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reds1 · 07-04-2018, 01:00 AM

December 1, 1949

Western League: Unions, Generals Dominating the Rest

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Offense: .280/.366/.412 (1st/1st/2nd)
Pitching: 2.89/3.19/1.25 (2nd/2nd/1st)
Defense: .740 (1st)
Chemistry: Content

The Wolseley Unions have qualified for the playoffs for three straight seasons now, but have yet to finish in top spot in the West. Last season, they finished a distant second, 14 games behind the Fort Richmond Generals. But a 13-game winning streak to the end the season seemed to notify the League that the Unions were no long willing to play runner-up’s. That attitude propelled them to their first United Cup Championship and it continues this season. Wolseley sported the best record in the ULB in October and lead the equally formidable Generals by 3 games. The Unions are either first or second in EVERY single offensive and pitching category, except for four: Home runs (39 – 3rd), Stolen Bases (15 – 3rd), HR allowed (37 – 3rd) and strikeouts (227 – 3rd). No glaring weaknesses on this team.

With so much going right, it’s hard to single any one player out. But I’ll do it anyway. 28-year old SS George Kimpton (.361/.418/.543, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 22 BB, 4 SB, 3.1 WAR) has already equalled his best season in terms of WAR after just two months (3.1 in 1947-48). The former 5th overall pick from 1943-44 is leading the Western League in hits (75) and singles (52).

31-year old RHP Bill Blair (7-1, 2.30 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) is enjoying the best start in his 9-year career. Acquired from the Stratford Barons in October 1948, Blair is currently the No. 2 starter.

One interesting move made by the Unions is the demotion of 29-year old RHP Ian Peter (5-4, 3.51 ERA, 1.24 WHIP – 51/51) to AAA in late November. It seems they have decided to promote 24-year old LHP Axel Mackay (0-0, 3 SV, 3.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP – 44/57) to the rotation after two unimpressive seasons in the bullpen (3-2, 4 SV, 5.42 ERA, 1.85 WHIP). Peter still appears to be an effective pitcher so perhaps Wolseley should consider moving him if he’s no longer in their plans.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 14 – LF Carlton Hawking (.522, 12 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI)

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .256/.328/.386 (5th/5th/4th)
Pitching: 2.78/2.76/2.98 (1st/1st/2nd)
Defense: .737 (2nd)
Chemistry: Happy

With the acquisition of 30-yer old SP Roberto Taváres in the off-season, the Fort Richmond Generals turned an already formidable pitching staff into the United Leagues’ best. Through the first two months, the Generals have averaged just 3.2 R/G allowed. But for all their dominance, Fort Richmond finds itself losing the battle for top spot in the West, as the Wolseley Unions are right behind them in pitching (3.3 R/G) and far outpacing them in offense (5.2 R/G to the Generals second-worst 3.8 R/G). It’s a startling power outage, as only one player, 25-year old RF Brandon Robinson, is hitting over .300 right now. 27-year old CF Dylan Moyne (.244/.304/.435, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 18 BB, 0.6 WAR – 69/69), a two-time All-Braeland Team member, has seen his production drop precipitously. He was worth 9.0 WAR last season. But he is not the only one. If the Generals want to keep pace with the Unions for top spot, their offense is going to have to turn on the switch pronto.

Brandon Robinson’s (.315/.352/.511, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 11 BB, 1.7 WAR) fourth season in the ULB is shaping up to be his best, as is 25-year old 2B Nobuyoshi Yoshida (.288/.357/.419, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 19 BB, 1.3 WAR). But the rest of the lineup needs to step it up.

There is a not a weak link in the rotation. But No. 1 starter 30-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (6-4, 2.29 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) and No. 2 starter 27-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (6-4, 2.30 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) both lead the team in ERA+ with 171 each.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 21 – RF Brandon Robinson (.462, 12 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 22 –After missing most of last season due to a partially torn UCL, 25-year old RHP Shinzo Okamoto (8-2, 2.50 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) returned this season and pitched the game of his life, as Fort Richmond’s No. 4 starter threw the 7th NO-HITTER in United Leagues history. He blanked the Pulberry Trolleys 3-0 in front of 24,389 fans at Generals Stadium. Okamoto faced just 28 batters in the masterpiece, surrendering 1 BB and striking out 3. He tossed 59 strikes on 88 pitches (Game score = 89).

