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reds1 · 08-12-2018, 12:48 AM

March 27, 1950

Western League: Unions, Generals ‘Check In’, Pulberry Owner ‘Checks Out’

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Offense: .280/.368/.399 (1st/1st/2nd)
Pitching: 2.97/3.09/2.18 (1st/1st/1st)
Defense: .726 (2nd)
Chemistry: Happy

After three straight second place finishes and 80-something win seasons, the Wolseley Unions powered their way into first place with 101 victories, easily outpacing the Fort Richmond Generals. There was very little they didn’t excel in other than perhaps home runs (100 – 5th in WL) and stolen bases (41 – 6th). Playing away from home didn’t faze them either, as they did better on the road (52-25) than at home (49-28). With their 101 victories, the Unions overall record now stands at 1000-1002 (the Queensland Eagles stand at 1001-1001). The Kingston Pelicans have the most wins in the ULB after 13 seasons, with 1166, while the Pulberry Trolleys have the fewest (856).

Although the Unions didn’t break the record for lowest team ERA (which still stands at 2.85), they came close, and were the only team in the United Leagues to finish below 3.00.

There were standout performances on both sides of the ball. 28-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.350/.480/.519, 14 HR, 89 RBI, 138 BB, 6.7 WAR) and 25-year old C Éric Denis (.308/.373/.490, 19 HR, 89 RBI, 53 BB, 5.6 WAR) were both their usual outstanding selves, with Carlton winning his second consecutive Western League Batting Title. But they weren’t the only ones who were terrific. Both 28-year old SS George Kimpton (.305/.385/.439, 13 HR, 101 RBI, 80 BB, 9 SB, 5.1 WAR) and 27-year old RF Howard Ockey (.307/.400/.426, 6 HR, 64 RBI, 69 BB, 7 SB, 4.5 WAR) each enjoyed the best season of the careers.

The pitching was second-to-none, which is saying something, considering some of the outstanding pitching staffs in the ULB. 31-year old RHP Bill Blair (21-4, 2.87 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 143 ERA+) led the way, setting a new record for winning percentage, with .8400. That beat Raúl Lucero’s nine-year old mark of .8333 (15-3, 3.70 ERA in 1940 with the Wellington Athletics). But Blair is ably supported by 26-year old ace RHP Jeremy Albury (18-12, 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 150 ERA+) and 30-year old RHP Kai Tosh (13-13, 3.11 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 132 ERA+). Wolseley also hit the jackpot when they signed free agent pitcher 28-year old RHP Shou-xin Chin (10-2, 7 SV, 1.23 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 2.23 FIP). Chin was rated as the No. 3 reliever in the United Leagues at season’s end.

Biggest Surprise:

The Unions now have four starting pitchers rated in the Top 20, as 25-year old LHP Axel Mackay (12-1, 3 SV, 2.31 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 177 ERA+) is now listed #19 overall. MacKay was simply outstanding after being installed in the rotation in late December. His previous two seasons in the majors were unremarkable. He has moved into the No. 4 spot, bumping 32-year old RHP Hun Park (8-9, 4.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 92 ERA+) into the bullpen.

Player of the Week Awards:

March 13 – RF Howard Ockey (.474, 9 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI)
March 20 – LF Carlton Hawking (.640, 16 H, 8 RBI)

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .265/.333/.397 (2nd/6th/3rd)
Pitching: 3.25/3.28/3.05 (2nd/2nd/2nd)
Defense: .729 (1st)
Chemistry: Ecstatic

The Fort Richmond Generals remain a formidable team but fell into a funk in the second-half of the season, where they could only manage a 37-38 record (after starting 50-29). It’s not as if they are bad in any one area. But they just could not keep up with Wolseley. As good as they are on offense and pitching, they appear to be just a step below the Unions.

The Generals also received some unfortunate news. Their top offensive player this season, 25-year old 2B Nobuyoshi Yoshida (.301/.345/.441, 9 HR, 71 RBI, 38 BB, 7 SB, 5.0 WAR), was injured in a game against the Cambria Cannons when legging out a double in the General’s 3-0 win. He is gone for the playoffs, dealing a bit of a blow to the club.

That’s because the rest of the offense was having a bit of a down year while the club was easing in some new players. One example is 23-year old 1B Daniel Paterson (.302/.344/.544, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 11 BB, 1.2 WAR), a third-round pick from 1946-47. Paterson was installed as Fort Richmond’s starting 1B in the last two weeks of the season, taking over from 28-year old 1B Brian Earle (.298/.346/.434, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 29 BB, 1.9 WAR). Both appear capable starters, so Fort Richmond will have decision to make in the off-season. As it is, Paterson is rated 5th overall among all 1B in the ULB.

The pitching staff is rock-solid, but 27-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (21-8, 2.90 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 137 ERA+) enjoyed his best season thus far in his 4-year career.

Biggest Disappointment:

It’s hard to single out any one player for a disappointing season on a playoff-bound club, but 27-year old CF Dylan Moyne (.273/.335/.456, 24 HR, 83 RBI, 54 BB, 10 SB, 3.4 WAR) got off to a terribly slow start (batting .180/.255/.270 in December) before coming alive in the second half (.352/.412/.557 in March). His defense was also down from his established level of excellence (.984 PCT, 3.84 RNG, -0.4 ZR, 1.005). His drop-off is especially notable when you compare his WAR from his previous two seasons: 7.6 in 1947-48 and 9.0 last year.

Player of the Week Awards:

February 6 – C Louis Wearne (.400, 10 H, 4 HR, 9 RBI)
February 13 – RF Dylan Moyne (.520, 13 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 6 R)
March 6 – RF Dylan Moyne (.444, 12 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI)

Noteworthy:

February 12 – SS Ninfa Puzon (.273/.371/.363, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 84 BB, 9 SB, 2.6 WAR) saw his 27-game hitting streak, the longest in the United Leagues this season, come to end in a game against the Embro Suns. Puzon went 0 for 1 when he entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 10th inning. Nevertheless, his Generals still prevailed when they scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning to pull out a 4-2 victory at Embro’s Speaker Stadium.

Current Injuries:

March 23 – 2B Nobuyoshi Yoshida – strained abdominal muscle. Out for: five weeks.

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Offense: .261/.351/.403 (4th/2nd/1st)
Pitching: 4.39/4.36/4.50 (5th/5th/4th)
Defense: .696 (7th)
Chemistry: Happy

The Kingston Pelicans appeared poised to challenge Fort Richmond for the wild card in the last two months of the season, but their pitching just could not hold up and by mid-February, they quickly became an also-ran and just barely avoided their second sub-.500 season.

The pitching staff overall endured another down year, as 25-year old LHP Dana Listman (15-15, 4.06 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 101 ERA+), who was steady through most of the season, completely collapsed in the final two months (2-8, 5.34 ERA, 1.64 WHIP).

The offense was led by two genuine superstars: 31-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.344/.447/.519, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 92 BB, 7.0 WAR) and 35-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.268/.405/.572, 39 HR, 144 RBI, 126 BB, 6.8 WAR). Bishop earned just 2.9 WAR last season.

Biggest Surprise:

It may not look like much, but 28-year old LF Glen Traill (.297/.393/.457, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 55 BB, 12 SB, 2.7 WAR) enjoyed his best season by far. Originally drafted by the Wolseley Unions 8th overall in 1942-43, Traill had been underwhelming up to this point. But his trade to Kingston last season appears to have put him on the right track at last.

Noteworthy:

March 21 – On March 3, Dean Bishop hit his 36th home run against the Fort Richmond Generals, tying him with Embro’s Jim Friend and Hall of Famer Jayden Tennant for most home runs in a season in the ULB. Then for next 15 excruciating games, Bishop went homerless. Finally, in Game 149 played against the Hespeler Stars, Bishop went 1 for 4. That lone hit was a 2-run shot in the top of the 5th inning against RHP Dominic Whitmore, breaking the old mark. Bishop would wallop two more homers before season’s end to establish the new record of 39.

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .261/.338/.370 (3rd/3rd/6th)
Pitching: 4.14/4.18/3.89 (3rd/4th/3rd)
Defense: .706 (4th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

The Balmoral Giants made some player moves before the deadline in an attempt to move up in the standings, but it didn’t work out. The Giants collapsed in March to finish ten games below .500. Just like last season, they finished 29 games out of first place in the West. Long-time GM Victor Lynch may have to rethink his strategy, as Balmoral needs much more than just a complementary player or two to compete. They need to reboot as the team is quickly going to seed.

27-year old 2B Sean Brearton (.291/.366/.426, 12 HR, 69 RBI, 67 BB, 5.0 WAR) and 24-year old C Dominic Pipard (.288/.392/.369, 4 HR, 65 RBI, 81 BB, 3.7 WAR) each enjoyed their best seasons in the United Leagues so far, but neither are players capable of carrying a team. The rest of the lineup either had down seasons or have their best years behind them.

