the playoffs. Still, they know how to win, and their pitching squad, at least the rotation, remains top-notch. Offense: .246/.328/.345 (7th/4th/7th) Pitching: 3.15/2.92/4.09 (1st/1st/7th) Defense: .699 (6th) *Difference Makers:* Offense is showing signs of going to seed, but 30-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (.314/.403/.500, 24HR, 72 RBI, 90 BB, 5.2 WAR) remained his stalwart self and actually got better as the season wound down. The four lefties in the Legends’ rotation are all seasoned veterans, but No. 1 starter Anastasio Rodríguez (20-12, 2.42 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 2.63 FIP) was easily Brunswick’s best pitcher this season. *Player of the Week Awards:* February 24 – 1B Stuart Bentham (.526, 10 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R) -------- They came oh so close, but in the end the Cobourg Red Stockings came up short in reaching the playoffs for the first time in their existence. It was a tough finish, as they were beaten by Brunswick by just a single game for the wild card. Still, their 81 wins marks the first time they finished with a winning record and their 3rd place finish, just 5 games back of first place, is easily their best mark to date. In their previous 9 seasons, they finished in last place 6 times and in 6th place three times. Offense: .266/.324/.366 (3rd/5th/4th) Pitching: 3.36/3.53/2.61 (3rd/4th/1st) Defense: .705 (4th) *Difference Makers:* With nine 1st round draft picks on their 40-man roster and three No. 1 overall picks in their lineup, you know good things should start happening soon. Still, with a roster so young, the Red Stockings endured some growing pains. But 25-year old SS John Medley (.293/.355/.422, 2 HR, 61 RBI, 56 BB, 4.7 WAR) may be outgrowing them, as he enjoyed his best season thus far in his young career. He was solid on defense as well (.952 PCT, 4.82 RNG, +3.4 ZR, 1.009 EFF). 25-year old RHP Trent Beaton (20-10, 2.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.39 FIP) enjoyed his best season of his young career as well. The 17th overall pick from 1943-1944 completed his 3rd season in the ULB. *Noteworthy:* March 28 – CF Raymond Williams (.243/.264/.349, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB, 0.9 WAR), Coborug’s lead-off hitter and first overall pick from 1945-46 had a big day against the Embro Suns, going 5-for-5 in Cobourg’s 4-2 win. The 20-year old rookie singled in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 8th innings, with 1 R. But just the day before, Williams went 2-3 at the plate, scoring 5 RBI and 4 R off of two home runs, the last one being a grand slam. He also drew two BB for good measure, helping the Red Stockings to an 11-5 victory. It’s no surprise he won Rookie of the Month honours for March. -------- The Wellington Athletics tied the Queensland Eagles for most wins in the East in the second half of the season (44), but it wasn’t enough for them to seriously push Brunswick for the wild card, as they cooled off in the final days of the season (3-7). Still, their 78 victories moved them into the first division and gave them their first winning season since 1942-43, when they also won 78 games. Offense: .265/.322/.360 (4th/7th/5th) Pitching: 3.18/3.18/3.18 (2nd/2nd/4th) Defense: .715 (2nd) *Difference Makers:* 27-year old C Mick Gunnis (.315/.364/.440, 15 HR, 91 RBI, 42 BB, 6.0 WAR) has come into his won in just his third full season in the ULB, leading his team in a slew of offensive categories. Only his defense needs some refining (.971 PCT, 3.95 RNG, -2.9 ZR, .997 EFF). The player awards won’t be handed out until the off-season, but the Eastern League Satchel Paige Award winner should be a mere formality, as 27-year old LHP Arthur Bence (22-10, 1.93 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.89 FIP, 289.1 IP, 75 BB, 142 K) pulled off one of the greatest seasons in the ULB by a pitcher, winning the Triple Crown. It is the just the second triple crown won by a pitcher (Kingston’s Brady Murdy first won it in 1938-39) and fourth overall. Only Wolseley’s RHP Jeremy Albury prevented him from achieving a ULB-wide triple crown by