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .264/.358/.401 (3rd/2nd/3rd)
Pitching: 4.64/4.80/4.14 (8th/8th/4th)
Defense: .681 (8th)
Chemistry: Happy

The Cambria Cannons are the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of the Western League, playing as one of the top teams in the United Leagues in October and as the very worst in November. The Cannons were just a half-game back of Fort Richmond for the wild card and 2.5 games back of Wolseley for first place at the end of the first month when they suddenly stopped winning. That was largely due to their suspect pitching staff being exposed. The Cannons averaged 6.0 R/G in October, which more than ably supported a pitching staff that was surrendering 4.9 R/G. But in November, the offense cooled off, producing only 3.9 R/G while the pitching got worse (5.8 R/G). Cambria certainly needs an infusion of talented pitchers, but there’s nothing really on the horizon to offer hope, barring a trade. Until they fix that, the Cannons are in danger of falling further down the standings.

29-year old SS César Ruíz (.318/.433/.579, 12 HR, 45 RBI, 37 BB, 2.9 WAR) is the real deal, winning Batter of Month honors in October and dominating all rookie performances. 32-year old RF Nicky Willis (.326/.457/.481, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 46 BB, 1.9 WAR) enjoyed a nice bounce-back season last year and he is proving that it was no fluke. He is now rated as the No. 1 right fielder in the ULB.

It’s been 8 seasons since 34-year old RHP Leon Hankey (5-3, 3.86 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) was an all-star pitcher and things haven’t changed much. Playing on a weak pitching staff, he is their ace by default. But he has not embarrassed himself. In fact, while the rest of the staff faltered in November, Hankey actually improved (2-2, 3.47 ERA in 5 starts).

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .270/.358/.433 (2nd/3rd/1st)
Pitching: 3.99/3.90/4.39 (3rd/4th/5th)
Defense: .713 (3rd)
Chemistry: Happy

The resurgence of some old stalwarts on offense has seen the fortunes of the Kingston Pelicans improve, particularly in November. The Pelicans have the top offense in the United Leagues after the first two months (5.6 R/G). But while their overall pitching performance has been marginally better than the other teams below them in the standings (4.5 R/G allowed); it is nowhere near the level of excellence of either Fort Richmond or Wolseley.

Three veterans are enjoying career seasons, after having somewhat down seasons last year: 35-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.309/.449/.657, 15 HR, 58 RBI, 49 BB, 3.3 WAR) has re-emerged as the No. 1 first baseman in the ULB and could see his best season yet; 31-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.376/.463/.578, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 29 BB, 3.2 WAR) has returned to his otherworldly ways and regained his No. 1 status among catchers. Finally, 34-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.305/.397/.483, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 27 BB, 4 SB, 2.3 WAR) is enjoying his best start since he earned 8.8 WAR in 1945-46.

On the other hand, the pitching staff does not offer up anyone to match those outstanding offensive performances. Nevertheless, 25-year old LHP Dana Listman (5-5, 3.07 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) is off to the best start of his 4-year career.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 17 – 1B Dean Bishop (.500, 11 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 7 R)
November 7 – 1B Dean Bishop (.455, 10 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI)
November 28 – 2B Ryoma Hakui (.467, 7 H, 4 HR, 11 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 6 –SS Katsunan Chikafuji became the latest player to reach 2000 career hits when he drilled a two-out single through the infield off Balmoral Giants LHP Sam Chapman in the bottom of the 3rd inning with the bases loaded. The single scored two runs giving the Pelicans a 6-0 lead. 1B Dean Bishop followed Chikafuji and promptly smacked a 3-run home run to make it 9-0. Kingston prevailed 9-3 for their first win of the season.