No. 1 starter 30-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (15-16, 3.45 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 117 ERA+) enjoyed a respectable sophomore season, but the rest of the staff was inconsistent. 35-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (6-18, 4.95 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 82 ERA+), the former 5-time all-star and 5-time United Cup winner, was acquired from the Hespeler Stars in late December. But he was an outright bust (4-8, 6.04 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 67 ERA+) after the trade.

Biggest Disappointment:

Just as there’s not a lot of standouts, neither are there any huge disappointments. So this took some thinking. Ultimately, I went with 26-year old LF Clyde Whitaker (.236/.358/.343, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 83 BB, 14 SB, 1.3 WAR). Whitaker was a 9th overall pick back in 1942-43 and joined the big-league club in late 1944, but he had not done a lot since then. This season was one of his poorest. He has good plate discipline, tremendous fielding capabilities and blinding speed. And yet, he is only rated 13th overall among leftfielders in the ULB. He does have reputation of being a procrastinator (I know the feeling), so perhaps that’s preventing him from reaching his potential.

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .256/.336/.389 (6th/4th/4th)
Pitching: 4.66/4.65/4.72 (7th/7th/6th)
Defense: .687 (8th)
Chemistry: Happy

The Cambria Cannons lost 12 more games than they did last season, but no doubt the team viewed this season as one of transition. The Cannons have some talented young players that joined the big league roster this year and are eager to see how they will fare next season. Certainly, this club could use a jolt in all facets of the game, as most of the pitchers and position players were not able to keep up with the Unions and Generals of the League.

How bad this team would have been without 30-year old SS César Ruíz (.310/.414/.541, 31 HR, 116 RBI, 97 BB, 7.2 WAR) leaves one to shudder, as seldom has a player made an entrance into the United Leagues as has Ruíz. He is a lock for the Rookie of the Year in the West and is rated the No. 1 player in the entire ULB. Only one other player approached his excellence on the Cannons’ squad and that was 32-year old C Heung-su Park (.325/.412/.460, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 68 BB, 6.0 WAR). Park enjoyed his best season at the plate since the 1946-47 season.

Biggest Surprise:

Although he only joined Cambria in late December after being traded from Fort Richmond, 27-year old LHP Jamie Wigley (11-4, 3.93 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 102 ERA+) immediately found a home in the Cannons’ rotation and got better as the season wore on. Drafted in the 6th round in 1942-43, the tall, lanky Australian won a United Cup with the Generals in 1947-48, going 1-1, 1 SV, 7.11 ERA, 1.50 WHIP in his first taste of the majors. The Cannons sure hope he has more pleasant surprises in store in the years to come.

Player of the Week Awards:

February 20 – CF Brian Cosey (.444, 8 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI)

Current Injuries:

March 26 – RHP Rizal Doctolero – rotator cuff strain. Out for: two weeks.

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Offense: .259/.336/.367 (5th/5th/7th)
Pitching: 4.23/4.06/5.07 (4th/3rd/7th)
Defense: .706 (3rd)
Chemistry: Feuding

Like the Cannons, the Sherburn Tigers are at a crossroads, but unless their young studs already on the major league roster can establish themselves, then things could be going south very soon. Sherburn has the weakest farm system in the United Leagues and long-time GM Gareth Danior has made some head-scratching moves over the past year. And the jury is still out on those trades. The Tigers are now 4-years removed from their last playoff appearance when they won 91 games. There’s no evidence that they are on track to get back to that anytime soon.

The pitching relied heavily on 26-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (12-15, 3.82 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 107 ERA+), who had a down year overall, and 23-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (17-12, 3.82 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 107 ERA+). Buschlen finished the year strong in March, winning Pitching of the Month honors.

The offense had only one standout. 23-year old LF Noah Teale (.313/.395/.507, 16 HR, 97 RBI, 78 BB, 18 SB, 4.4 WAR) enjoyed a break-out season, but others need to step up as well if the Tigers are going be relevant. 23-year old 2B Jack Burt (.318/.364/.434, 1 HR, 75 RBI, 45 BB, 3.5 WAR) was terrific at the plate, but struggled defensively (.966 PCT, 5.66 RNG, -5.4 ZR, .978 EFF).

Biggest Disappointment:

30-year old SS Otton Overbeek (.237/.318/.332, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 42 BB, 0.9 WAR) is a 6-time all-star but his performance at the plate fell off a cliff this season. He’s still solid defensively, but manager Lewis Trueman had to bury him in the No. 8 spot in the lineup all season. The Tigers can only hope he rebounds, as they have no prospect in the pipeline to step in.