striking out more batters (150). *Player of the Week Awards:* February 17 – 1B Rubén Sánchez (.524, 11 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI) *Noteworthy:* March 12 – SS Zhao-hui Qian (.251/.297/.389, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 16 BB, 4 SB, 1.6 WAR) went 5 for 5 against the Cobourg Red Stockings, helping the Athletics prevail 6-5. Qian singled in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, doubled in the 5th, hit an RBI single in the 6th and singled in the 8th. -------- Indifferent pitching and hitting throughout the season did the Stratford Barons in, preventing them from successfully defending their United Cup title. The Barons have been alternating first place finishes with losing records the past few seasons. Last year, they won 87 games and the Cup. The year before, they won only 72 games and finished 29 games back of Brunswick. In 1943-44, they won 93 games but lost to the Legends in the Pennant Series. In 1942-44, they lost 78 games and finished in 6th place. Finally, in 1941-42, they won 92 games but finished 1 game back of Brunswick for the wild card. Perhaps next season, they will bounce back. Getting full, productive seasons from players like 31-year old RF Steven Winstanley (.262/.344/.366, 6 HR, 45 RBI, 49 BB, 2.8 WAR) and 27-year old CF Ricardo Castellanos (.276/.336/.410, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 31 BB, 8vSB, 3.4 WAR) will go a long way in achieving that. After excruciatingly slow starts, both picked things up in the second half of the season. Losing their top starter, 38-year old Ryan Borden (3-7, 3.33 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 2.05 FIP) in December to a season-ending injury didn’t help matters either. Offense: .256/.347/.352 (6th/1st/6th) Pitching: 3.64/3.52/4.35 (6th/3rd/8th) Defense: .700 (5th) *Difference Makers:* 27-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.285/.417/.437, 16 HR, 87 RBI, 116 BB, 7.5 WAR) just keeps getting better and better with each passing season, while 34-year old SS Jake Walker (.336/.441/.453, 5 HR, 63 RBI, 80 BB, 6.2 WAR) remains one of the top-rated players in the ULB (just behind No. 1 C Danny Trowbridge and just ahead of teammate Skidmore). 36-year old SP Joel Fearn (20-12, 3.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.98 FIP) enjoyed his third 20-win season and continues to lead the ULB in career wins (178), complete games (229), IP (2733.2) and Pitching WAR (64.3). *Player of the Week Awards:* February 3 – CF Ricardo Castellanos (.444, 12 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI) *Noteworthy:* March 12 – The Brunswick Legends just could not figure out SS Jake Walker, and they paid dearly for it, falling 10-3 to Stratford. Walker went 5 for 5 on the day, with singles in the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th innings. He capped it off with a 2-run triple in the 8th. -------- After bottoming out in January, the Downie Chiefs rebounded with back-to-back winning months. Their 72 victories mark the first time in 6 seasons that they finished with more than 70 wins. Perhaps that’s stretching things in order to find some optimism with this team, but they have a strong farm system and their top seven prospects have now reached the major leagues. So hopefully this means the Chiefs will finally turn the corner soon. Offense: .244/.303/.343 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 3.65/3.84/2.66 (7th/7th/2nd) Defense: .722 (1st) *Difference Makers:* The offense is a work in progress (i.e. a nightmare), so no difference maker this year. But 24-year old SP Kelii Pelanekelina (14-13, 2.99 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 3.50 FIP) is developing into a solid pitcher for the Chiefs. The former third round pick from 1941-42 won his first Pitcher of the Month Award in February. *Player of the Week Awards:* March 3 – CF Alfonzo León (.417, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI) -------- The Embro Suns could not overcome the worst ranked pitching staff in the United Leagues (their 4.8 R/G was comfortably ahead of Hespeler’s 4.4), and slumped to 7th place in the East, their worst showing thus far in the ULB. It’s just the second time that they finished below .500; back in 1943-44, they also finished with a 72-82 record. But help may soon be on the way. The Suns have three Top 20 SP prospects making their way through the minors: 21-year old LHP Carl McBroom (7th overall – 6th overall pick in 1944-45), 21-year old RHP Juan Rivas (9th overall – 14th overall pick in 1945-46) and 20-year old RHP Reece McLaughlin (17th overall – 3rd round pick in 1945-46). McBroom and Rivas are in AAA and with a little more experience; they may be ready for prime time in a season or two. In the meantime, Embro no doubt hopes their current staff can rebound and tide them over until the young guns are ready. Offense: .264/.346/.375 (5th/2nd/3rd) Pitching: 4.03/4.14/3.61 (8th/8th/6th) Defense: .684 (8th) *Difference Makers:* After missing most of October and November due to a knee injury, 32-year old 1B Jim Friend (.322/.405/.550, 23 HR, 97 RBI, 64 BB, 5.8 WAR) returned to being one of the most feared hitters in the United Leagues, winning back-to-back Batter of the Month Awards in February and March. 33-year old CF Terence Durney (.340/.416/.484, 9 HR, 70 RBI, 60 BB, 4.5 WAR) also had a terrific season at the plate, winning the Eastern League Batting Title. Although the rest of the pitching staff struggled all season, 37-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-5, 24 SV, 1.85 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 2.76 FIP) was simply outstanding, leading the United Leagues in saves. The 8-time all-star and former Satchel Paige Award winner won 22 games in a season twice, but for the past four seasons, he has turned himself into one of the top relievers in the ULB, behind only Cambria’s RHP Carl Luscombe. *Noteworthy:* March 26 – The Embro Suns had their struggles this season, but 24-year old back-up C César Morales contributed one highlight, as he went 5 for 5 in a 18-7 shellacking of the Queensland Eagles. Morales singled in the 2nd and 3rd, hit an RBI double in the 4th, struck out in the 4th, singled in the 6th and hit an RBI double in the 8th. -------- It was a long season in the nation’s capital, as the Braeland City Monarchs quickly faded from relevance after sprinting out to a 16-9 record way back in October. They went just 52-77 the rest of the way, despite enjoying some fine performances from their key players. But injuries and ‘bad luck’ conspired against them. The Monarchs went just 18-32 (.360) in one-run games and ended -9 compared to their Pyt. Rec., easily the worst mark in the ULB. The end result was a last place finish, their first since their inaugural season, when they won just 66 games. But with some improved health and karma, next season could see a return of optimism. Offense: .269/.324/.375 (1st/6th/2nd) Pitching: 3.60/3.69/3.12 (5th/6th/3rd) Defense: .706 (3rd) *Difference Makers: The career arc of 33-year old 3B Adam Ashley* (.328/.397/.439, 2 HR, 51 RBI, 70 BB, 10 SB, 7.9 WAR) is just one the joys I glean from following the ULB. After being one of the most dominating players in the ULB in its first couple of seasons, his star began to fade if just a little. It then bottomed out from 1942-43 as he spent more time on the DL than on the field. But in 1944, he began his return to relevance to the point that he is now one of the top players in the ULB once again. This past season was his best yet and one of the best all-round seasons enjoyed by a player in the ULB. His WAR was second only to Kingston’s Danny Trowbridge (9.1). Ashley previously won 5 Top Fielder Awards when he was Braeland’s primary shortstop. He may very well add his sixth fielding award as his defense was sensational at the hot corner this season (.955 PCT, 2.98 RNG, +12.1 ZR, 1.041 EFF). *Player of the Week Awards:* February 10 – 1B Kyle Pryor (.381, 8 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R) March 10 – 3B Adam Ashley (.458, 11 H, 2 RBI, 5 R) March 17 – LF Patrick Vick (.500, 12 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI) March 24 - – 1B Kyle Pryor (.619, 13 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI) --------