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .252/.323/.36 (7th/7th/7th)
Pitching: 4.56/4.68/3.94 (6th/7th/3rd)
Defense: .702 (6th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

The Balmoral Giants appear to be fading in the West as the team as a whole is regressing. They have some talent in the pipeline (6th overall) but it doesn’t appear to be anywhere near enough to shore up Balmoral’s sagging fortunes.

Their top two starters are off to disappointing starts: 29-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (3-6, 4.90 ERA, 1.52 WHIP – 50/50) and 24-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (3-6, 4.35 ERA, 1.71 WHIP – 48/49). The Giants can only hope they’ll bounce back soon.

But things aren’t any better on offense. 31-year old LF Carlton Broadbent (.240/.314/.491, 11 HR, 35 RBI, 18 BB, 0.3 WAR) can still hit the long ball, but he is off to his worst start since his rookie year 10 seasons ago. Only 26-year old 2B Sean Brearton (.311/.377/.485, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 22 BB, 2.4 WAR) is having a standout year in the early going. In fact, if he keeps up the pace, this could be his best season by far. 3.7 WAR in 1947-48 was his previous best.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 24 – 2B Sean Brearton (.455, 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI)

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .252/.325/.362 (6th/6th/8th)
Pitching: 4.54/4.46/4.92 (5th/6th/6th)
Defense: .708 (4th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

The Hespeler Stars are very much a carbon copy of the Balmoral Giants: they have some young talent on the roster but have stagnated. In fact, the Stars are loaded with quality players that should be producing. In the lineup, they have four first-round picks and four second-round picks, with seven of them under the age of 28. Only 1B Vic Weetman (.270/.329/.441, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 13 BB, 0.7 WAR) is over 30. They all appear to be building on previous seasons, but its rather incremental. There are no superstars on this squad, at least not yet. 27-year old C Enrique García (.266/.374/.357, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 28 BB, 1.4 WAR) is as good as it gets right now.

Even their once promising pitching staff is struggling big time. 34-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (1-7, 4.36 ERA, 1.64 WHIP) if off to his worst start in 6 seasons. And both former first-round picks 25-year old RHP Stephen Tindall (3-7, 5.69 ERA, 1.68 WHIP – 46/50) and 23-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (3-6, 6.01 ERA, 1.88 WHIP – 42/71) are enduring terrible starts. Only No. 1 starter 24-year old RHP Paul Woodruff (7-3, 2.56 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) and 29-year old stopper RHP Brent Nix (2-2, 2 SV, 3.16 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) are delivering for Hespeler. Nix was claimed on waivers from the Wolseley Unions back on October 5.

Noteworthy:

November 29 – The Stars hosted the Queensland Eagles at the Fabulous Avalon in a game that saw the two clubs combine for 29 runs on 35 hits. The game was tied 8-8 after 9 innings. In the top of the 10th, the Eagles scored 9 runs on the strength of eight hits, including a two-run triple and a two-out Grand Slam by OF Weldon Walker. The Stars attempted to come back in the bottom of the 10th, scoring 4 runs on 3 hits, but it wasn’t enough as Queensland prevailed 17-12.

Lost in the wild finish was the effort of 3B Oliver Pickford (.390/.420/.455, 3-2B, 15 RBI, 3 BB, 0.8 WAR – 48/48). Leading off for Hespeler, the 28-year old Pickford went 5 for 7, singling in the 1st and 3rd innings, hitting a two-run single in the 5th, singling in the 9th and hitting an RBI double in the 10th. In all, he scored 3 R and 3 RBI. A former second-round pick from 1940-41, Pickford has largely been a utility infielder, but now finds himself in the starting lineup.

Current Injuries:

RHP Rodney Gabrielson – November 11 – bone chips (elbow). Out for: 2 months.

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Offense: .242/.314/.364 (8th/8th/6th)
Pitching: 4.61/4.36/5.69 (7th/5th/7th)
Defense: .688 (7th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

The Pulberry Trolleys are exactly where they should be in the standings as far as talent is concerned. There are only a few players on the entire 25-man roster that are having any impact. At least eight players (including 4 pitchers) are into negative WAR thus far. Add the fact that three of their top players are serving merely in a utility role and you have a mess of a team that needs to come up with a plan once and for all. Patchwork lineups and table scraps are not doing it. Its time to finally put a competitive team together. Trolley fans deserve better.