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .247/.323/.373 (8th/7th/5th)
Pitching: 4.58/4.57/4.67 (6th/6th/5th)
Defense: .706 (5th)
Chemistry: Unhappy

The Hespeler Stars finished the season with a 24-24 record in February and March, which must count for something. Hespeler has for years now been seeing one prospect after another fail to live up to their full potential. They have captains and leaders in abundance, but the roster is without any true superstars. I don’t think GM Roy King has necessarily done anything wrong in his draft selections over the years; they just haven’t panned out. This is a team that could be a powerhouse right now if all their prospects lived up to their initial hype. Hopefully, things will turn around soon for this hard-luck team.

On the pitching side of things, only 25-year old RHP Paul Woodruff (15-22, 3.99 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 102 ERA+) could be said to have had a respectable season. The workhorse pitched 268.2 innings this season, the most on the team. His previous best was 199.0.

28-year old 3B Oliver Pickford (.322/.393/.497, 11 HR, 50 RBI, 37 BB, 3.7 WAR) was as good as it got for the Stars. But the former 2nd-round pick from 1940-41 had essentially done nothing in his previous three seasons (a grand total of 0.7 WAR), so his emergence this year is encouraging. The performance of 27-year old RF Kominiko Hokulani (.252/.355/.421, 15 HR, 48 RBI, 80 BB, 6 SB, 3.1 WAR) in his first full season as a starter was also a cause for optimism. Hokulani was a 4th overall pick in 1945-46. Lastly, 27-year old C Enrique García (.253/.363/.377, 14 HR, 68 RBI, 77 BB, 3.5 WAR) continues to progress with each passing season, albeit modestly. He was a 2nd-round pick from 1944-45.

Biggest Disappointment:

As mentioned earlier, Hespeler is rife with young, promising players that haven’t lived up to their potential. But at least most them are contributing something. That cannot be said of 26-year old CF Jacob Pate (.235/.293/.340, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 46 BB, 6 SB, -0.2 WAR). Pate was drafted 6th overall in 1942-43, with a reputation of a decent bat, great speed and way above-average defense. So far, he has failed to deliver in all three aspects. Over the past four seasons, he has averaged just over 1.0 WAR. This past season was his worst yet, with a lacklustre effort both at the plate and in the field (.988 PCT, 3.65 RNG, -5.9 ZR, .996 EFF). He is described as ‘thick-headed’, so there you go.

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .253/.321/.366 (7th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 5.01/4.87/5.70 (8th/8th/8th)
Defense: .702 (6th)
Chemistry: Feuding

The season has mercifully come to an end for the Pulberry Trolleys and perhaps a new era will soon begin, as the club saw new ownership take over as of March 3. Hopefully the new regime will put a fire under management so that long-standing issues plaguing this team will be finally addressed.

For all their dysfunction, the Trolleys’ future is not all bleak. Their farm system is rated 4th overall and that doesn’t include their most recent 1st-round draft pick, 23-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.280/.400/640 – 27/70), who finished the year in AAA and appears to be the real deal. Another 1st-round draft pick, 22-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.245/.284/.393, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 22 BB, 3 SB, 0.9 WAR – 45/73) began getting into the major league lineup more frequently in January and finished the season hitting in the No. 2 spot. He looks to be a candidate for having a break-out season next year. And of course, the Trolleys assured themselves the first overall pick in next year’s draft.

But the lack of impact players on the pitching staff and in most of the lineup, not to mention the backlog of front-line players languishing on the bench (as discussed in the previous Western League report) really needs to be addressed before next season rolls around.

Biggest Surprise:

There’s little point of harping on the negatives all the time, so I thought I would focus on a positive here. 24-year old SS Francis Jones (.331/.430/.502, 17 HR, 72 RBI, 88 BB, 7 SB, 5.6 WAR) is that rare player on Pulberry’s roster that blossomed into a legitimate star this season. He is the No. 2 shortstop in the ULB (after Cambria’s César Ruíz) and is now listed 11th overall among all position players, the only Pulberry player to make an appearance. The Trolleys finally have a cornerstone player they can build around.

Player of the Week Awards:

February 27 – C Gareth Kody (.583, 7 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI)

Noteworthy:

March 3 – Well, at the very least, the ‘Commissioner’ will have to be careful next time not to think out loud. Not long after he publicly expressed concern over the Pulberry Trolleys’ continued struggles on the field, long-time owner Paul Winterackley died. It was announced a short time later that his son, Steven, would be taking the wheel. So we’ll just have to see whether the Trolley’s fortunes will improve under the younger Winterackler’s watch.

Current Injuries: None.

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08-12-2018, 12:48 AM	#455
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	March 27, 1950 Western League: Unions, Generals ‘Check In’, Pulberry Owner ‘Checks Out’ -------- Offense: .280/.368/.399 (1st/1st/2nd) Pitching: 2.97/3.09/2.18 (1st/1st/1st) Defense: .726 (2nd) Chemistry: Happy After three straight second place finishes and 80-something win seasons, the Wolseley Unions powered their way into first place with 101 victories, easily outpacing the Fort Richmond Generals. There was very little they didn’t excel in other than perhaps home runs (100 – 5th in WL) and stolen bases (41 – 6th). Playing away from home didn’t faze them either, as they did better on the road (52-25) than at home (49-28). With their 101 victories, the Unions overall record now stands at 1000-1002 (the Queensland Eagles stand at 1001-1001). The Kingston Pelicans have the most wins in the ULB after 13 seasons, with 1166, while the Pulberry Trolleys have the fewest (856). Although the Unions didn’t break the record for lowest team ERA (which still stands at 2.85), they came close, and were the only team in the United Leagues to finish below 3.00. There were standout performances on both sides of the ball. 28-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.350/.480/.519, 14 HR, 89 RBI, 138 BB, 6.7 WAR) and 25-year old C Éric Denis (.308/.373/.490, 19 HR, 89 RBI, 53 BB, 5.6 WAR) were both their usual outstanding selves, with Carlton winning his second consecutive Western League Batting Title. But they weren’t the only ones who were terrific. Both 28-year old SS George Kimpton (.305/.385/.439, 13 HR, 101 RBI, 80 BB, 9 SB, 5.1 WAR) and 27-year old RF Howard Ockey (.307/.400/.426, 6 HR, 64 RBI, 69 BB, 7 SB, 4.5 WAR) each enjoyed the best season of the careers. The pitching was second-to-none, which is saying something, considering some of the outstanding pitching staffs in the ULB. 31-year old RHP Bill Blair (21-4, 2.87 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 143 ERA+) led the way, setting a new record for winning percentage, with .8400. That beat Raúl Lucero’s nine-year old mark of .8333 (15-3, 3.70 ERA in 1940 with the Wellington Athletics). But Blair is ably supported by 26-year old ace RHP Jeremy Albury (18-12, 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 150 ERA+) and 30-year old RHP Kai Tosh (13-13, 3.11 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 132 ERA+). Wolseley also hit the jackpot when they signed free agent pitcher 28-year old RHP Shou-xin Chin (10-2, 7 SV, 1.23 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 2.23 FIP). Chin was rated as the No. 3 reliever in the United Leagues at season’s end. Biggest Surprise: The Unions now have four starting pitchers rated in the Top 20, as 25-year old LHP Axel Mackay (12-1, 3 SV, 2.31 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 177 ERA+) is now listed #19 overall. MacKay was simply outstanding after being installed in the rotation in late December. His previous two seasons in the majors were unremarkable. He has moved into the No. 4 spot, bumping 32-year old RHP Hun Park (8-9, 4.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 92 ERA+) into the bullpen. Player of the Week Awards: March 13 – RF Howard Ockey (.474, 9 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI) March 20 – LF Carlton Hawking (.640, 16 H, 8 RBI) Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .265/.333/.397 (2nd/6th/3rd) Pitching: 3.25/3.28/3.05 (2nd/2nd/2nd) Defense: .729 (1st) Chemistry: Ecstatic The Fort Richmond Generals remain a formidable team but fell into a funk in the second-half of the season, where they could only manage a 37-38 record (after starting 50-29). It’s not as if they are bad in any one area. But they just could not keep up with Wolseley. As good as they are on offense and pitching, they appear to be just a step below the Unions. The Generals also received some unfortunate news. Their top offensive player this season, 25-year old 2B Nobuyoshi Yoshida (.301/.345/.441, 9 HR, 71 RBI, 38 BB, 7 SB, 5.0 WAR), was injured in a game against the Cambria Cannons when legging out a double in the General’s 3-0 win. He is gone for the playoffs, dealing a bit of a blow to the club. That’s because the rest of the offense was having a bit of a down year while the club was easing in some new players. One example is 23-year old 1B Daniel Paterson (.302/.344/.544, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 11 BB, 1.2 WAR), a third-round pick from 1946-47. Paterson was installed as Fort Richmond’s starting 1B in the last two weeks of the season, taking over from 28-year old 1B Brian Earle (.298/.346/.434, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 29 BB, 1.9 WAR). Both appear capable starters, so Fort Richmond will have decision to make in the off-season. As it is, Paterson is rated 5th overall among all 1B in the ULB. The pitching staff is rock-solid, but 27-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (21-8, 2.90 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 137 ERA+) enjoyed his best season thus far in his 4-year career. Biggest Disappointment: It’s hard to single out any one player for a disappointing season on a playoff-bound club, but 27-year old CF Dylan Moyne (.273/.335/.456, 24 HR, 83 RBI, 54 BB, 10 SB, 3.4 WAR) got off to a terribly slow start (batting .180/.255/.270 in December) before coming alive in the second half (.352/.412/.557 in March). His defense was also down from his established level of excellence (.984 PCT, 3.84 RNG, -0.4 ZR, 1.005). His drop-off is especially notable when you compare his WAR from his previous two seasons: 7.6 in 1947-48 and 9.0 last year. Player of the Week Awards: February 6 – C Louis Wearne (.400, 10 H, 4 HR, 9 RBI) February 13 – RF Dylan Moyne (.520, 13 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 6 R) March 6 – RF Dylan Moyne (.444, 12 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI) Noteworthy: February 12 – SS Ninfa Puzon (.273/.371/.363, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 84 BB, 9 SB, 2.6 WAR) saw his 27-game hitting streak, the longest in the United Leagues this season, come to end in a game against the Embro Suns. Puzon went 0 for 1 when he entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 10th inning. Nevertheless, his Generals still prevailed when they scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning to pull out a 4-2 victory at Embro’s Speaker Stadium. Current Injuries: March 23 – 2B Nobuyoshi Yoshida – strained abdominal muscle. Out for: five weeks. -------- Offense: .261/.351/.403 (4th/2nd/1st) Pitching: 4.39/4.36/4.50 (5th/5th/4th) Defense: .696 (7th) Chemistry: Happy The Kingston Pelicans appeared poised to challenge Fort Richmond for the wild card in the last two months of the season, but their pitching just could not hold up and by mid-February, they quickly became an also-ran and just barely avoided their second sub-.500 season. The pitching staff overall endured another down year, as 25-year old LHP Dana Listman (15-15, 4.06 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 101 ERA+), who was steady through most of the season, completely collapsed in the final two months (2-8, 5.34 ERA, 1.64 WHIP). The offense was led by two genuine superstars: 31-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.344/.447/.519, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 92 BB, 7.0 WAR) and 35-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.268/.405/.572, 39 HR, 144 RBI, 126 BB, 6.8 WAR). Bishop earned just 2.9 WAR last season. Biggest Surprise: It may not look like much, but 28-year old LF Glen Traill (.297/.393/.457, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 55 BB, 12 SB, 2.7 WAR) enjoyed his best season by far. Originally drafted by the Wolseley Unions 8th overall in 1942-43, Traill had been underwhelming up to this point. But his trade to Kingston last season appears to have put him on the right track at last. Noteworthy: March 21 – On March 3, Dean Bishop hit his 36th home run against the Fort Richmond Generals, tying him with Embro’s Jim Friend and Hall of Famer Jayden Tennant for most home runs in a season in the ULB. Then for next 15 excruciating games, Bishop went homerless. Finally, in Game 149 played against the Hespeler Stars, Bishop went 1 for 4. That lone hit was a 2-run shot in the top of the 5th inning against RHP Dominic Whitmore, breaking the old mark. Bishop would wallop two more homers before season’s end to establish the new record of 39. Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .261/.338/.370 (3rd/3rd/6th) Pitching: 4.14/4.18/3.89 (3rd/4th/3rd) Defense: .706 (4th) Chemistry: Unhappy The Balmoral Giants made some player moves before the deadline in an attempt to move up in the standings, but it didn’t work out. The Giants collapsed in March to finish ten games below .500. Just like last season, they finished 29 games out of first place in the West. Long-time GM Victor Lynch may have to rethink his strategy, as Balmoral needs much more than just a complementary player or two to compete. They need to reboot as the team is quickly going to seed. 27-year old 2B Sean Brearton (.291/.366/.426, 12 HR, 69 RBI, 67 BB, 5.0 WAR) and 24-year old C Dominic Pipard (.288/.392/.369, 4 HR, 65 RBI, 81 BB, 3.7 WAR) each enjoyed their best seasons in the United Leagues so far, but neither are players capable of carrying a team. The rest of the lineup either had down seasons or have their best years behind them. No. 1 starter 30-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (15-16, 3.45 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 117 ERA+) enjoyed a respectable sophomore season, but the rest of the staff was inconsistent. 35-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (6-18, 4.95 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 82 ERA+), the former 5-time all-star and 5-time United Cup winner, was acquired from the Hespeler Stars in late December. But he was an outright bust (4-8, 6.04 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 67 ERA+) after the trade. Biggest Disappointment: Just as there’s not a lot of standouts, neither are there any huge disappointments. So this took some thinking. Ultimately, I went with 26-year old LF Clyde Whitaker (.236/.358/.343, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 83 BB, 14 SB, 1.3 WAR). Whitaker was a 9th overall pick back in 1942-43 and joined the big-league club in late 1944, but he had not done a lot since then. This season was one of his poorest. He has good plate discipline, tremendous fielding capabilities and blinding speed. And yet, he is only rated 13th overall among leftfielders in the ULB. He does have reputation of being a procrastinator (I know the feeling), so perhaps that’s preventing him from reaching his potential. Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .256/.336/.389 (6th/4th/4th) Pitching: 4.66/4.65/4.72 (7th/7th/6th) Defense: .687 (8th) Chemistry: Happy The Cambria Cannons lost 12 more games than they did last season, but no doubt the team viewed this season as one of transition. The Cannons have some talented young players that joined the big league roster this year and are eager to see how they will fare next season. Certainly, this club could use a jolt in all facets of the game, as most of the pitchers and position players were not able to keep up with the Unions and Generals of the League. How bad this team would have been without 30-year old SS César Ruíz (.310/.414/.541, 31 HR, 116 RBI, 97 BB, 7.2 WAR) leaves one to shudder, as seldom has a player made an entrance into the United Leagues as has Ruíz. He is a lock for the Rookie of the Year in the West and is rated the No. 1 player in the entire ULB. Only one other player approached his excellence on the Cannons’ squad and that was 32-year old C Heung-su Park (.325/.412/.460, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 68 BB, 6.0 WAR). Park enjoyed his best season at the plate since the 1946-47 season. Biggest Surprise: Although he only joined Cambria in late December after being traded from Fort Richmond, 27-year old LHP Jamie Wigley (11-4, 3.93 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 102 ERA+) immediately found a home in the Cannons’ rotation and got better as the season wore on. Drafted in the 6th round in 1942-43, the tall, lanky Australian won a United Cup with the Generals in 1947-48, going 1-1, 1 SV, 7.11 ERA, 1.50 WHIP in his first taste of the majors. The Cannons sure hope he has more pleasant surprises in store in the years to come. Player of the Week Awards: February 20 – CF Brian Cosey (.444, 8 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI) Current Injuries: March 26 – RHP Rizal Doctolero – rotator cuff strain. Out for: two weeks. -------- Offense: .259/.336/.367 (5th/5th/7th) Pitching: 4.23/4.06/5.07 (4th/3rd/7th) Defense: .706 (3rd) Chemistry: Feuding Like the Cannons, the Sherburn Tigers are at a crossroads, but unless their young studs already on the major league roster can establish themselves, then things could be going south very soon. Sherburn has the weakest farm system in the United Leagues and long-time GM Gareth Danior has made some head-scratching moves over the past year. And the jury is still out on those trades. The Tigers are now 4-years removed from their last playoff appearance when they won 91 games. There’s no evidence that they are on track to get back to that anytime soon. The pitching relied heavily on 26-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (12-15, 3.82 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 107 ERA+), who had a down year overall, and 23-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (17-12, 3.82 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 107 ERA+). Buschlen finished the year strong in March, winning Pitching of the Month honors. The offense had only one standout. 23-year old LF Noah Teale (.313/.395/.507, 16 HR, 97 RBI, 78 BB, 18 SB, 4.4 WAR) enjoyed a break-out season, but others need to step up as well if the Tigers are going be relevant. 23-year old 2B Jack Burt (.318/.364/.434, 1 HR, 75 RBI, 45 BB, 3.5 WAR) was terrific at the plate, but struggled defensively (.966 PCT, 5.66 RNG, -5.4 ZR, .978 EFF). Biggest Disappointment: 30-year old SS Otton Overbeek (.237/.318/.332, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 42 BB, 0.9 WAR) is a 6-time all-star but his performance at the plate fell off a cliff this season. He’s still solid defensively, but manager Lewis Trueman had to bury him in the No. 8 spot in the lineup all season. The Tigers can only hope he rebounds, as they have no prospect in the pipeline to step in. Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .247/.323/.373 (8th/7th/5th) Pitching: 4.58/4.57/4.67 (6th/6th/5th) Defense: .706 (5th) Chemistry: Unhappy The Hespeler Stars finished the season with a 24-24 record in February and March, which must count for something. Hespeler has for years now been seeing one prospect after another fail to live up to their full potential. They have captains and leaders in abundance, but the roster is without any true superstars. I don’t think GM Roy King has necessarily done anything wrong in his draft selections over the years; they just haven’t panned out. This is a team that could be a powerhouse right now if all their prospects lived up to their initial hype. Hopefully, things will turn around soon for this hard-luck team. On the pitching side of things, only 25-year old RHP Paul Woodruff (15-22, 3.99 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 102 ERA+) could be said to have had a respectable season. The workhorse pitched 268.2 innings this season, the most on the team. His previous best was 199.0. 28-year old 3B Oliver Pickford (.322/.393/.497, 11 HR, 50 RBI, 37 BB, 3.7 WAR) was as good as it got for the Stars. But the former 2nd-round pick from 1940-41 had essentially done nothing in his previous three seasons (a grand total of 0.7 WAR), so his emergence this year is encouraging. The performance of 27-year old RF Kominiko Hokulani (.252/.355/.421, 15 HR, 48 RBI, 80 BB, 6 SB, 3.1 WAR) in his first full season as a starter was also a cause for optimism. Hokulani was a 4th overall pick in 1945-46. Lastly, 27-year old C Enrique García (.253/.363/.377, 14 HR, 68 RBI, 77 BB, 3.5 WAR) continues to progress with each passing season, albeit modestly. He was a 2nd-round pick from 1944-45. Biggest Disappointment: As mentioned earlier, Hespeler is rife with young, promising players that haven’t lived up to their potential. But at least most them are contributing something. That cannot be said of 26-year old CF Jacob Pate (.235/.293/.340, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 46 BB, 6 SB, -0.2 WAR). Pate was drafted 6th overall in 1942-43, with a reputation of a decent bat, great speed and way above-average defense. So far, he has failed to deliver in all three aspects. Over the past four seasons, he has averaged just over 1.0 WAR. This past season was his worst yet, with a lacklustre effort both at the plate and in the field (.988 PCT, 3.65 RNG, -5.9 ZR, .996 EFF). He is described as ‘thick-headed’, so there you go. Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .253/.321/.366 (7th/8th/8th) Pitching: 5.01/4.87/5.70 (8th/8th/8th) Defense: .702 (6th) Chemistry: Feuding The season has mercifully come to an end for the Pulberry Trolleys and perhaps a new era will soon begin, as the club saw new ownership take over as of March 3. Hopefully the new regime will put a fire under management so that long-standing issues plaguing this team will be finally addressed. For all their dysfunction, the Trolleys’ future is not all bleak. Their farm system is rated 4th overall and that doesn’t include their most recent 1st-round draft pick, 23-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.280/.400/640 – 27/70), who finished the year in AAA and appears to be the real deal. Another 1st-round draft pick, 22-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.245/.284/.393, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 22 BB, 3 SB, 0.9 WAR – 45/73) began getting into the major league lineup more frequently in January and finished the season hitting in the No. 2 spot. He looks to be a candidate for having a break-out season next year. And of course, the Trolleys assured themselves the first overall pick in next year’s draft. But the lack of impact players on the pitching staff and in most of the lineup, not to mention the backlog of front-line players languishing on the bench (as discussed in the previous Western League report) really needs to be addressed before next season rolls around. Biggest Surprise: There’s little point of harping on the negatives all the time, so I thought I would focus on a positive here. 24-year old SS Francis Jones (.331/.430/.502, 17 HR, 72 RBI, 88 BB, 7 SB, 5.6 WAR) is that rare player on Pulberry’s roster that blossomed into a legitimate star this season. He is the No. 2 shortstop in the ULB (after Cambria’s César Ruíz) and is now listed 11th overall among all position players, the only Pulberry player to make an appearance. The Trolleys finally have a cornerstone player they can build around. Player of the Week Awards: February 27 – C Gareth Kody (.583, 7 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) Noteworthy: March 3 – Well, at the very least, the ‘Commissioner’ will have to be careful next time not to think out loud. Not long after he publicly expressed concern over the Pulberry Trolleys’ continued struggles on the field, long-time owner Paul Winterackley died. It was announced a short time later that his son, Steven, would be taking the wheel. So we’ll just have to see whether the Trolley’s fortunes will improve under the younger Winterackler’s watch. Current Injuries: None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland