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reds1 · 02-27-2018, 08:42 PM

February 1, 1949

Western League: Generals, Unions Riding High

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Offense: .285/.357/.428 (1st/1st/1st)
Pitching: 3.07/2.89/4.69 (1st/1st/7th)
Defense: .733 (Tied for 1st)
Chemistry: Ecstatic

The Fort Richmond Generals made no moves prior to the trade deadline, but apart from a shaky bullpen, this team is well poised to defend their United Cup championship as they stand right now. Boasting the top offense (5.2 R/G) and pitching/defense (3.8 R/G) in the West, the rest of the League will be hard pressed just to keep up. Their top four starters are scary good, but No. 2 starter, 26-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (14-5, 2.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 162 ERA+) has simply been superb since his first start of the season and richly deserved Pitcher of the Month honors in December.

The same can be said for the lineup. 26-year old CF Dylan Moyne (.351/.414/.575, 17 HR, 85 RBI, 44 BB, 16 SB, 6.5 WAR) is now considered the No. 1 player in the United Leagues and it’s not surprising – he has been getting stronger as the season progressed, if that’s possible. And as noted in the Batting Leaders player board at the end of this post, he leads or is tied for the lead in 5 categories. Could a ‘Quintuple’ Crown be in the making?

The Generals have also found a gem in 26-year old 3B Belarmino Barbedo (.308/.415/.506, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 46 BB, 7 SB, 2.2 WAR). Barbedo was a 3rd round draft pick by the Brunswick Legends back in 1944-45, but was released outright a year later. Fort Richmond signed him to a minor league contract the same day. He went on to earn a minor league All-Star selection and won the Heritage Leagues’ Governors Cup with the AA Marburg Mustangs that same season. Since then he has been playing in the major leagues in a utility role, but took over 3B duties this season against RHP. He earned his first all-star selection this year in the ULB. In Brunswick’s defense, Barbedo’s ratings in August 1945 dipped to 22/24; since then, it has risen to an incredible 68/77.

Nine Generals were selected to this year’s All-Star game: SP Mo Goldstraw (1st), SP Ch’ang chieh Li (1st), SP Nicky Sherlock (3rd), RP José Rodriguez (1st), C Louis Wearne (2nd), SS Belarmino Barbedo (1st), LF Jake Stunt (1st), CF Dylan Moyne (3rd) and RF Brandon Robinson (1st).

Player of the Week Awards:

December 6 – CF Dylan Moyne (.632, 12 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R)
December 13 – C Louis Wearne (.467, 7 H, 4 HR, 8 RBI)
December 27 – RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (2-0, 18.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 18 K)
January 10 – C Louis Wearne (.500, 12 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R)

Noteworthy:

December 13 – Just two days after Braeland City’s Nicholas Grimes pitched a 1-hitter, 29-year old LHP Joy-Shan Liu (12-4, 3.09 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) did the same, throwing a 1-HITTER against Sherburn, blanking the Tigers 2-0 on the road at The Paramount. Liu struck out 3 and walked 2 on 90 pitches with 61 thrown for strikes. Liu had a no-hitter going until the bottom of the 7th, when Baden Morrall led off with a single.

Current Injuries:

RHP Shinzo Okamoto – November 11 – fractured ulna (arm). Out for: 2-3 months.
RHP John Bullivant – November 13 – torn meniscus (knee). Out for: 3-4 weeks.

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Offense: .268/.350/.394 (2nd/2nd/3rd)
Pitching: 3.61/3.41/4.76 (2nd/2nd/8th)
Defense: .704 (7th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

Fort Richmond may be the class of the West, but the Wolseley Unions finally served notice that they are prepared to challenge them to a rematch of last season’s Western League Pennant. The Unions came alive in January, helping to create a bit of separation between them and the rest of the League. The Unions and Generals split their first six games of the season but in January, Wolseley took 4 of the next 6. Three of those victories were by scores of 16-0 (2-hitter pitched by Jeremy Albury), 1-0 (14 inning affair with Bill Blair going 10.2 IP) and 15-6. Those last six games were all played in Fort Richmond as well.

Getting 25-year old RHP Jeremy Albury (8-3, 3.01 EA, 1.24 WHIP, 139 ERA+) back from injury has certainly helped, but the rotation has been very solid and second only to the first-place Generals. Also helping is the resurgence of 27-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.346/.469/.570, 14 HR, 54 RBI, 78 BB, 3 SB, 4.7 WAR), who came alive in late November and now leads the Western League in OBP, OPS (1.039) and RC/27 Outs (10.44).

The only concern right now is their bullpen. Despite the overhaul made in the off-season, their bullpen still ranks last in the West. However, stopper John Palm (2-2, 12 SV, 4.03 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) and set-up man Brent Nix (4-4, 1 SV, 5.35 ERA, 1.84 WHIP) have been playing better as of late.

Five players from Wolseley were selected to the All-Star game: SP Hun Park (2nd), SP Kai Tosh (3rd), C Éric Denis (2nd), 3B Wen-huan Liu (4th) and LF Carlton Hawking (4th).

Noteworthy:

January 30 – 24-year old C Éric Denis (.330/.368/.476, 9 HR, 71 RBI, 21 BB, 3.5 WAR) went 5-5 against the Kingston Pelicans, lifting the Unions to a 7-5 victory. After starting things off with a solo home run in the 2nd, Denis singled in the 3rd & 5th innings, hit an RBI double in the 7th and singled in the 9th.

Key Trade:

December 11 – The Unions and Kingston Pelicans swapped a couple of players:

To Wolseley: 29-year old IF Wen-huan Liu (69/76)
To Kingston: 27-year old CF Glen Traill (38/41)

Knee-jerk reaction: Two clubs look to shore up some weaknesses by exchanging players. For Kingston, centerfield has been a sore point thus far, with 24-year old OF Mo Spencely (.216/.300/.331, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 19 BB, 4 SB, -0.8 WAR) struggling in his first full season, after being selected 13th overall in 1945-46. He finds himself back in AAA, while Glen Traill (.248/.363/.355, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 58 BB, 6 SB, 0.8 WAR), a former 8th overall pick in 1942-43, gets a fresh start with Kingston. Traill has not really justified his high pick as yet. Taking Liu’s place at 1B will be 34-year old Dean Bishop (.236/.349/.465, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 46 BB, 1.7 WAR), who gets his old job back full-time.

For Wolseley, Liu (.279/.383/.425, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 49 BB, 2.5 WAR) takes over 3B from 27-year old Burt Willey (.219/.317/.331, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 34 BB, 2 SB, 0.0 WAR) whose play has been uninspiring. He is now relegated to being a backup infielder, while the Unions promoted this season’s 13th overall draft pick, 23-year old OF Owen Claridge (52/66) to take over CF. Claridge has been impressive in both his AA and AAA stints. Overall, I like the moves that Wolseley made in acquiring Liu and promoting Claridge in their quest for their third consecutive playoff appearance.

Current Injuries:

RF Ramón Tavira – November 20 – fractured hip. Out for: 3-4 months.

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Offense: .256/.343/.393 (5th/4th/4th)
Pitching: 4.22/4.19/4.34 (5th/4th/4th)
Defense: .704 (6th)
Chemistry: Happy

The Cambria Cannons recovered somewhat from a disastrous November to sit one game above .500 but this a team that simply does not have the horses to compete with the like of the Generals and Unions. While the pitching has improved a little over the course of the season (4.8 from 5.0 R/G), the offense has slowed down (4.7 from 5.0 R/G). One area that the Cannons need to address is a better distribution of talent. 25-year old OF Edmond Boswell (.266/.340/.464, 11 HR, 31 RBI, 28 BB, 0.3 WAR), Cambria’s promising rookie who is already considered their second-best player, has been relegated to back-up duty to 25-year old LF Ichizo Ando (.269/.340/.507, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 15 BB, 0.9 WAR). Both deserve regular starts, but the outfield is pretty well set, leaving Boswell on the outside looking in. Cambria needs to decide who they will keep and who they will flip so they can upgrade areas where they are truly lacking in talent.

Five Cannons headed off to the All-Star game: RP Rizal Doctolero (1st), 1B Juan Sánchez (2nd), 3B Shelby Cain (3rd), SS Wenseslas Jasmin (6th) and RF Nicky Willis (7th).

Player of the Week Awards:

December 20 – RF Hao Wang (.688, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI)

Key Injuries:

RHP Wing-kit Liu – January 16 – ruptured bicep tendon. Out for: 5-6 months.

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Offense: .256/.345/.394 (6th/3rd/2nd)
Pitching: 4.10/4.24/3.48 (3rd/5th/2nd)
Defense: .717 (2nd)
Chemistry: Happy

The Kingston Pelicans put up a spirited effort in December, getting to within a game of the wild card, but have fallen back to reality in January. Coupled with Wolseley’s resurgence, it would appear the Pelicans are destined to miss the playoffs for the second straight year and may even suffer their first losing record. They still have some talent on the roster, but this is not the fearsome, dominant team it once was. 30-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.316/.433/.488, 12 HR, 48 RBI, 68 BB, 3 SB, 3.8 WAR) remains an elite player but is having his first down year (for him) in five seasons. With the exception of Trowbridge and 27-year old RF Luca Bewick (.269/.358/.413, 10 HR, 59 RBI, 53 BB, 7 SB, 2.5 WAR), the lineup is rather underwhelming.

The pitching has improved over the past two months and 24-year old LHP Dana Listman (8-8, 4.09 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 102 ERA+) has rebounded from a forgetful start (2-6, 6.49 ERA in Oct/Nov), winning Pitcher of the Month honors in January. But overall, the pitching staff has become rather pedestrian, making it hard to keep up with the new heavyweights in the West.

Five players represented the Pelicans at the All-Star game: RP Luis Velásquez (6th), C Danny Trowbridge (8th), 1B Dean Bishop (5th), SS Mo Derrick (1st) and RF Luca Bewick (1st).

Current Injuries:

RHP Ben Currall – December 20 – shoulder inflammation. Out for: 4 months.

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Offense: .258/.330/.375 (4th/6th/6th)
Pitching: 4.24/4.41/3.47 (6th/7th/1st)
Defense: .713 (3rd)
Chemistry: Content

Like Cambria and Kingston, the Balmoral Giants are not a terrible team, but simply do not have the horses to keep up with Fort Richmond and Wolseley. So for the Giants, the focus is more on bringing their younger players along. The team acquired two free agents in the off-season with hopes that they could soon become impact players. No. 1 pitcher 29-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (7-13, 4.01 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 103 ERA+), started off strong in October (3-1, 1.73 ERA), but has struggled a bit in December and January (2-8, 5.57 ERA). Meanwhile, 27-year old 1B Javier Romero (.263/.329/.418, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 28 BB, 0.6 WAR) has also been hot and cold since he won Rookie of the Month honors in October. But he has shown enough promise that Balmoral would be wise to be patient.

There have also been pleasant surprises as well. 28-year old LHP Sam Chapman (6-4, 2.67 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 154 ERA+) kicked around the minors for 8 seasons after being drafted by the Embro Suns in the 4th round back in 1939-40. In April1946, he singed a minor league contract with the Giants and was finally brought up to the majors last season. This year he has been thriving in the No. 4 spot of the rotation. Finally, although he is currently Balmoral’s No. 2 starter, 24-year old RHP Quintilliano Galeo (11-7, 3.01 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 137 ERA+) has been their best pitcher this season.

The Giants sent three players to the All-Star game: SP Quintiliano Galeo (1st), 2B Sean Brearton (2nd) and RF Carlton Broadbent (8th).

Noteworthy:

January 8 – The Cambria Cannons had their hands full in trying to get Carlton Broadbent (.351/.417/.574, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 44 BB, 3.8 WAR) to go down quietly. The 31-year old right fielder was perfect, going 5 for 5 in a 7-6 Balmoral triumph at Cambria’s Alexander Field. Broadbent singled in the 1st, doubled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, doubled in the 7th and singled in the 8th.

Current Injuries:

RHP Paddy Vanderven – November 3 – surgery to remove bone chips (elbow). Out for: 3 months.

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Offense: .262/.339/.376 (3rd/5th/5th)
Pitching: 4.10/3.96/4.67 (4th/3rd/6th)
Defense: .702 (8th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

Like Balmoral, the Sherburn Tigers are not awful and have been pretty consistent in the play this season. However, that has not prevented them falling to 6th place in the West, after being in 2nd place on December 1. Injuries have not helped, but the Tigers are struggling to find their roar despite some top-flight talent on their roster. The big story, of course, has been 22-year old rookie 2B Jack Burt (.324/.376/.446, 33-2B, 37 RBI, 29 BB, 4 SB, 2.4 WAR) who appears to have the Western League Rookie of the Year Award all but locked up. He holds the distinction of being Sherburn’s top player and top prospect simultaneously. 28-year old SS Otton Overbeek (.276/.350/.430, 8 HR, 54 RBI, 41 BB, 2 SB, 3.4 WAR) is enjoying another fine season, but this year, it appears he is getting a little better support in the lineup. One player who is not happy, however, is 30-year old C Neil Voigt (.230/.292/.337, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 21 BB, 0.4 WAR), who lost his starting position to 24-year old Quim Cypriano (.261/.320/.418, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 18 BB, 1.1 WAR), who was a 2nd-round pick in 1945-46 and is in his second full season in the ULB. Voigt is angry and apparently disruptive since his demotion, causing some discord in the clubhouse.

The All-Star game saw three Tigers selected: SP Jesús Chapa (5th), SP Roberto Taváves (6th) and SS Otton Overbeek (6th).

Player of the Week Awards:

January 24 – 2B Jack Burt (.452, 14 H, 4 RBI)
January 31 – 2B Jack Burt (.500, 13 H, 4 RBI)

Key Trade:

January 3 – The Tigers and Queensland Eagles made a two-player deal:

To Sherburn: 30-year old 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (72/72)
To Queensland: 25-year old RHP Bartolo Sánchez (56/71)

Knee-jerk reaction: The first of two moves that Queensland looks made to try and beef up its pitching staff. Before acquiring RHP Colm Soper (see Eastern League report earlier), the Eagles add Sánchez (5-1, 3.93 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) to their rotation at the No. 5 spot, replacing 31-year old RHP Francisco López (3-7, 1 SV, 4.19 ERA, 1.76 WHIP), who moves to the bullpen. Taking over 1B full-time from Gutiérrez will be 27-year old Javier Chávez (.308/.357/.497, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 10 BB, 0.8 WAR), a third-round pick from 1943-44.

For Sherburn, Gutiérrez (.297/.451/.464, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 76 BB, 2.8 WAR) represents a major upgrade at 1B and will bat in the No. 4 spot, behind rookie phenom, Jack Burt. To fill the opening in their rotation, the Tigers promoted 22-year old LHP Lucas Nott (1-0, 4.19 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), a second-round pick from 1947-48. Unfortunately, Nott dislocated his shoulder a few weeks later and will miss most of the season. 27-year old LHP Patrick Moggs (0-2, 6.62 ERA, 1.92 WHIP) was promoted from AAA to take his place.

Current Injuries:

CF Noah Teale – October 26 – broken hand. Out for: 2 days.
RHP Hyuk Kim – November 5 – ruptured tendon (finger). Out for: 4 weeks.
LHP Phil Wiebe – November 29 – torn elbow ligament. Out for: 4 months.
LHP Lucas Nott – January 20 – dislocated shoulder. Out for: 7 weeks.

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Offense: .250/.323/.373 (7th/7th/7th)
Pitching: 4.63/4.65/4.58 (8th/8th/5th)
Defense: .706 (5th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

There is no use sugar-coating it – the Pulberry Trolleys are a terrible team. Their top-rated player and lead-off hitter, 26-year old LF Joey Maddaford (.174/.293/.258, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 35 BB, 7 SB, 0.4) is playing more like their worst-rated player, which is not exactly a recent development. Their next best-rated player is 31-year old 3B Colin Strudwick (.266/.305/.339, 16-2B, 27 RBI, 22 BB, 4 SB, 0.6 WAR) has not been much better and hasn’t been a consequential player in years. The Trolleys have only one player of any real consequence: 27-year old SS Roland Binns (.326/.381/.560, 12 HR, 64 RBI, 30 BB, 5 SB, 5.1 WAR). Binns has been incredibly consistent at playing at a high level throughout his 6-year career and this season is shaping up to be his best yet, despite the lacklustre support around him. What’s puzzling is that he is currently rated as the No. 6 position player in the entire United Leagues (and No. 2 shortstop overall), and yet his own team doesn’t even rate him in their own top 3! Whose scouting this team – and why?

On the pitching side of things, No. 1 starter 32-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (10-8, 3.46 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 118 ERA+) is doing what he can and 30-year old stopper RHP Norberto Ortíz (2-1, 14 SV, 0.87 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 467 ERA+) has suddenly become one of the top relief pitchers in the United Leagues.

Three Trolleys were selected to the All-Star game: RP Ah-cy Yao (1st), SS Roland Binns (5th) and RF Jarod Dwyer (3rd). Just over two weeks late, Yao was released outright by the Trolleys.

Player of the Week Awards:

January 17 – SS Roland Binns (.611, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R)

Noteworthy:

January 26 – SS Roland Binns displayed his power, speed and patience in a game against the Kingston Pelicans. He hit for the CYCLE, helping the Trolleys to a 12-7 victory. It was the 16th cycle hit in ULB history and the second one this season. Binns flied out in the 1st, hit a two-run triple in the 3rd, walked in the 5th, doubled in the 6th, hit a solo-shot off of SP Luis Veláquez in the 8th and singled in the 9th. In the end, Binns tallied 2 R and 3 RBI.

Current Injuries:

RHP Ben Banwell – November 17 – torn labrum (shoulder). Out for: 5 weeks.
RHP Dorian Geissler – December 17 – surgery to remove bone spur (elbow). Out for: 3 months.

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Offense: .246/.319/.357 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 4.31/4.37/4.00 (7th/6th/3rd)
Defense: .708 (4th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

The Hespeler Stars collapsed in January and perhaps it should not be unexpected – like the Trolleys, the Stars are not very good and need to simply focus on re-building. One promising development was the promotion of 22-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (4-4, 3.55 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 118 ERA+) to their major league roster. Kovnats was drafted by Hespeler 3rd overall just a few weeks ago and has the potential already to be a front-line ace in the ULB. He currently is pitching in the No. 4 spot.

The Stars also have their hopes high on 23-year old rookie 2B Vic Lewis (.302/.362/.523, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 8 BB, 2 SB, 0.7 WAR), who was installed as their starting 2B in January. He did not disappoint. He was a 2nd-round pick back in 1946-47.

Two Stars qualified for the All-Star game: SS Thomas Murphy (1st) and LF Bart Warwick (2nd).

Player of the Week Awards:

January 3 – RF Wayne Savory (1.000, 4 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI in one game)

Noteworthy:

January 19 – 30-year old 1B Vic Weetman (.266/.307/.368, 6 HR, 45 RBI, 23 BB, 0.3 WAR) was in the zone against the Puberry Trolleys, going 5 for 5 on the day. Weetman singled in the 1st, singled in the 4th, singled in the 5th, hit a solo-shot off Lenny Tennison in the 7th and singled in the 9th. Despite his efforts though, the Trolleys still triumphed 7-3.

January 30 –2B Vic Lewis is making a good impression in his rookie season. He went on a 20-game hitting streak in January, until the Brunswick Legends held him hitless on the final day of the month. Hespeler prevailed however, 6-3. Lewis, a second-round pick from 1946-47, was rated the No. 13 prospect in the ULB at the start of the regular season.

Current Injuries:

LHP Hirotada Fukushima – December 14 – torn biceps. Out: 2-3 months.
CF Jacob Pate – January 8 – sprained wrist. Out for: DtD; 1-2 weeks.

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02-27-2018, 08:42 PM	#420
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	February 1, 1949 Western League: Generals, Unions Riding High -------- Offense: .285/.357/.428 (1st/1st/1st) Pitching: 3.07/2.89/4.69 (1st/1st/7th) Defense: .733 (Tied for 1st) Chemistry: Ecstatic The Fort Richmond Generals made no moves prior to the trade deadline, but apart from a shaky bullpen, this team is well poised to defend their United Cup championship as they stand right now. Boasting the top offense (5.2 R/G) and pitching/defense (3.8 R/G) in the West, the rest of the League will be hard pressed just to keep up. Their top four starters are scary good, but No. 2 starter, 26-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (14-5, 2.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 162 ERA+) has simply been superb since his first start of the season and richly deserved Pitcher of the Month honors in December. The same can be said for the lineup. 26-year old CF Dylan Moyne (.351/.414/.575, 17 HR, 85 RBI, 44 BB, 16 SB, 6.5 WAR) is now considered the No. 1 player in the United Leagues and it’s not surprising – he has been getting stronger as the season progressed, if that’s possible. And as noted in the Batting Leaders player board at the end of this post, he leads or is tied for the lead in 5 categories. Could a ‘Quintuple’ Crown be in the making? The Generals have also found a gem in 26-year old 3B Belarmino Barbedo (.308/.415/.506, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 46 BB, 7 SB, 2.2 WAR). Barbedo was a 3rd round draft pick by the Brunswick Legends back in 1944-45, but was released outright a year later. Fort Richmond signed him to a minor league contract the same day. He went on to earn a minor league All-Star selection and won the Heritage Leagues’ Governors Cup with the AA Marburg Mustangs that same season. Since then he has been playing in the major leagues in a utility role, but took over 3B duties this season against RHP. He earned his first all-star selection this year in the ULB. In Brunswick’s defense, Barbedo’s ratings in August 1945 dipped to 22/24; since then, it has risen to an incredible 68/77. Nine Generals were selected to this year’s All-Star game: SP Mo Goldstraw (1st), SP Ch’ang chieh Li (1st), SP Nicky Sherlock (3rd), RP José Rodriguez (1st), C Louis Wearne (2nd), SS Belarmino Barbedo (1st), LF Jake Stunt (1st), CF Dylan Moyne (3rd) and RF Brandon Robinson (1st). Player of the Week Awards: December 6 – CF Dylan Moyne (.632, 12 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R) December 13 – C Louis Wearne (.467, 7 H, 4 HR, 8 RBI) December 27 – RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (2-0, 18.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 18 K) January 10 – C Louis Wearne (.500, 12 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R) Noteworthy: December 13 – Just two days after Braeland City’s Nicholas Grimes pitched a 1-hitter, 29-year old LHP Joy-Shan Liu (12-4, 3.09 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) did the same, throwing a 1-HITTER against Sherburn, blanking the Tigers 2-0 on the road at The Paramount. Liu struck out 3 and walked 2 on 90 pitches with 61 thrown for strikes. Liu had a no-hitter going until the bottom of the 7th, when Baden Morrall led off with a single. Current Injuries: RHP Shinzo Okamoto – November 11 – fractured ulna (arm). Out for: 2-3 months. RHP John Bullivant – November 13 – torn meniscus (knee). Out for: 3-4 weeks. -------- Offense: .268/.350/.394 (2nd/2nd/3rd) Pitching: 3.61/3.41/4.76 (2nd/2nd/8th) Defense: .704 (7th) Chemistry: Unhappy Fort Richmond may be the class of the West, but the Wolseley Unions finally served notice that they are prepared to challenge them to a rematch of last season’s Western League Pennant. The Unions came alive in January, helping to create a bit of separation between them and the rest of the League. The Unions and Generals split their first six games of the season but in January, Wolseley took 4 of the next 6. Three of those victories were by scores of 16-0 (2-hitter pitched by Jeremy Albury), 1-0 (14 inning affair with Bill Blair going 10.2 IP) and 15-6. Those last six games were all played in Fort Richmond as well. Getting 25-year old RHP Jeremy Albury (8-3, 3.01 EA, 1.24 WHIP, 139 ERA+) back from injury has certainly helped, but the rotation has been very solid and second only to the first-place Generals. Also helping is the resurgence of 27-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.346/.469/.570, 14 HR, 54 RBI, 78 BB, 3 SB, 4.7 WAR), who came alive in late November and now leads the Western League in OBP, OPS (1.039) and RC/27 Outs (10.44). The only concern right now is their bullpen. Despite the overhaul made in the off-season, their bullpen still ranks last in the West. However, stopper John Palm (2-2, 12 SV, 4.03 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) and set-up man Brent Nix (4-4, 1 SV, 5.35 ERA, 1.84 WHIP) have been playing better as of late. Five players from Wolseley were selected to the All-Star game: SP Hun Park (2nd), SP Kai Tosh (3rd), C Éric Denis (2nd), 3B Wen-huan Liu (4th) and LF Carlton Hawking (4th). Noteworthy: January 30 – 24-year old C Éric Denis (.330/.368/.476, 9 HR, 71 RBI, 21 BB, 3.5 WAR) went 5-5 against the Kingston Pelicans, lifting the Unions to a 7-5 victory. After starting things off with a solo home run in the 2nd, Denis singled in the 3rd & 5th innings, hit an RBI double in the 7th and singled in the 9th. Key Trade: December 11 – The Unions and Kingston Pelicans swapped a couple of players: To Wolseley: 29-year old IF Wen-huan Liu (69/76) To Kingston: 27-year old CF Glen Traill (38/41) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Two clubs look to shore up some weaknesses by exchanging players. For Kingston, centerfield has been a sore point thus far, with 24-year old OF Mo Spencely (.216/.300/.331, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 19 BB, 4 SB, -0.8 WAR) struggling in his first full season, after being selected 13th overall in 1945-46. He finds himself back in AAA, while Glen Traill (.248/.363/.355, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 58 BB, 6 SB, 0.8 WAR), a former 8th overall pick in 1942-43, gets a fresh start with Kingston. Traill has not really justified his high pick as yet. Taking Liu’s place at 1B will be 34-year old Dean Bishop (.236/.349/.465, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 46 BB, 1.7 WAR), who gets his old job back full-time. For Wolseley, Liu (.279/.383/.425, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 49 BB, 2.5 WAR) takes over 3B from 27-year old Burt Willey (.219/.317/.331, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 34 BB, 2 SB, 0.0 WAR) whose play has been uninspiring. He is now relegated to being a backup infielder, while the Unions promoted this season’s 13th overall draft pick, 23-year old OF Owen Claridge (52/66) to take over CF. Claridge has been impressive in both his AA and AAA stints. Overall, I like the moves that Wolseley made in acquiring Liu and promoting Claridge in their quest for their third consecutive playoff appearance. Current Injuries: RF Ramón Tavira – November 20 – fractured hip. Out for: 3-4 months. -------- Offense: .256/.343/.393 (5th/4th/4th) Pitching: 4.22/4.19/4.34 (5th/4th/4th) Defense: .704 (6th) Chemistry: Happy The Cambria Cannons recovered somewhat from a disastrous November to sit one game above .500 but this a team that simply does not have the horses to compete with the like of the Generals and Unions. While the pitching has improved a little over the course of the season (4.8 from 5.0 R/G), the offense has slowed down (4.7 from 5.0 R/G). One area that the Cannons need to address is a better distribution of talent. 25-year old OF Edmond Boswell (.266/.340/.464, 11 HR, 31 RBI, 28 BB, 0.3 WAR), Cambria’s promising rookie who is already considered their second-best player, has been relegated to back-up duty to 25-year old LF Ichizo Ando (.269/.340/.507, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 15 BB, 0.9 WAR). Both deserve regular starts, but the outfield is pretty well set, leaving Boswell on the outside looking in. Cambria needs to decide who they will keep and who they will flip so they can upgrade areas where they are truly lacking in talent. Five Cannons headed off to the All-Star game: RP Rizal Doctolero (1st), 1B Juan Sánchez (2nd), 3B Shelby Cain (3rd), SS Wenseslas Jasmin (6th) and RF Nicky Willis (7th). Player of the Week Awards: December 20 – RF Hao Wang (.688, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI) Key Injuries: RHP Wing-kit Liu – January 16 – ruptured bicep tendon. Out for: 5-6 months. -------- Offense: .256/.345/.394 (6th/3rd/2nd) Pitching: 4.10/4.24/3.48 (3rd/5th/2nd) Defense: .717 (2nd) Chemistry: Happy The Kingston Pelicans put up a spirited effort in December, getting to within a game of the wild card, but have fallen back to reality in January. Coupled with Wolseley’s resurgence, it would appear the Pelicans are destined to miss the playoffs for the second straight year and may even suffer their first losing record. They still have some talent on the roster, but this is not the fearsome, dominant team it once was. 30-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.316/.433/.488, 12 HR, 48 RBI, 68 BB, 3 SB, 3.8 WAR) remains an elite player but is having his first down year (for him) in five seasons. With the exception of Trowbridge and 27-year old RF Luca Bewick (.269/.358/.413, 10 HR, 59 RBI, 53 BB, 7 SB, 2.5 WAR), the lineup is rather underwhelming. The pitching has improved over the past two months and 24-year old LHP Dana Listman (8-8, 4.09 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 102 ERA+) has rebounded from a forgetful start (2-6, 6.49 ERA in Oct/Nov), winning Pitcher of the Month honors in January. But overall, the pitching staff has become rather pedestrian, making it hard to keep up with the new heavyweights in the West. Five players represented the Pelicans at the All-Star game: RP Luis Velásquez (6th), C Danny Trowbridge (8th), 1B Dean Bishop (5th), SS Mo Derrick (1st) and RF Luca Bewick (1st). Current Injuries: RHP Ben Currall – December 20 – shoulder inflammation. Out for: 4 months. -------- Offense: .258/.330/.375 (4th/6th/6th) Pitching: 4.24/4.41/3.47 (6th/7th/1st) Defense: .713 (3rd) Chemistry: Content Like Cambria and Kingston, the Balmoral Giants are not a terrible team, but simply do not have the horses to keep up with Fort Richmond and Wolseley. So for the Giants, the focus is more on bringing their younger players along. The team acquired two free agents in the off-season with hopes that they could soon become impact players. No. 1 pitcher 29-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (7-13, 4.01 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 103 ERA+), started off strong in October (3-1, 1.73 ERA), but has struggled a bit in December and January (2-8, 5.57 ERA). Meanwhile, 27-year old 1B Javier Romero (.263/.329/.418, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 28 BB, 0.6 WAR) has also been hot and cold since he won Rookie of the Month honors in October. But he has shown enough promise that Balmoral would be wise to be patient. There have also been pleasant surprises as well. 28-year old LHP Sam Chapman (6-4, 2.67 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 154 ERA+) kicked around the minors for 8 seasons after being drafted by the Embro Suns in the 4th round back in 1939-40. In April1946, he singed a minor league contract with the Giants and was finally brought up to the majors last season. This year he has been thriving in the No. 4 spot of the rotation. Finally, although he is currently Balmoral’s No. 2 starter, 24-year old RHP Quintilliano Galeo (11-7, 3.01 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 137 ERA+) has been their best pitcher this season. The Giants sent three players to the All-Star game: SP Quintiliano Galeo (1st), 2B Sean Brearton (2nd) and RF Carlton Broadbent (8th). Noteworthy: January 8 – The Cambria Cannons had their hands full in trying to get Carlton Broadbent (.351/.417/.574, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 44 BB, 3.8 WAR) to go down quietly. The 31-year old right fielder was perfect, going 5 for 5 in a 7-6 Balmoral triumph at Cambria’s Alexander Field. Broadbent singled in the 1st, doubled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, doubled in the 7th and singled in the 8th. Current Injuries: RHP Paddy Vanderven – November 3 – surgery to remove bone chips (elbow). Out for: 3 months. -------- Offense: .262/.339/.376 (3rd/5th/5th) Pitching: 4.10/3.96/4.67 (4th/3rd/6th) Defense: .702 (8th) Chemistry: Unhappy Like Balmoral, the Sherburn Tigers are not awful and have been pretty consistent in the play this season. However, that has not prevented them falling to 6th place in the West, after being in 2nd place on December 1. Injuries have not helped, but the Tigers are struggling to find their roar despite some top-flight talent on their roster. The big story, of course, has been 22-year old rookie 2B Jack Burt (.324/.376/.446, 33-2B, 37 RBI, 29 BB, 4 SB, 2.4 WAR) who appears to have the Western League Rookie of the Year Award all but locked up. He holds the distinction of being Sherburn’s top player and top prospect simultaneously. 28-year old SS Otton Overbeek (.276/.350/.430, 8 HR, 54 RBI, 41 BB, 2 SB, 3.4 WAR) is enjoying another fine season, but this year, it appears he is getting a little better support in the lineup. One player who is not happy, however, is 30-year old C Neil Voigt (.230/.292/.337, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 21 BB, 0.4 WAR), who lost his starting position to 24-year old Quim Cypriano (.261/.320/.418, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 18 BB, 1.1 WAR), who was a 2nd-round pick in 1945-46 and is in his second full season in the ULB. Voigt is angry and apparently disruptive since his demotion, causing some discord in the clubhouse. The All-Star game saw three Tigers selected: SP Jesús Chapa (5th), SP Roberto Taváves (6th) and SS Otton Overbeek (6th). Player of the Week Awards: January 24 – 2B Jack Burt (.452, 14 H, 4 RBI) January 31 – 2B Jack Burt (.500, 13 H, 4 RBI) Key Trade: January 3 – The Tigers and Queensland Eagles made a two-player deal: To Sherburn: 30-year old 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (72/72) To Queensland: 25-year old RHP Bartolo Sánchez (56/71) *Knee-jerk reaction:* The first of two moves that Queensland looks made to try and beef up its pitching staff. Before acquiring RHP Colm Soper (see Eastern League report earlier), the Eagles add Sánchez (5-1, 3.93 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) to their rotation at the No. 5 spot, replacing 31-year old RHP Francisco López (3-7, 1 SV, 4.19 ERA, 1.76 WHIP), who moves to the bullpen. Taking over 1B full-time from Gutiérrez will be 27-year old Javier Chávez (.308/.357/.497, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 10 BB, 0.8 WAR), a third-round pick from 1943-44. For Sherburn, Gutiérrez (.297/.451/.464, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 76 BB, 2.8 WAR) represents a major upgrade at 1B and will bat in the No. 4 spot, behind rookie phenom, Jack Burt. To fill the opening in their rotation, the Tigers promoted 22-year old LHP Lucas Nott (1-0, 4.19 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), a second-round pick from 1947-48. Unfortunately, Nott dislocated his shoulder a few weeks later and will miss most of the season. 27-year old LHP Patrick Moggs (0-2, 6.62 ERA, 1.92 WHIP) was promoted from AAA to take his place. Current Injuries: CF Noah Teale – October 26 – broken hand. Out for: 2 days. RHP Hyuk Kim – November 5 – ruptured tendon (finger). Out for: 4 weeks. LHP Phil Wiebe – November 29 – torn elbow ligament. Out for: 4 months. LHP Lucas Nott – January 20 – dislocated shoulder. Out for: 7 weeks. -------- Offense: .250/.323/.373 (7th/7th/7th) Pitching: 4.63/4.65/4.58 (8th/8th/5th) Defense: .706 (5th) Chemistry: Unhappy There is no use sugar-coating it – the Pulberry Trolleys are a terrible team. Their top-rated player and lead-off hitter, 26-year old LF Joey Maddaford (.174/.293/.258, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 35 BB, 7 SB, 0.4) is playing more like their worst-rated player, which is not exactly a recent development. Their next best-rated player is 31-year old 3B Colin Strudwick (.266/.305/.339, 16-2B, 27 RBI, 22 BB, 4 SB, 0.6 WAR) has not been much better and hasn’t been a consequential player in years. The Trolleys have only one player of any real consequence: 27-year old SS Roland Binns (.326/.381/.560, 12 HR, 64 RBI, 30 BB, 5 SB, 5.1 WAR). Binns has been incredibly consistent at playing at a high level throughout his 6-year career and this season is shaping up to be his best yet, despite the lacklustre support around him. What’s puzzling is that he is currently rated as the No. 6 position player in the entire United Leagues (and No. 2 shortstop overall), and yet his own team doesn’t even rate him in their own top 3! Whose scouting this team – and why? On the pitching side of things, No. 1 starter 32-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (10-8, 3.46 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 118 ERA+) is doing what he can and 30-year old stopper RHP Norberto Ortíz (2-1, 14 SV, 0.87 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 467 ERA+) has suddenly become one of the top relief pitchers in the United Leagues. Three Trolleys were selected to the All-Star game: RP Ah-cy Yao (1st), SS Roland Binns (5th) and RF Jarod Dwyer (3rd). Just over two weeks late, Yao was released outright by the Trolleys. Player of the Week Awards: January 17 – SS Roland Binns (.611, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R) Noteworthy: January 26 – SS Roland Binns displayed his power, speed and patience in a game against the Kingston Pelicans. He hit for the CYCLE, helping the Trolleys to a 12-7 victory. It was the 16th cycle hit in ULB history and the second one this season. Binns flied out in the 1st, hit a two-run triple in the 3rd, walked in the 5th, doubled in the 6th, hit a solo-shot off of SP Luis Veláquez in the 8th and singled in the 9th. In the end, Binns tallied 2 R and 3 RBI. Current Injuries: RHP Ben Banwell – November 17 – torn labrum (shoulder). Out for: 5 weeks. RHP Dorian Geissler – December 17 – surgery to remove bone spur (elbow). Out for: 3 months. -------- Offense: .246/.319/.357 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.31/4.37/4.00 (7th/6th/3rd) Defense: .708 (4th) Chemistry: Unhappy The Hespeler Stars collapsed in January and perhaps it should not be unexpected – like the Trolleys, the Stars are not very good and need to simply focus on re-building. One promising development was the promotion of 22-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (4-4, 3.55 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 118 ERA+) to their major league roster. Kovnats was drafted by Hespeler 3rd overall just a few weeks ago and has the potential already to be a front-line ace in the ULB. He currently is pitching in the No. 4 spot. The Stars also have their hopes high on 23-year old rookie 2B Vic Lewis (.302/.362/.523, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 8 BB, 2 SB, 0.7 WAR), who was installed as their starting 2B in January. He did not disappoint. He was a 2nd-round pick back in 1946-47. Two Stars qualified for the All-Star game: SS Thomas Murphy (1st) and LF Bart Warwick (2nd). Player of the Week Awards: January 3 – RF Wayne Savory (1.000, 4 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI in one game) Noteworthy: January 19 – 30-year old 1B Vic Weetman (.266/.307/.368, 6 HR, 45 RBI, 23 BB, 0.3 WAR) was in the zone against the Puberry Trolleys, going 5 for 5 on the day. Weetman singled in the 1st, singled in the 4th, singled in the 5th, hit a solo-shot off Lenny Tennison in the 7th and singled in the 9th. Despite his efforts though, the Trolleys still triumphed 7-3. January 30 –2B Vic Lewis is making a good impression in his rookie season. He went on a 20-game hitting streak in January, until the Brunswick Legends held him hitless on the final day of the month. Hespeler prevailed however, 6-3. Lewis, a second-round pick from 1946-47, was rated the No. 13 prospect in the ULB at the start of the regular season. Current Injuries: LHP Hirotada Fukushima – December 14 – torn biceps. Out: 2-3 months. CF Jacob Pate – January 8 – sprained wrist. Out for: DtD; 1-2 weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland