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Imperialism32 · 05-29-2020, 11:02 AM

There's the arm.

There's Josh Dillow settling under a flyball in the Kansas City sun, planting his feet just so, ready to uncoil a bullet an eliminate any baserunner feeling lucky enough to take a gamble.

There's the glove, and the speed.

This is where we pause to acknowlede that, okay, despite his elite speed he's not quite the outfielder he could be. San Francisco's Andrey Burwell, the young sensation, uses his explosive speed to roam center field like few you've ever seen. Dillow doesn't do that, and he's not the threat on the bases you'd think given the raw speed. But when he gets a good jump on a flyball, or catches the pitcher napping and takes off for second base, it's a sight to behold.

But none of that is the story of Josh Dillow.

To watch him run, throw, or field is a nice enough experience. To watch him hit is to watch Shakespeare write or Fred Astaire dance. He is a magician at the plate, turning the left-handed batter's box into a stage, performing trick after trick. Now you see a fastball, now you don't, because he smoked it into the right-center gap.

Dillow has been named Hitter of the Month in the North American in both June and July, and he's aiming for a three-peat. In June, he hit .396 and socked six home runs. In July, he cut back on the power but hit .450, nearly averaging two hits per game (45 in 24 games). In both months, he walked more than he struck out. And for good measure, he added a home run in the NAL All Star Game.

Eight games into August, he's hitting .417 with three triples and a home run. His OPS for the past three months: 1.123, 1.126, 1.128. He has been not just amazing but consistent. His OPS is above 1.000 against both right- and left-handed pitching.

How about this stat: Any pitcher will tell you how important it is to get ahead in the count, to get two strikes and put the pressure on the batter. With two strikes, Josh Dillow is hitting ..355/.422/.533.

"He's incredible," said starting pitcher Josh Sarre, the other half of the All-Josh superstar duo keeping the Kansas City Wheat Kings in contention. "I sit in the dugout watching him and it's like, 'okay, how would I attack this guy?' and there's just no answer. He's been thrown every pitch in every location and he's hit it all."

Some hitters can hit it to all fields. Others consciously try to depending on the situation. Josh Dillow does it as a matter of course. Defenses can't possibly shade him because he is the true master of hitting it where they ain't.

The Wheat Kings sit at 54-45, second place in the NAL West Division, trailing the Vancouver Bruins by two games. On the other side are the Phoenix Devils, whom they lead by two games. So their spot in the playoffs is anything but assured.

Sarre is arguably the bigger piece to the puzzle given the state of their pitching staff. He's been worth 4.0 WAR while the other four starters have combined for 4.6 WAR. Aging fireballer Lee Alexander can still light up a radar gun, but his ERA has dipped below 6.00 just once all season and he allowed seven runs in 1.2 innings in his next start. The legendary Texan has seemed disinterested at times this season and is a free agent and year's end.

The offense has carried the team, and they lead their division in every relevant offensive category. Rick Tapia is hitting .337 and has stolen 23 bases. Linus Lee has hit 24 home runs. Isaac Mohammed has added 20 big flies of his own and puts on a show every single night defensively at shortstop. They've overcome a big injury to Isaiah Ward, a New Englander like Dillow and one of the team leader.

There are pieces, spokes of a good offense. But Dillow is the hub that turns the wheel, making it all go. He's understated to the point that, when this reporter informed him he was to be on the cover of this issue, he asked if we could find someone else. He was gracious, and has done some interviews with local media, but it's clear he prefers to do his talking between the lines.

Sarre is the self-proclaimed loudmouth of the team, and didn't hesitate to give his thoughts.

"He says the least but has the most respect around here," he said. "Everyone knows what Josh is about and what kind of effort he brings to the ballpark every day. When you're that good, you don't need to say a word."

05-29-2020, 11:02 AM	#48
Imperialism32 Major Leagues Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 341	There's the arm. There's Josh Dillow settling under a flyball in the Kansas City sun, planting his feet just so, ready to uncoil a bullet an eliminate any baserunner feeling lucky enough to take a gamble. There's the glove, and the speed. This is where we pause to acknowlede that, okay, despite his elite speed he's not quite the outfielder he could be. San Francisco's Andrey Burwell, the young sensation, uses his explosive speed to roam center field like few you've ever seen. Dillow doesn't do that, and he's not the threat on the bases you'd think given the raw speed. But when he gets a good jump on a flyball, or catches the pitcher napping and takes off for second base, it's a sight to behold. But none of that is the story of Josh Dillow. To watch him run, throw, or field is a nice enough experience. To watch him hit is to watch Shakespeare write or Fred Astaire dance. He is a magician at the plate, turning the left-handed batter's box into a stage, performing trick after trick. Now you see a fastball, now you don't, because he smoked it into the right-center gap. Dillow has been named Hitter of the Month in the North American in both June and July, and he's aiming for a three-peat. In June, he hit .396 and socked six home runs. In July, he cut back on the power but hit .450, nearly averaging two hits per game (45 in 24 games). In both months, he walked more than he struck out. And for good measure, he added a home run in the NAL All Star Game. Eight games into August, he's hitting .417 with three triples and a home run. His OPS for the past three months: 1.123, 1.126, 1.128. He has been not just amazing but consistent. His OPS is above 1.000 against both right- and left-handed pitching. How about this stat: Any pitcher will tell you how important it is to get ahead in the count, to get two strikes and put the pressure on the batter. With two strikes, Josh Dillow is hitting ..355/.422/.533. "He's incredible," said starting pitcher Josh Sarre, the other half of the All-Josh superstar duo keeping the Kansas City Wheat Kings in contention. "I sit in the dugout watching him and it's like, 'okay, how would I attack this guy?' and there's just no answer. He's been thrown every pitch in every location and he's hit it all." Some hitters can hit it to all fields. Others consciously try to depending on the situation. Josh Dillow does it as a matter of course. Defenses can't possibly shade him because he is the true master of hitting it where they ain't. The Wheat Kings sit at 54-45, second place in the NAL West Division, trailing the Vancouver Bruins by two games. On the other side are the Phoenix Devils, whom they lead by two games. So their spot in the playoffs is anything but assured. Sarre is arguably the bigger piece to the puzzle given the state of their pitching staff. He's been worth 4.0 WAR while the other four starters have combined for 4.6 WAR. Aging fireballer Lee Alexander can still light up a radar gun, but his ERA has dipped below 6.00 just once all season and he allowed seven runs in 1.2 innings in his next start. The legendary Texan has seemed disinterested at times this season and is a free agent and year's end. The offense has carried the team, and they lead their division in every relevant offensive category. Rick Tapia is hitting .337 and has stolen 23 bases. Linus Lee has hit 24 home runs. Isaac Mohammed has added 20 big flies of his own and puts on a show every single night defensively at shortstop. They've overcome a big injury to Isaiah Ward, a New Englander like Dillow and one of the team leader. There are pieces, spokes of a good offense. But Dillow is the hub that turns the wheel, making it all go. He's understated to the point that, when this reporter informed him he was to be on the cover of this issue, he asked if we could find someone else. He was gracious, and has done some interviews with local media, but it's clear he prefers to do his talking between the lines. Sarre is the self-proclaimed loudmouth of the team, and didn't hesitate to give his thoughts. "He says the least but has the most respect around here," he said. "Everyone knows what Josh is about and what kind of effort he brings to the ballpark every day. When you're that good, you don't need to say a word."