28-year old SS Roland Binns (.267/.313/.317, 3-2B, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB, 0.2 WAR – 60/60) is rated as the second-best player on the team, but he is now taking a back seat to the top-rated player: 24-year old SS Francis Jones (.331/.428/.558, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 28 BB, 2.2 WAR – 67/67). Jones deserves the playing time and both are shortstops only. But you still have to play your best players – or at least trade one of them and try and get a decent player in return that can help in another area.

The same goes for 32-year old 3B Colin Strudwick (.283/.369/.416, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 16 BB, 0.5 WAR – 49/49) and 30-year old RF Jarod Dwyer (.284/.429/.522, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 17 BB, 0.9 WAR – 41/41). Both are rated as the Pulberry’s top players in their respective positions. But the Trolleys have elected to go with 22-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.180/.248/.258 1 HR, 10 RBI, 9 BB, -0.4 WAR – 35/77) and 26-year old RF Jon Pring (.218/.293/.313, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 15 BB, 2 SB, -0.1 WAR – 25/31) instead. Kahale is a future stud and can play anywhere in the infield or outfield. But something’s got to give. Either play your best players now or trade them for more prospects.

If they do go that route, they can try and stock up on some young arms. The Trolleys are currently employing two starters recently picked up on waivers: 37-year old RHP Chris Sappington (3-2, 3.83 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) and 31-year old LHP Carlton Sherrell (4-3, 5.06 ERA, 1.67 WHIP). Sappington has not been all that bad since joining the club. But only 30-year old RHP Lee Dowdeswell (4-4, 3.57 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) can be said to be pitching with any degree of competence, especially since November.

Current Injuries:

RHP Reece Leavers – November 15 – sore elbow. Out for: 1-2 weeks.
CF Tadamichi Matsumoto – November 26 – strained abdominal muscle. Out for: DtD, 1 week.

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Offense: .256/.327/.370 (4th/5th/5th)
Pitching: 4.33/3.77/7.03 (4th/3rd/8th)
Defense: .702 (5th)
Chemistry: Feuding

The Sherburn Tigers endured a brutal October. After starting 3-1, the Tigers went on an eight-game losing streak and then a seven-game losing streak (1-15 during that stretch) before making a modest recovery. Sherburn is not poised to escape the second division this season and they currently have the worst-rated farm system, but they do have talent on their 25-man roster. Despite shipping out Roberto Taváres, the best pitcher in the ULB not named Anastasio Rodríguez, his replacement, 22-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (5-4, 2.56 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), has actually been Sherburn’s best pitcher in the early going. No. 4 starter, 23-year old RHP Bobby Hogg (4-4, 2.70 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) has also been a pleasant surprise. Hogg is in his second full season since being drafted in the 4th round in 1947-48. Waiting in the wings is 22-year old RHP Harry Dinsmore (0-0, 1 SV, 5.54 ERA, 1.69 WHIP – 47/70), a second-round pick last season. He is serving in long relief and should be a future starter.

But the big story has unquestionably been 23-year old LF Noah Teale (.377/.439/.634, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 22 BB, 8 SB, 3.0 WAR – 74/74). Teale was projected to have a big season and he certainly started things off with a bang. Through the first four games of the season, Teale was declared Player of the Game in three of them, hitting .667, with 4 HR, 13 RBI and 7 R. He cooled down a little of course, but he has been Sherburn’s best player by far as well as the best leftfielder in the ULB after the first two months. He is also one the team’s leader. Leadership is desperately needed, as there is serious in-fighting taking place in the clubhouse.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 10 – LF Noah Teale (.481, 13 H, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 7 R)
October 31 – LF Noah Teale (.385, 10 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI)

Current Injuries:

LHP Phil Wiebe – May 12 – torn elbow ligament - setback. Out for: 4 weeks.
RHP Hyuk Kim – September 1 – torn elbow ligament. Out for: 1 week.

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07-04-2018, 01:00 AM	#448
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,925	December 1, 1949 Western League: Unions, Generals Dominating the Rest -------- Offense: .280/.366/.412 (1st/1st/2nd) Pitching: 2.89/3.19/1.25 (2nd/2nd/1st) Defense: .740 (1st) Chemistry: Content The Wolseley Unions have qualified for the playoffs for three straight seasons now, but have yet to finish in top spot in the West. Last season, they finished a distant second, 14 games behind the Fort Richmond Generals. But a 13-game winning streak to the end the season seemed to notify the League that the Unions were no long willing to play runner-up’s. That attitude propelled them to their first United Cup Championship and it continues this season. Wolseley sported the best record in the ULB in October and lead the equally formidable Generals by 3 games. The Unions are either first or second in EVERY single offensive and pitching category, except for four: Home runs (39 – 3rd), Stolen Bases (15 – 3rd), HR allowed (37 – 3rd) and strikeouts (227 – 3rd). No glaring weaknesses on this team. With so much going right, it’s hard to single any one player out. But I’ll do it anyway. 28-year old SS George Kimpton (.361/.418/.543, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 22 BB, 4 SB, 3.1 WAR) has already equalled his best season in terms of WAR after just two months (3.1 in 1947-48). The former 5th overall pick from 1943-44 is leading the Western League in hits (75) and singles (52). 31-year old RHP Bill Blair (7-1, 2.30 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) is enjoying the best start in his 9-year career. Acquired from the Stratford Barons in October 1948, Blair is currently the No. 2 starter. One interesting move made by the Unions is the demotion of 29-year old RHP Ian Peter (5-4, 3.51 ERA, 1.24 WHIP – 51/51) to AAA in late November. It seems they have decided to promote 24-year old LHP Axel Mackay (0-0, 3 SV, 3.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP – 44/57) to the rotation after two unimpressive seasons in the bullpen (3-2, 4 SV, 5.42 ERA, 1.85 WHIP). Peter still appears to be an effective pitcher so perhaps Wolseley should consider moving him if he’s no longer in their plans. Player of the Week Awards: November 14 – LF Carlton Hawking (.522, 12 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI) Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .256/.328/.386 (5th/5th/4th) Pitching: 2.78/2.76/2.98 (1st/1st/2nd) Defense: .737 (2nd) Chemistry: Happy With the acquisition of 30-yer old SP Roberto Taváres in the off-season, the Fort Richmond Generals turned an already formidable pitching staff into the United Leagues’ best. Through the first two months, the Generals have averaged just 3.2 R/G allowed. But for all their dominance, Fort Richmond finds itself losing the battle for top spot in the West, as the Wolseley Unions are right behind them in pitching (3.3 R/G) and far outpacing them in offense (5.2 R/G to the Generals second-worst 3.8 R/G). It’s a startling power outage, as only one player, 25-year old RF Brandon Robinson, is hitting over .300 right now. 27-year old CF Dylan Moyne (.244/.304/.435, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 18 BB, 0.6 WAR – 69/69), a two-time All-Braeland Team member, has seen his production drop precipitously. He was worth 9.0 WAR last season. But he is not the only one. If the Generals want to keep pace with the Unions for top spot, their offense is going to have to turn on the switch pronto. Brandon Robinson’s (.315/.352/.511, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 11 BB, 1.7 WAR) fourth season in the ULB is shaping up to be his best, as is 25-year old 2B Nobuyoshi Yoshida (.288/.357/.419, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 19 BB, 1.3 WAR). But the rest of the lineup needs to step it up. There is a not a weak link in the rotation. But No. 1 starter 30-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (6-4, 2.29 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) and No. 2 starter 27-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (6-4, 2.30 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) both lead the team in ERA+ with 171 each. Player of the Week Awards: November 21 – RF Brandon Robinson (.462, 12 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI) Noteworthy: October 22 –After missing most of last season due to a partially torn UCL, 25-year old RHP Shinzo Okamoto (8-2, 2.50 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) returned this season and pitched the game of his life, as Fort Richmond’s No. 4 starter threw the 7th NO-HITTER in United Leagues history. He blanked the Pulberry Trolleys 3-0 in front of 24,389 fans at Generals Stadium. Okamoto faced just 28 batters in the masterpiece, surrendering 1 BB and striking out 3. He tossed 59 strikes on 88 pitches (Game score = 89). Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .264/.358/.401 (3rd/2nd/3rd) Pitching: 4.64/4.80/4.14 (8th/8th/4th) Defense: .681 (8th) Chemistry: Happy The Cambria Cannons are the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of the Western League, playing as one of the top teams in the United Leagues in October and as the very worst in November. The Cannons were just a half-game back of Fort Richmond for the wild card and 2.5 games back of Wolseley for first place at the end of the first month when they suddenly stopped winning. That was largely due to their suspect pitching staff being exposed. The Cannons averaged 6.0 R/G in October, which more than ably supported a pitching staff that was surrendering 4.9 R/G. But in November, the offense cooled off, producing only 3.9 R/G while the pitching got worse (5.8 R/G). Cambria certainly needs an infusion of talented pitchers, but there’s nothing really on the horizon to offer hope, barring a trade. Until they fix that, the Cannons are in danger of falling further down the standings. 29-year old SS César Ruíz (.318/.433/.579, 12 HR, 45 RBI, 37 BB, 2.9 WAR) is the real deal, winning Batter of Month honors in October and dominating all rookie performances. 32-year old RF Nicky Willis (.326/.457/.481, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 46 BB, 1.9 WAR) enjoyed a nice bounce-back season last year and he is proving that it was no fluke. He is now rated as the No. 1 right fielder in the ULB. It’s been 8 seasons since 34-year old RHP Leon Hankey (5-3, 3.86 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) was an all-star pitcher and things haven’t changed much. Playing on a weak pitching staff, he is their ace by default. But he has not embarrassed himself. In fact, while the rest of the staff faltered in November, Hankey actually improved (2-2, 3.47 ERA in 5 starts). Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .270/.358/.433 (2nd/3rd/1st) Pitching: 3.99/3.90/4.39 (3rd/4th/5th) Defense: .713 (3rd) Chemistry: Happy The resurgence of some old stalwarts on offense has seen the fortunes of the Kingston Pelicans improve, particularly in November. The Pelicans have the top offense in the United Leagues after the first two months (5.6 R/G). But while their overall pitching performance has been marginally better than the other teams below them in the standings (4.5 R/G allowed); it is nowhere near the level of excellence of either Fort Richmond or Wolseley. Three veterans are enjoying career seasons, after having somewhat down seasons last year: 35-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.309/.449/.657, 15 HR, 58 RBI, 49 BB, 3.3 WAR) has re-emerged as the No. 1 first baseman in the ULB and could see his best season yet; 31-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.376/.463/.578, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 29 BB, 3.2 WAR) has returned to his otherworldly ways and regained his No. 1 status among catchers. Finally, 34-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.305/.397/.483, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 27 BB, 4 SB, 2.3 WAR) is enjoying his best start since he earned 8.8 WAR in 1945-46. On the other hand, the pitching staff does not offer up anyone to match those outstanding offensive performances. Nevertheless, 25-year old LHP Dana Listman (5-5, 3.07 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) is off to the best start of his 4-year career. Player of the Week Awards: October 17 – 1B Dean Bishop (.500, 11 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 7 R) November 7 – 1B Dean Bishop (.455, 10 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI) November 28 – 2B Ryoma Hakui (.467, 7 H, 4 HR, 11 RBI) Noteworthy: October 6 –SS Katsunan Chikafuji became the latest player to reach 2000 career hits when he drilled a two-out single through the infield off Balmoral Giants LHP Sam Chapman in the bottom of the 3rd inning with the bases loaded. The single scored two runs giving the Pelicans a 6-0 lead. 1B Dean Bishop followed Chikafuji and promptly smacked a 3-run home run to make it 9-0. Kingston prevailed 9-3 for their first win of the season. Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .252/.323/.36 (7th/7th/7th) Pitching: 4.56/4.68/3.94 (6th/7th/3rd) Defense: .702 (6th) Chemistry: Unhappy The Balmoral Giants appear to be fading in the West as the team as a whole is regressing. They have some talent in the pipeline (6th overall) but it doesn’t appear to be anywhere near enough to shore up Balmoral’s sagging fortunes. Their top two starters are off to disappointing starts: 29-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (3-6, 4.90 ERA, 1.52 WHIP – 50/50) and 24-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (3-6, 4.35 ERA, 1.71 WHIP – 48/49). The Giants can only hope they’ll bounce back soon. But things aren’t any better on offense. 31-year old LF Carlton Broadbent (.240/.314/.491, 11 HR, 35 RBI, 18 BB, 0.3 WAR) can still hit the long ball, but he is off to his worst start since his rookie year 10 seasons ago. Only 26-year old 2B Sean Brearton (.311/.377/.485, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 22 BB, 2.4 WAR) is having a standout year in the early going. In fact, if he keeps up the pace, this could be his best season by far. 3.7 WAR in 1947-48 was his previous best. Player of the Week Awards: October 24 – 2B Sean Brearton (.455, 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI) Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .252/.325/.362 (6th/6th/8th) Pitching: 4.54/4.46/4.92 (5th/6th/6th) Defense: .708 (4th) Chemistry: Unhappy The Hespeler Stars are very much a carbon copy of the Balmoral Giants: they have some young talent on the roster but have stagnated. In fact, the Stars are loaded with quality players that should be producing. In the lineup, they have four first-round picks and four second-round picks, with seven of them under the age of 28. Only 1B Vic Weetman (.270/.329/.441, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 13 BB, 0.7 WAR) is over 30. They all appear to be building on previous seasons, but its rather incremental. There are no superstars on this squad, at least not yet. 27-year old C Enrique García (.266/.374/.357, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 28 BB, 1.4 WAR) is as good as it gets right now. Even their once promising pitching staff is struggling big time. 34-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (1-7, 4.36 ERA, 1.64 WHIP) if off to his worst start in 6 seasons. And both former first-round picks 25-year old RHP Stephen Tindall (3-7, 5.69 ERA, 1.68 WHIP – 46/50) and 23-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (3-6, 6.01 ERA, 1.88 WHIP – 42/71) are enduring terrible starts. Only No. 1 starter 24-year old RHP Paul Woodruff (7-3, 2.56 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) and 29-year old stopper RHP Brent Nix (2-2, 2 SV, 3.16 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) are delivering for Hespeler. Nix was claimed on waivers from the Wolseley Unions back on October 5. Noteworthy: November 29 – The Stars hosted the Queensland Eagles at the Fabulous Avalon in a game that saw the two clubs combine for 29 runs on 35 hits. The game was tied 8-8 after 9 innings. In the top of the 10th, the Eagles scored 9 runs on the strength of eight hits, including a two-run triple and a two-out Grand Slam by OF Weldon Walker. The Stars attempted to come back in the bottom of the 10th, scoring 4 runs on 3 hits, but it wasn’t enough as Queensland prevailed 17-12. Lost in the wild finish was the effort of 3B Oliver Pickford (.390/.420/.455, 3-2B, 15 RBI, 3 BB, 0.8 WAR – 48/48). Leading off for Hespeler, the 28-year old Pickford went 5 for 7, singling in the 1st and 3rd innings, hitting a two-run single in the 5th, singling in the 9th and hitting an RBI double in the 10th. In all, he scored 3 R and 3 RBI. A former second-round pick from 1940-41, Pickford has largely been a utility infielder, but now finds himself in the starting lineup. Current Injuries: RHP Rodney Gabrielson – November 11 – bone chips (elbow). Out for: 2 months. -------- Offense: .242/.314/.364 (8th/8th/6th) Pitching: 4.61/4.36/5.69 (7th/5th/7th) Defense: .688 (7th) Chemistry: Unhappy The Pulberry Trolleys are exactly where they should be in the standings as far as talent is concerned. There are only a few players on the entire 25-man roster that are having any impact. At least eight players (including 4 pitchers) are into negative WAR thus far. Add the fact that three of their top players are serving merely in a utility role and you have a mess of a team that needs to come up with a plan once and for all. Patchwork lineups and table scraps are not doing it. Its time to finally put a competitive team together. Trolley fans deserve better. 28-year old SS Roland Binns (.267/.313/.317, 3-2B, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB, 0.2 WAR – 60/60) is rated as the second-best player on the team, but he is now taking a back seat to the top-rated player: 24-year old SS Francis Jones (.331/.428/.558, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 28 BB, 2.2 WAR – 67/67). Jones deserves the playing time and both are shortstops only. But you still have to play your best players – or at least trade one of them and try and get a decent player in return that can help in another area. The same goes for 32-year old 3B Colin Strudwick (.283/.369/.416, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 16 BB, 0.5 WAR – 49/49) and 30-year old RF Jarod Dwyer (.284/.429/.522, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 17 BB, 0.9 WAR – 41/41). Both are rated as the Pulberry’s top players in their respective positions. But the Trolleys have elected to go with 22-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.180/.248/.258 1 HR, 10 RBI, 9 BB, -0.4 WAR – 35/77) and 26-year old RF Jon Pring (.218/.293/.313, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 15 BB, 2 SB, -0.1 WAR – 25/31) instead. Kahale is a future stud and can play anywhere in the infield or outfield. But something’s got to give. Either play your best players now or trade them for more prospects. If they do go that route, they can try and stock up on some young arms. The Trolleys are currently employing two starters recently picked up on waivers: 37-year old RHP Chris Sappington (3-2, 3.83 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) and 31-year old LHP Carlton Sherrell (4-3, 5.06 ERA, 1.67 WHIP). Sappington has not been all that bad since joining the club. But only 30-year old RHP Lee Dowdeswell (4-4, 3.57 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) can be said to be pitching with any degree of competence, especially since November. Current Injuries: RHP Reece Leavers – November 15 – sore elbow. Out for: 1-2 weeks. CF Tadamichi Matsumoto – November 26 – strained abdominal muscle. Out for: DtD, 1 week. -------- Offense: .256/.327/.370 (4th/5th/5th) Pitching: 4.33/3.77/7.03 (4th/3rd/8th) Defense: .702 (5th) Chemistry: Feuding The Sherburn Tigers endured a brutal October. After starting 3-1, the Tigers went on an eight-game losing streak and then a seven-game losing streak (1-15 during that stretch) before making a modest recovery. Sherburn is not poised to escape the second division this season and they currently have the worst-rated farm system, but they do have talent on their 25-man roster. Despite shipping out Roberto Taváres, the best pitcher in the ULB not named Anastasio Rodríguez, his replacement, 22-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (5-4, 2.56 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), has actually been Sherburn’s best pitcher in the early going. No. 4 starter, 23-year old RHP Bobby Hogg (4-4, 2.70 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) has also been a pleasant surprise. Hogg is in his second full season since being drafted in the 4th round in 1947-48. Waiting in the wings is 22-year old RHP Harry Dinsmore (0-0, 1 SV, 5.54 ERA, 1.69 WHIP – 47/70), a second-round pick last season. He is serving in long relief and should be a future starter. But the big story has unquestionably been 23-year old LF Noah Teale (.377/.439/.634, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 22 BB, 8 SB, 3.0 WAR – 74/74). Teale was projected to have a big season and he certainly started things off with a bang. Through the first four games of the season, Teale was declared Player of the Game in three of them, hitting .667, with 4 HR, 13 RBI and 7 R. He cooled down a little of course, but he has been Sherburn’s best player by far as well as the best leftfielder in the ULB after the first two months. He is also one the team’s leader. Leadership is desperately needed, as there is serious in-fighting taking place in the clubhouse. Player of the Week Awards: October 10 – LF Noah Teale (.481, 13 H, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 7 R) October 31 – LF Noah Teale (.385, 10 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI) Current Injuries: LHP Phil Wiebe – May 12 – torn elbow ligament - setback. Out for: 4 weeks. RHP Hyuk Kim – September 1 – torn elbow ligament. Out for: 1 week. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland