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reds1 · 03-23-2022, 05:21 PM

February 1, 1956

Eastern League: Athletics Take Over Top Spot While Barons Load Up

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Offense: .258/.331/.375 (4th/6th/7th)
Pitching: 3.51/3.49/3.59 (1st/1st/4th)
Defense: .734 (1st)

Despite falling back to third place by mid-December, the Wellington Athletics did not falter for long. After re-taking the wildcard spot from the Queensland Eagles by the end of the month, the Athletics closed in on the league-leading Stratford Barons by the All-Star break. They then went 12-2 immediately after the break to take top spot in the East. That stretch included taking 3 of 4 games from the Barons, where they outscored Stratford, 21-12.

The strength of the team continues to be the starting rotation, where the still developing 24-year old sophomore RHP Mike Murray (6-5, 3.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 104 ERA+ - 53/68) has taken over the No. 1 spot. But 28-year old RHP Vinnie Snell (8-6, 3.35 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 117 ERA+) continues his steady play and a surprising 32-year old RHP Hyun-kyoo Sin (13-4, 2.78 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 141 ERA+) has transformed himself into the best pitcher on the squad this season. The 10-year veteran (63-77, 4.73 ERA, 156 WHIP, 86 ERA+ lifetime) was a waiver wire pick-up from the Brunswick Legends back in December 1953. He has not enjoyed a winning season since he went 16-12, 3.97 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 101 ERA+ with Brunswick back in 1949-50.

The offense continues to trail the other teams in the East and there is concern as to whether it can hold up down the stretch. But 28-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.326/.438/.561, 19 HR, 78 RBI, 72 BB, 15 SB, 5.8 WAR – 80/80) is steadily returning to his status as one of the best position players in the ULB he enjoyed three seasons ago. He is joined by 30-year old RF Jim Mars (.327/.395/.488, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 44 BB, 4.0 WAR) and 28-year old 1B Wayne Emmert (.298/.392/.455, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 56 BB, 3.1 WAR), who are both enjoying their best seasons in years.

The Athletics also have two former 1st-round picks on the major league roster who could provide an offensive boost soon, although it may not come soon enough: 24-year old IF/OF Jordan Backhouse (.263/.324/.338, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 10 BB, 2 SB, 0.4 WAR – 49/57) and 25-year old OF Noel Johnston (.221/.376/.309, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 16 BB, 0.1 WAR – 49/62).

All-Star Selections:

RHP Vinnie Snell (2nd)
RHP Finley Capstick (4th)
LF Matthew Floyd (5th)
RF Jim Mars (6th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 26 – LF Matthew Floyd (.500, 14 H, 4 HR, 15 RBI)
January 16 – 1B Wayne Emmert (.562, 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI)

Key Trade: January 12 with the Embro Suns:

To Wellington – 30-year old 3B Keon-chae Cho (53/53)
To Embro – 26-year old RF Thom Larsen (43/47) and 18-year old minor league RHP Wayne Beardsall (23/44)

Knee-jerk reaction: Essentially a trade of two utility players, except that Embro has made Larsen their starting centerfielder and Cho would appear to be deserving to start at third base for Wellington. With 29-year old OF Orlando Morales (.207/248/.321, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 17 BB, 3 SB, -1.0 WAR) struggling this season, the Suns went out and acquired Larsen, an incredibly gifted defensively outfielder with amazing speed. However, while his eye at the plate grades out as above average (60), he is not an especially gifted offensive player, which may hold him back from a regular role in the lineup.

Cho’s best season came in 1949-50, when he racked up 4.1 WAR and won Game MVP honors in his lone All-Star appearance. But since then, he has been relegated to back-up duties behind last year’s EL Babe Ruth Award winner, Moromao Nakagawa (.310/.406/.554, 22 HR, 80 RBI, 64 BB, 4.6 WAR). Cho is a steady outfielder with a decent bat with some power (60) and a great eye (75). However, he struggles with consistent contact (45). For now, he is buried deep in Wellington’s depth chart, but frankly he deserves to start over the Athletics current starting third baseman, 29-year old Yorikane Takeuchi (.196/.267/.270, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 30 BB, 0.1 WAR).

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Offense: .248/.335/.391 (6th/3rd/5th)
Pitching: 3.77/3.81/3.63 (3rd/2nd/5th)
Defense: .712 (4th)

The Stratford Barons enjoyed the best record in the United Leagues at the end of December but took a tumble in January and find themselves holding down the wildcard spot. They dropped 5 of 8 games against the lowly Cobourg Redlegs and 4 of 7 against the Athletics last month. The regression is particularly noticeable on the pitching staff. However, the lineup has not been consistent either. In view of that, they made three high profile trades to try and shore up their bullpen and add a major spark to their offense.

On paper, the offense should be one of the most potent in the East. That holds true for 36-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.279/.438/.484, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 62 BB, 3.5 WAR) although Skidmore endured a slump in December (.196/.403/.348) before bouncing back in January (.302/.429/.476). Close behind him are 27-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.280/.336/.469, 15 HR, 63 RBI, 32 BB, 6 SB, 3.3 WAR) and 27-year old RF Andy Faulkner (.270/.397/.462, 17 HR, 56 RBI, 74 BB, 3.2 WAR), who was particularly hot in January (.322/.445/.544). But other than 26-year old 1B Sherwin Carasig (.309/.374/.486, 13 HR, 61 RBI, 38 BB, 11 SB, 2.8 WAR), who is enjoying a nice bounce-back after an injury-plagued season last year, the rest of the lineup has been lagging.

27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (14-6, 1.73 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 229 ERA+) remains arguably the best starter in the East, but outside of 28-year old RHP Ted Smith (10-6, 3.22 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 123 ERA), the rotation and particularly the bullpen have regressed.

All-Star Selections:

LHP Robin Wadsworth (2nd)
RHP Bill Wolf (3rd)
C Aaron Skidmore (15th)
2B Matthew Channing (3rd)
RF Andy Faulkner (3rd)

Noteworthy:

December 24 – The Brunswick Legends may have jumped out to a 9-2 lead and held on to win 9-7 the day before, but 27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth completely shut down the Legends’ bats the following day right in Brunswick. Stratford’s ace limited the Legends to just two hits, leading the Barons to a 1-0 victory. The only run came in the top of the third, when CF Mo Brinklow led off with a double, reached 3B on a Matthew Channing 4-3 ground out, then came home on a Sherwin Carasig sac fly to leftfield. The only two hits for Brunswick came in the bottom of the 4th, when Wadsworth gave up back-to-back two-out singles. In all, Wadsworth walked 3, struck out 7 on 127 PI (GS: 87).

Key Trade #1: January 4 with the Downie Chiefs:

To Stratford – 32-year old RHP Bill Lafontaine (62/62)
To Downie – 23-year old minor league LF Bryan Crocker (26/34) and 23-year old minor league C Hollis Chase (38/50)

Knee-jerk reaction: The Barons were aggressive in the days leading up to the trade deadline, pulling the trigger on three trades to try and beef up their bullpen and secure the rights to one the top position players in the United Leagues. And all three trades saw them give up relatively little in the way of premium talent. The first trade brought back Lafontaine; a former 1st-round pick originally selected by Stratford in 1942-43. He has been a serviceable reliever over the past 12 seasons, with very good stuff (55), movement (60) and control (60). His two main pitches are the cutter (55) and slider (45). He now becomes the Barons’ stopper, taking over from RHP Frank Greggs who was shipped out in a separate trade a few weeks later.

The Chiefs who evidently are entering rebuilding mode, receive a couple of ho-hum minor leaguers in return. The most promising is Chase, who has good contact skills and pitch recognition to go along with above average defensively skills behind the plate. He may become a starter one day. Crocker, however, has incredible speed and base-stealing skills and provides above average defense in the outfield. But his bat is anemic, making him more of a future journeyman.

Key Trade #2: January 23 with the Fort Richmond Generals:

To Stratford – 26-year old RHP Glen Limon (66/66)
To Fort Richmond – 22-year old minor league 2B Dale Linkletter (38/57) and 19-year old minor league CF Russell Mcmullen (20/40)

Knee-jerk reaction: The Barons go out and snag another reliever, but this time they get one of the best. Limon was a 14th overall pick back in 1948-49 and has been a very good middle reliever for Fort Richmond over the last few seasons. Until this year. Shoulder and elbow issues have hampered him since spring training, causing him to miss months of action. But when healthy, he has premium stuff (75) and movement (60) with two terrific pitches: a fastball (65) and curveball (65). He has wonderful stamina (75) as well, enabling him to fill in as an emergency starter when needed. He is considered the 2nd-best reliever in the ULB, behind only Brunswick’s LHP Ron Killingworth.

The Generals, who also appear to be focusing on rebuilding, get a reasonable prospect in Linkletter, a 2nd-round pick from 1951-52. Linkletter’s greatest strengths are his defense and throwing arm at 2B and his speed/stealing/baserunning (60/70/80) abilities. He should have good plate discipline as well, but otherwise, he is nothing special at the plate. But he has a real chance of becoming a starter one day. Mcmullen is very similar to Linkletter ability-wise but with a weaker bat. Still, he could develop into a quality bench player.

Key Trade #3: January 30 with the Downie Chiefs:

To Stratford – 30-year old CF Alfonso León (79/79)
To Downie – 21-year old RHP Frank Greggs (50/67), 23-year old SS Jake Dean (45/51), 22-year old minor league 2B Garth Fuson (35/49), 22-year old minor league RF Archie Orchard (30/40) and 23-year old minor league RF Greg Trask (23/34)

Knee-jerk reaction: Stratford sent shockwaves throughout the United Leagues when they landed the 2-time Babe Ruth Award-winning Alfonso León (.277/.358/.459, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 48 BB, 8 SB, 4.4 WAR) from Downie, perhaps the most dominant position player to be traded since Fort Richmond’s trade of Danny Trowbridge to Kingston back in November 1943. León, a 9-time All-Star and 7-time Ball Hawk Award winner, is one of the best position players in the United Leagues (3rd-best CF, 9th overall). Batting .311/374/.500 over the past 9+ seasons, he is a 5-tool player who does everything well and is an iron man injury-wise. Despite that, he is penciled in as Stratford’s No. 5 hitter, behind C Aaron Skidmore and 2B Matthew Channing.

In exchange for parting with their best player, Downie receives a haul that includes at least a couple of useful players. After Stratford acquired relievers Lafontaine and Limon, Greggs (8-2, 10 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 155 ERA+) was deemed expendable. He has only one useful pitch, a sinker (65) to go along with a poor changeup (20). He has great stuff (65/70), but control can be iffy (40/55) and he could have trouble getting lefties out. He becomes the Chiefs’ new stopper. Also entering their major league lineup is Dean, a 1st-round pick from Australia who should win defensive awards with great position ratings at SS (75) and defensive ratings (70/80/55/80). His bat, however, may hold him back from being a top-flight starter. He takes over starting duties with Downie while 24-year old CF Ben Darvell (.175/.340/.212, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 20 BB, 4 SB, 0.1 WAR – 50/67), a 3rd-round pick from 1950-51, will get a chance to replace León in the lineup.

The rest of the players Downie received appear destined to be little more than bench warmers, but both Fuson and Orchard are above average defenders with some ability as hitters, if they can develop it. Orchard especially has a chance to develop into a reasonable contact hitter to go along with his average power potential and solid defense in the outfield.

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Offense: .263/.334/.411 (3rd/4th/2nd)
Pitching: 4.23/4.11/4.63 (6th/5th/8th)
Defense: .703 (Tied for 6th)

The Queensland Eagles are in unfamiliar territory. For years, the team was strong on pitching but weak on offense. This year its reversed, as the Eagles are enjoying a revived offensive lineup but have a pitching staff that is in disarray.

There is nothing wrong with their top two starters. 30-year old RHP Logan Belsey (14-4, 2.92 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 135 ERA+) and 28-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (16-2, 2.49 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 158 ERA+) have been absolutely incredible over the past two months. In December/January, Belsely went 8-1, 2.17 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, while Micklethwait was downright dominant, going 10-1, 1.24 ERA, 0.89 WHIP. No other team in the United Leagues has anything to rival that 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, but the rest of the pitching staff has been awful, preventing the Eagles from puttting up a greater challenge against the Athletics and Barons for a playoff spot.

The offense may not rival the Barons yet, but it has some nice pieces that could form a winning group. 29-year old LF Rod Dennis (.341/.411/.601, 24 HR, 79 RBI, 47 BB, 4.1 WAR) has emerged as one of the top players in the East and a strong candidate for the EL Babe Ruth Award. He currently leads or is tied in 5 offensive categories. Meanwhile, 22-year old sophomore RF Hal Dhu (.298/.366/.544, 22 HR, 66 RBI, 37 BB, 13 SB, 3.2 WAR) has upped his power game, slugging 14 homers over the past two months. 27-year old C Robbie Leivers (.265/.338/.414, 13 HR, 47 RBI, 36 BB, 2.7 WAR) has been a steady presence behind the plate. And the Eagles may be finally coming around on 26-year old SS Apia Yarrah (.319/.380/.494, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 24 BB, 10 SB, 2.0 WAR – 70/70). Although 23-year old SS Noel Eissens (.165/.203/.223, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 1 BB, -0.5 WAR – 49/68) remains listed in the starting lineup for some reason, Yarrah has been getting the lion’s share of the playing time at the position, which is only fitting for the 4th-best ranked shortstop in the United Leagues.

All-Star Selections:

RHP Logan Belsey (5th)
RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (3rd)
C Robbie Leivers (2nd)
SS Apia Yarrah (1st)
LF Rod Dennis (5th)
RF Hal Dhu (1st)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 9 – RF Hal Dhu (.429, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R)

Noteworthy:

January 12 – The Eagles’ return from the All-Star break saw a dominant performance from their No. 4 starter, 23-year old RHP Wayne O’Reilly (8-7, 4.04 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 97 ERA+). O’Reilly blanked the defending United Cup champions, the Stratford Barons, 1-0 on just 2 hits, both singles. The young Brunswick-native surrendered just one walk and struck out 4 on 134 PI (GS: 86). The only run in the game came in the bottom of the second inning, when RF Hal Dhu led off with a double, reached 3B on a double play, then scored on a wild pitch by Stratford’s RHP Ted Smith.

Key Trade: January 24 with the Cobourg Redlegs:

To Queensland – 29-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (50/50)
To Cobourg – 23-year old RHP Maurice Foley (41/54)

Knee-jerk reaction: The Eagles make a move to try and beef up their rotation in hopes of landing a playoff spot. Their target is Cobourg’s Turvill, a four-year veteran and three-time all-star who started to struggle this season and is not a happy camper. Turvill is essentially a hot and cold pitcher. He is blessed with incredible stuff (70), decent control (50) but lousy movement (25) that will cause him to give up this share of homers. Still, he has great velocity (94-96), stamina (60) and three impressive pitches (fastball-60, curveball-65, changeup-60). He becomes Queensland’s No. 2 starter, just as he was with Cobourg.

With the Redlegs hopelessly out of the playoff hunt, they evidently decided to flip Turvill for a prospect. They get the young Foley, who projects to become a more balanced pitcher than Turvill (stuff-45/50, movement-50, control-45/60) with a respectable if not overpowering arsenal (fastball-35, changeup-55, forkball-45, screwball-50). He becomes Cobourg’s No. 4-rated pitching prospect and will see some action on the major league roster while the Redlegs deal with a rash of injuries to their pitching staff.

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Offense: .263/.331/.424 (2nd/5th/1st)
Pitching: 4.55/4.79/3.98 (8th/7th/6th)
Defense: .703 (Tied for 6th)

Any thoughts the Braeland City Monarchs entertained about seriously challenging for a playoff spot this season appears to be dashed because of a pitching staff that is ranked dead last in the East in at least five categories. The Monarchs made a modest move leading up to the trade deadline to try and improve their bullpen, but it’s hardly enough. Perhaps that’s just being realistic on their part – the rotation is going to need a complete overhaul if Braeland City ever hopes to become a serious playoff threat. They have some excellent pitching prospects down on the farm as reported in their previous writeup, but its of little use for their current ‘win-now’ lineup.

Case in point is 30-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.304/.408/.571, 18 HR, 59 RBI, 57 BB, 5.9 WAR), who is in his prime and playing like it. He remains the top-ranked second baseman in the United Leagues. Also in his prime is 32-year old 1B Dean Witherden (.324/.398/.551, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 46 BB, 3.8 WAR), while 25-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.327/.376/.526, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 35 BB, 3.6 WAR) is ranked second only to Cambria’s Sam Tite among right fielders. But there is a steep drop-off after them in the lineup.

The pitching is a shambles right now, with only 29-year old Danilo Narvaez (8-0, 2.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 140 ERA+) pitching with any kind of consistency out of the rotation.

All-Star Selections:

RHP Danilo Narvaez (1st)
RHP Clive Howard (1st)
1B Dean Witherden (6th)
2B Patrick Lidgate (7th)
RF Aidan Trembath (5th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 12 – 1B Dean Witherden (.462, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R)
December 19 – RF Aidan Trembath (.474, 9 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R)

Noteworthy:

January 5 – It was not a memorable day for the Monarchs, as the visiting Embro Suns thumped them 13-0 on 21 hits at Kings Park. Embro hitters belted out 6 doubles, 2 triples and 2 home runs on the afternoon. Braeland City responded with just 6 singles and a double. The day also saw the end of 25-year old RF Aidan Trembath’s 28-game hitting streak. Trembath (.327/.376/.526, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 35 BB, 3.6 WAR) went 0 for 3 at the plate to end his streak.

Key Trade: January 6 with the Downie Chiefs:

To Braeland City – 38-year old RHP Carl Luscombe (49/49) and 21-year old RHP Jonathan Brookins (44/61)
To Downie – 24-year old minor league LHP José Hernández (25/45) and 20-year old minor league SS Sean Hancorn (23/45)

Knee-jerk reaction: Luscombe is a 7-time all-star who was drafted by the Chiefs and then traded to the Cambria Cannons in 1941 before being traded back to the Chiefs in 1948 in time to help Downie win the United Cup two years later. But he is no longer the dominant pitcher he once was, with poor command (45) and a couple of average pitches (fastball-55, slider-35). It appears he is being jettisoned as part of Downie’s rebuilding efforts. However, the real prize for Braeland City would appear to be Brookins, who has a chance to be a devastating reliever if handled properly. Brookins has amazing stuff (60/75) and movement (65/70), but poor control (25/30). He should rack up plenty of strikeouts with his sinker (65/70) and cutter (50/60), but his walk rate could be the price for that. Thus, the Monarchs would be better served by using him in shorter stints.

Downie’s return seems a little underwhelming, even for a couple of relievers. But Hernández could develop into a back-end starter as he possesses nice movement potential (55/60) with a couple of decent pitches (curveball-65/65, changeup-40/65). Hancorn is destined to a bench role. While he is a solid defensive shortstop with a terrific arm, he has too many offensive shortcomings to become a regular.

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Offense: .265/.336/.405 (1st/1st/3rd)
Pitching: 4.35/4.91/2.96 (7th/8th/1st)
Defense: .693 (8th)

The Embro Suns are in a similar situation as Braeland City. They have a respectable lineup that is being hampered by a gruesome pitching staff. But unlike the Monarchs, who boast the top-rated farm system, the Suns do not have any promising arms in their weak pipeline (12th overall). So, although Embro bounced back somewhat from a disastrous November, there is little hope for them to realistically compete for the playoffs this year or next. That is a shame, as they boast some of the top offensive players in the League.

Any concern over 27-year old 3B Moromao Nakagawa’s (.310/.406/.554, 22 HR, 80 RBI, 64 BB, 4.6 WAR) struggles in November evaporated, as he returned to award-winning form in December and January. He is the top-rated third baseman in the United Leagues and won his second career Player of the Month honour in January. But not far behind him is 25-year old SS Kieron Bradridge (.307/.348/.474, 16 HR, 80 RBI, 28 BB, 4.3 WAR), who bounced back big-time in January (.380/.402/.648) after a couple of sluggish months. Supported them as the club’s lead off hitter is 26-year old Jesús Abreu (.272/.394/.438, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 71 BB, 9 SB, 3.0 WAR), who has been quietly putting together the best season of his 4-year career. Finally, 27-year old C Gareth Mawle (.321/.362/.452, 5 HR, 42 RBI, 22 BB, 2.4 WAR) is enjoying another fine season at the plate.

The rotation is a disaster, with only No. 3 starter 40-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (4-6, 3.36 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 119 ERA+) providing any consistency. Things are so bad that Embro has finally moved 31-year old RHP Domingas Frias (2-2, 2 SV, 2.45 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 162 ERA+ - 45/45) to pitch behind Son. Frias has never started before in his 8-year career until this season, although he is considered a starter. Until recently, Frias was part of one of the strongest bullpens in the East, led by 25-year old RHP Phil McKelvey (8-2, 3 SV, 2.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 156 ERA+) and 25-year old closer RHP Rob Gladstone (5-5, 10 SV, 2.80 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 142 ERA+).

All-Star Selections:

RHP Phil McKelvey (1st)
C Gareth Mawle (2nd)
1B Napana Mamo (3rd)
3B Moromao Nakagawa (4th)
LF Jesús Abreu (2nd)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 23 – 2B Robert Jameson (.545, 12 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI)

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Offense: .251/.335/.385 (5th/2nd/6th)
Pitching: 3.89/3.99/3.44 (4th/4th/3rd)
Defense: .717 (3rd)

Just when you thought it was time to comfortably write-off them off for another season, the Brunswick Legends go on a hot streak that makes you wonder if they are capable of a playoff run after all. After scuffling in mid-December that saw them go just 3-12 – a stretch that included an 8-game losing streak – the Legends turned things around immediately thereafter, going 10-4 leading up to the all-star break. Brunswick continued their strong play over the course of January. But they still remain 11.5 games back of the wildcard and it will take a much hotter hand to realistically catch up to the Barons and Athletics.

The pitching, particularly the starting top 3, are largely responsible for the improved play of late. 38-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (10-11, 3.90 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 103 ERA+) went 4-1, 2.55 ERA, 1.19 WHIP in January. But Brunswick’s ace was joined by 28-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (12-7, 2.99 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 134 ERA+) and 23-year old RHP Dave Ball (7-6, 3.26 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 123 ERA+), who went 3-1, 0.94 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 3-1, 2.31 ERA, 1.28 WHIP in January respectively.

The Legends are led by three standout players: 27-year old C Robert Kersey (.289/.386/.550, 20 HR, 71 RBI, 48 BB, 3.9 WAR) is currently the top-ranked catcher in the United Leagues. He is joined by fellow all-stars 29-year old LF Carl Patton (.281/.378/.394, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 61 BB, 7 SB, 3.2 WAR) and 25-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.276/.384/.491, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 60 BB, 2.8 WAR). But outside of 24-year old rookie IF/OF Edliberto Mandac (.308/.352/.500, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 18 BB, 4 SB, 1.2 WAR), there is a big drop off in production in the lineup. As it is, Mandac is having difficulty getting regular starts. For now, he is starting at first base against LH pitching, while 27-year old Francis Joicey (.263/.355/.456, 13 HR, 35 RBI, 39 BB, 3 SB, 1.7 WAR) is getting the starts against RH pitchers.

All-Star Selections:

C Robert Kersey (5th)
LF Carl Patton (2nd)
RF Jay Mitchell (1st)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 5 – SP Dave Ball (2-0, 5 K, 18.0 IP, 0.50 ERA)
January 2 – LF Edilberto Mandac (.800, 4 H, 2 RBI)

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Offense: .246/.323/.391 (7th/7th/4th)
Pitching: 4.19/4.21/4.15 (5th/6th/7th)
Defense: .706 (5th)

The Cobourg Redlegs are an afterthought in the East once again, squandering the fine talent they have on a roster that seemingly has no identity. But their season has taken on a ‘can’t look away’ quality as their top two starting pitchers have fallen to injuries and as a result, the club is frantically cobbling together a pitching staff with unheralded rookies to try and hold things together. A train wreck to be sure, but train wrecks are anything but dull.

With 27-year old LHP Bill Budd (10-8, 2.59 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 154 ERA+) and 28-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (1-4, 4.65 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 86 ERA+) unable to stay healthy, it has exposed the Redlegs’ lack of depth in the rotation. Things are so bad right now that a player acquired in a minor deal that I didn’t think was worthy of commenting on is currently the staff’s ace. 21-year old LHP Lachlan Lloyd (2-0, 1.15 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 384 ERA+ - 41/53) came over from the Braeland City Monarchs on January 17 in a 4-player deal. Lloyd is the most promising of the group by far and has done well in his first two major league starts. The 5th-round pick from 1952-53 has decent pitching potentials (Stuff-50, Move-60, Cont-55) and a four-pitch arsenal, with his cutter (55) and splitter (45) having the most potential. But two other rookies are shoring up the back end of the rotation: 23-year old RHP Maurice Foley (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 44 ERA+ - 41/54), who came over from the Queensland Eagles in the Marcus Turvill trade and 24-year old RHP Hang-ki Chin (0-0, 3.47 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 115 ERA+ - 34/34). Foley has only one major league start under his belt while Chin has none. It will be interesting to see how they fare the rest of the way. But if everyone can get healthy, the Redlegs could one day have an impressive pitching roster, as the team has one of the strongest farm systems (4th overall). In addition to Lloyd and Foley, Cobourg has 22-year old RHP Albert Johnson (5-12, 5.10 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 79 ERA+ - 47/80), who is also injured and 23-year old RHP Shunen Minaminure (25/64), a 2nd-round pick from this season who was recently promoted to Triple-A. If they can develop and mature, then things may finally stabilize for the Redlegs.

Throughout all this dysfunction, 29-year old CF Raymond Williams (.315/.414/.605, 24 HR, 69 RBI, 60 BB, 11 SB, 5.9 WAR) continues his incredible all-around play and should be a serious contender for winning his third EL Babe Ruth Award this year. He has finished 2nd in the voting over the past three seasons and recently scored his 1000th career run. But outside of 34-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.307/.390/.509, 15 HR, 78 RBI, 46 BB, 3.4 WAR) and 30-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.339/.397/.490, 11 HR, 57 RBI, 32 BB, 2.4 WAR), the rest of the lineup has sputtered.

All-Star Selections:

LHP Bill Budd (3rd)
1B Harry Doxey (7th)
3B Alexander Tolmie (8th)
CF Raymond Williams (9th)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 30 – 1B Harry Doxey (.500, 14 H, 1 HR, 11 RBI)

Noteworthy:

December 13 – 29-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (4-10, 4.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 92 ERA+) is not enjoying the success he’s had in previous seasons and was ultimately traded to Queensland the following month, but he was sensational against the Downie Chiefs, blanking them 5-0 on 2 hits. Turvill gave up a single and double, walked one and struck out 9 on 118 PI (GS: 91).

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Offense: .224/.298/.363 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 3.69/3.82/3.34 (2nd/3rd/2nd)
Defense: .723 (2nd)

GM Raymond Hunt wasted no time in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, completing four trades that significantly changed the makeup of the Downie Chiefs’ lineup and bullpen. But it remains to be seen whether the pieces he received from all those transactions will help turn his club around. After winning the United Cup back in 1949-50 and making the playoffs the next two seasons, the Chiefs have steadily regressed with four straight losing seasons. That doesn’t look to change anytime soon and if the GM is intent on a full rebuild, more moves may be in store during the off-season.

The loss of superstar 30-year old CF Alfonso León (.277/.358/.459, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 48 BB, 8 SB, 4.4 WAR) to Stratford has made an already anemic offense much worse. 30-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.278/.328/.496, 20 HR, 64 RBI, 29 BB, 3.1 WAR is now the team’s top position player and only consistent run-producer. But perhaps León’s heir apparent in 24-year old Ben Darvell (.175/.340/.212, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 20 BB, 4 SB, 0.1 WAR – 50/67) will blossom now that he is entrenched as Downie’s starting centerfielder and lead-off hitter. 23-year old rookie SS Jake Dean (45/51), who was acquired in the León trade, will be given regular starts as well.

The pitching has actually been the Chiefs’ strong suit this season, but that could change now with loss of some stalwart relievers as discussed earlier in the Stratford Barons writeup. Still, 24-year old RHP Stefan Rankin (7-9, 3.82 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 102 ERA+) and 33-year old RHP Kelii Pelankelina (6-8, 3.46 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 113 ERA+) have provided a steady hand at the top of the rotation. And the Chiefs will give a couple of newly acquired relievers a chance to contribute: 24-year old LHP José Hernández (25/45) is on the major league roster in long relief while 21-year old RHP Frank Greggs (8-2, 10 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 155 ERA+ - 50/67) is now Downie’s new stopper.

All-Star Selections:

2B Dominic Dudding (9th)
CF Alfonso León (9th)

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03-23-2022, 05:21 PM	#737
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,929	February 1, 1956 Eastern League: Athletics Take Over Top Spot While Barons Load Up -------- Offense: .258/.331/.375 (4th/6th/7th) Pitching: 3.51/3.49/3.59 (1st/1st/4th) Defense: .734 (1st) Despite falling back to third place by mid-December, the Wellington Athletics did not falter for long. After re-taking the wildcard spot from the Queensland Eagles by the end of the month, the Athletics closed in on the league-leading Stratford Barons by the All-Star break. They then went 12-2 immediately after the break to take top spot in the East. That stretch included taking 3 of 4 games from the Barons, where they outscored Stratford, 21-12. The strength of the team continues to be the starting rotation, where the still developing 24-year old sophomore RHP Mike Murray (6-5, 3.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 104 ERA+ - 53/68) has taken over the No. 1 spot. But 28-year old RHP Vinnie Snell (8-6, 3.35 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 117 ERA+) continues his steady play and a surprising 32-year old RHP Hyun-kyoo Sin (13-4, 2.78 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 141 ERA+) has transformed himself into the best pitcher on the squad this season. The 10-year veteran (63-77, 4.73 ERA, 156 WHIP, 86 ERA+ lifetime) was a waiver wire pick-up from the Brunswick Legends back in December 1953. He has not enjoyed a winning season since he went 16-12, 3.97 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 101 ERA+ with Brunswick back in 1949-50. The offense continues to trail the other teams in the East and there is concern as to whether it can hold up down the stretch. But 28-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.326/.438/.561, 19 HR, 78 RBI, 72 BB, 15 SB, 5.8 WAR – 80/80) is steadily returning to his status as one of the best position players in the ULB he enjoyed three seasons ago. He is joined by 30-year old RF Jim Mars (.327/.395/.488, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 44 BB, 4.0 WAR) and 28-year old 1B Wayne Emmert (.298/.392/.455, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 56 BB, 3.1 WAR), who are both enjoying their best seasons in years. The Athletics also have two former 1st-round picks on the major league roster who could provide an offensive boost soon, although it may not come soon enough: 24-year old IF/OF Jordan Backhouse (.263/.324/.338, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 10 BB, 2 SB, 0.4 WAR – 49/57) and 25-year old OF Noel Johnston (.221/.376/.309, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 16 BB, 0.1 WAR – 49/62). All-Star Selections: RHP Vinnie Snell (2nd) RHP Finley Capstick (4th) LF Matthew Floyd (5th) RF Jim Mars (6th) Player of the Week Awards: December 26 – LF Matthew Floyd (.500, 14 H, 4 HR, 15 RBI) January 16 – 1B Wayne Emmert (.562, 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI) Key Trade: January 12 with the Embro Suns: To Wellington – 30-year old 3B Keon-chae Cho (53/53) To Embro – 26-year old RF Thom Larsen (43/47) and 18-year old minor league RHP Wayne Beardsall (23/44) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Essentially a trade of two utility players, except that Embro has made Larsen their starting centerfielder and Cho would appear to be deserving to start at third base for Wellington. With 29-year old OF Orlando Morales (.207/248/.321, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 17 BB, 3 SB, -1.0 WAR) struggling this season, the Suns went out and acquired Larsen, an incredibly gifted defensively outfielder with amazing speed. However, while his eye at the plate grades out as above average (60), he is not an especially gifted offensive player, which may hold him back from a regular role in the lineup. Cho’s best season came in 1949-50, when he racked up 4.1 WAR and won Game MVP honors in his lone All-Star appearance. But since then, he has been relegated to back-up duties behind last year’s EL Babe Ruth Award winner, Moromao Nakagawa (.310/.406/.554, 22 HR, 80 RBI, 64 BB, 4.6 WAR). Cho is a steady outfielder with a decent bat with some power (60) and a great eye (75). However, he struggles with consistent contact (45). For now, he is buried deep in Wellington’s depth chart, but frankly he deserves to start over the Athletics current starting third baseman, 29-year old Yorikane Takeuchi (.196/.267/.270, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 30 BB, 0.1 WAR). -------- Offense: .248/.335/.391 (6th/3rd/5th) Pitching: 3.77/3.81/3.63 (3rd/2nd/5th) Defense: .712 (4th) The Stratford Barons enjoyed the best record in the United Leagues at the end of December but took a tumble in January and find themselves holding down the wildcard spot. They dropped 5 of 8 games against the lowly Cobourg Redlegs and 4 of 7 against the Athletics last month. The regression is particularly noticeable on the pitching staff. However, the lineup has not been consistent either. In view of that, they made three high profile trades to try and shore up their bullpen and add a major spark to their offense. On paper, the offense should be one of the most potent in the East. That holds true for 36-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.279/.438/.484, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 62 BB, 3.5 WAR) although Skidmore endured a slump in December (.196/.403/.348) before bouncing back in January (.302/.429/.476). Close behind him are 27-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.280/.336/.469, 15 HR, 63 RBI, 32 BB, 6 SB, 3.3 WAR) and 27-year old RF Andy Faulkner (.270/.397/.462, 17 HR, 56 RBI, 74 BB, 3.2 WAR), who was particularly hot in January (.322/.445/.544). But other than 26-year old 1B Sherwin Carasig (.309/.374/.486, 13 HR, 61 RBI, 38 BB, 11 SB, 2.8 WAR), who is enjoying a nice bounce-back after an injury-plagued season last year, the rest of the lineup has been lagging. 27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (14-6, 1.73 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 229 ERA+) remains arguably the best starter in the East, but outside of 28-year old RHP Ted Smith (10-6, 3.22 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 123 ERA), the rotation and particularly the bullpen have regressed. All-Star Selections: LHP Robin Wadsworth (2nd) RHP Bill Wolf (3rd) C Aaron Skidmore (15th) 2B Matthew Channing (3rd) RF Andy Faulkner (3rd) Noteworthy: December 24 – The Brunswick Legends may have jumped out to a 9-2 lead and held on to win 9-7 the day before, but 27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth completely shut down the Legends’ bats the following day right in Brunswick. Stratford’s ace limited the Legends to just two hits, leading the Barons to a 1-0 victory. The only run came in the top of the third, when CF Mo Brinklow led off with a double, reached 3B on a Matthew Channing 4-3 ground out, then came home on a Sherwin Carasig sac fly to leftfield. The only two hits for Brunswick came in the bottom of the 4th, when Wadsworth gave up back-to-back two-out singles. In all, Wadsworth walked 3, struck out 7 on 127 PI (GS: 87). Key Trade #1: January 4 with the Downie Chiefs: To Stratford – 32-year old RHP Bill Lafontaine (62/62) To Downie – 23-year old minor league LF Bryan Crocker (26/34) and 23-year old minor league C Hollis Chase (38/50) *Knee-jerk reaction:* The Barons were aggressive in the days leading up to the trade deadline, pulling the trigger on three trades to try and beef up their bullpen and secure the rights to one the top position players in the United Leagues. And all three trades saw them give up relatively little in the way of premium talent. The first trade brought back Lafontaine; a former 1st-round pick originally selected by Stratford in 1942-43. He has been a serviceable reliever over the past 12 seasons, with very good stuff (55), movement (60) and control (60). His two main pitches are the cutter (55) and slider (45). He now becomes the Barons’ stopper, taking over from RHP Frank Greggs who was shipped out in a separate trade a few weeks later. The Chiefs who evidently are entering rebuilding mode, receive a couple of ho-hum minor leaguers in return. The most promising is Chase, who has good contact skills and pitch recognition to go along with above average defensively skills behind the plate. He may become a starter one day. Crocker, however, has incredible speed and base-stealing skills and provides above average defense in the outfield. But his bat is anemic, making him more of a future journeyman. Key Trade #2: January 23 with the Fort Richmond Generals: To Stratford – 26-year old RHP Glen Limon (66/66) To Fort Richmond – 22-year old minor league 2B Dale Linkletter (38/57) and 19-year old minor league CF Russell Mcmullen (20/40) *Knee-jerk reaction:* The Barons go out and snag another reliever, but this time they get one of the best. Limon was a 14th overall pick back in 1948-49 and has been a very good middle reliever for Fort Richmond over the last few seasons. Until this year. Shoulder and elbow issues have hampered him since spring training, causing him to miss months of action. But when healthy, he has premium stuff (75) and movement (60) with two terrific pitches: a fastball (65) and curveball (65). He has wonderful stamina (75) as well, enabling him to fill in as an emergency starter when needed. He is considered the 2nd-best reliever in the ULB, behind only Brunswick’s LHP Ron Killingworth. The Generals, who also appear to be focusing on rebuilding, get a reasonable prospect in Linkletter, a 2nd-round pick from 1951-52. Linkletter’s greatest strengths are his defense and throwing arm at 2B and his speed/stealing/baserunning (60/70/80) abilities. He should have good plate discipline as well, but otherwise, he is nothing special at the plate. But he has a real chance of becoming a starter one day. Mcmullen is very similar to Linkletter ability-wise but with a weaker bat. Still, he could develop into a quality bench player. Key Trade #3: January 30 with the Downie Chiefs: To Stratford – 30-year old CF Alfonso León (79/79) To Downie – 21-year old RHP Frank Greggs (50/67), 23-year old SS Jake Dean (45/51), 22-year old minor league 2B Garth Fuson (35/49), 22-year old minor league RF Archie Orchard (30/40) and 23-year old minor league RF Greg Trask (23/34) *Knee-jerk reaction: Stratford sent shockwaves throughout the United Leagues when they landed the 2-time Babe Ruth Award-winning Alfonso León (.277/.358/.459, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 48 BB, 8 SB, 4.4 WAR) from Downie, perhaps the most dominant position player to be traded since Fort Richmond’s trade of Danny Trowbridge to Kingston back in November 1943. León, a 9-time All-Star and 7-time Ball Hawk Award winner, is one of the best position players in the United Leagues (3rd-best CF, 9th overall). Batting .311/374/.500 over the past 9+ seasons, he is a 5-tool player who does everything well and is an iron man injury-wise. Despite that, he is penciled in as Stratford’s No. 5 hitter, behind C Aaron Skidmore and 2B Matthew Channing. In exchange for parting with their best player, Downie receives a haul that includes at least a couple of useful players. After Stratford acquired relievers Lafontaine and Limon, Greggs (8-2, 10 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 155 ERA+) was deemed expendable. He has only one useful pitch, a sinker (65) to go along with a poor changeup (20). He has great stuff (65/70), but control can be iffy (40/55) and he could have trouble getting lefties out. He becomes the Chiefs’ new stopper. Also entering their major league lineup is Dean, a 1st-round pick from Australia who should win defensive awards with great position ratings at SS (75) and defensive ratings (70/80/55/80). His bat, however, may hold him back from being a top-flight starter. He takes over starting duties with Downie while 24-year old CF Ben Darvell (.175/.340/.212, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 20 BB, 4 SB, 0.1 WAR – 50/67), a 3rd-round pick from 1950-51, will get a chance to replace León in the lineup. The rest of the players Downie received appear destined to be little more than bench warmers, but both Fuson and Orchard are above average defenders with some ability as hitters, if they can develop it. Orchard especially has a chance to develop into a reasonable contact hitter to go along with his average power potential and solid defense in the outfield. -------- Offense: .263/.334/.411 (3rd/4th/2nd) Pitching: 4.23/4.11/4.63 (6th/5th/8th) Defense: .703 (Tied for 6th) The Queensland Eagles* are in unfamiliar territory. For years, the team was strong on pitching but weak on offense. This year its reversed, as the Eagles are enjoying a revived offensive lineup but have a pitching staff that is in disarray. There is nothing wrong with their top two starters. 30-year old RHP Logan Belsey (14-4, 2.92 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 135 ERA+) and 28-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (16-2, 2.49 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 158 ERA+) have been absolutely incredible over the past two months. In December/January, Belsely went 8-1, 2.17 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, while Micklethwait was downright dominant, going 10-1, 1.24 ERA, 0.89 WHIP. No other team in the United Leagues has anything to rival that 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, but the rest of the pitching staff has been awful, preventing the Eagles from puttting up a greater challenge against the Athletics and Barons for a playoff spot. The offense may not rival the Barons yet, but it has some nice pieces that could form a winning group. 29-year old LF Rod Dennis (.341/.411/.601, 24 HR, 79 RBI, 47 BB, 4.1 WAR) has emerged as one of the top players in the East and a strong candidate for the EL Babe Ruth Award. He currently leads or is tied in 5 offensive categories. Meanwhile, 22-year old sophomore RF Hal Dhu (.298/.366/.544, 22 HR, 66 RBI, 37 BB, 13 SB, 3.2 WAR) has upped his power game, slugging 14 homers over the past two months. 27-year old C Robbie Leivers (.265/.338/.414, 13 HR, 47 RBI, 36 BB, 2.7 WAR) has been a steady presence behind the plate. And the Eagles may be finally coming around on 26-year old SS Apia Yarrah (.319/.380/.494, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 24 BB, 10 SB, 2.0 WAR – 70/70). Although 23-year old SS Noel Eissens (.165/.203/.223, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 1 BB, -0.5 WAR – 49/68) remains listed in the starting lineup for some reason, Yarrah has been getting the lion’s share of the playing time at the position, which is only fitting for the 4th-best ranked shortstop in the United Leagues. All-Star Selections: RHP Logan Belsey (5th) RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (3rd) C Robbie Leivers (2nd) SS Apia Yarrah (1st) LF Rod Dennis (5th) RF Hal Dhu (1st) Player of the Week Awards: January 9 – RF Hal Dhu (.429, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R) Noteworthy: January 12 – The Eagles’ return from the All-Star break saw a dominant performance from their No. 4 starter, 23-year old RHP Wayne O’Reilly (8-7, 4.04 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 97 ERA+). O’Reilly blanked the defending United Cup champions, the Stratford Barons, 1-0 on just 2 hits, both singles. The young Brunswick-native surrendered just one walk and struck out 4 on 134 PI (GS: 86). The only run in the game came in the bottom of the second inning, when RF Hal Dhu led off with a double, reached 3B on a double play, then scored on a wild pitch by Stratford’s RHP Ted Smith. Key Trade: January 24 with the Cobourg Redlegs: To Queensland – 29-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (50/50) To Cobourg – 23-year old RHP Maurice Foley (41/54) *Knee-jerk reaction:* The Eagles make a move to try and beef up their rotation in hopes of landing a playoff spot. Their target is Cobourg’s Turvill, a four-year veteran and three-time all-star who started to struggle this season and is not a happy camper. Turvill is essentially a hot and cold pitcher. He is blessed with incredible stuff (70), decent control (50) but lousy movement (25) that will cause him to give up this share of homers. Still, he has great velocity (94-96), stamina (60) and three impressive pitches (fastball-60, curveball-65, changeup-60). He becomes Queensland’s No. 2 starter, just as he was with Cobourg. With the Redlegs hopelessly out of the playoff hunt, they evidently decided to flip Turvill for a prospect. They get the young Foley, who projects to become a more balanced pitcher than Turvill (stuff-45/50, movement-50, control-45/60) with a respectable if not overpowering arsenal (fastball-35, changeup-55, forkball-45, screwball-50). He becomes Cobourg’s No. 4-rated pitching prospect and will see some action on the major league roster while the Redlegs deal with a rash of injuries to their pitching staff. -------- Offense: .263/.331/.424 (2nd/5th/1st) Pitching: 4.55/4.79/3.98 (8th/7th/6th) Defense: .703 (Tied for 6th) Any thoughts the Braeland City Monarchs entertained about seriously challenging for a playoff spot this season appears to be dashed because of a pitching staff that is ranked dead last in the East in at least five categories. The Monarchs made a modest move leading up to the trade deadline to try and improve their bullpen, but it’s hardly enough. Perhaps that’s just being realistic on their part – the rotation is going to need a complete overhaul if Braeland City ever hopes to become a serious playoff threat. They have some excellent pitching prospects down on the farm as reported in their previous writeup, but its of little use for their current ‘win-now’ lineup. Case in point is 30-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.304/.408/.571, 18 HR, 59 RBI, 57 BB, 5.9 WAR), who is in his prime and playing like it. He remains the top-ranked second baseman in the United Leagues. Also in his prime is 32-year old 1B Dean Witherden (.324/.398/.551, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 46 BB, 3.8 WAR), while 25-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.327/.376/.526, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 35 BB, 3.6 WAR) is ranked second only to Cambria’s Sam Tite among right fielders. But there is a steep drop-off after them in the lineup. The pitching is a shambles right now, with only 29-year old Danilo Narvaez (8-0, 2.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 140 ERA+) pitching with any kind of consistency out of the rotation. All-Star Selections: RHP Danilo Narvaez (1st) RHP Clive Howard (1st) 1B Dean Witherden (6th) 2B Patrick Lidgate (7th) RF Aidan Trembath (5th) Player of the Week Awards: December 12 – 1B Dean Witherden (.462, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R) December 19 – RF Aidan Trembath (.474, 9 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R) Noteworthy: January 5 – It was not a memorable day for the Monarchs, as the visiting Embro Suns thumped them 13-0 on 21 hits at Kings Park. Embro hitters belted out 6 doubles, 2 triples and 2 home runs on the afternoon. Braeland City responded with just 6 singles and a double. The day also saw the end of 25-year old RF Aidan Trembath’s 28-game hitting streak. Trembath (.327/.376/.526, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 35 BB, 3.6 WAR) went 0 for 3 at the plate to end his streak. Key Trade: January 6 with the Downie Chiefs: To Braeland City – 38-year old RHP Carl Luscombe (49/49) and 21-year old RHP Jonathan Brookins (44/61) To Downie – 24-year old minor league LHP José Hernández (25/45) and 20-year old minor league SS Sean Hancorn (23/45) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Luscombe is a 7-time all-star who was drafted by the Chiefs and then traded to the Cambria Cannons in 1941 before being traded back to the Chiefs in 1948 in time to help Downie win the United Cup two years later. But he is no longer the dominant pitcher he once was, with poor command (45) and a couple of average pitches (fastball-55, slider-35). It appears he is being jettisoned as part of Downie’s rebuilding efforts. However, the real prize for Braeland City would appear to be Brookins, who has a chance to be a devastating reliever if handled properly. Brookins has amazing stuff (60/75) and movement (65/70), but poor control (25/30). He should rack up plenty of strikeouts with his sinker (65/70) and cutter (50/60), but his walk rate could be the price for that. Thus, the Monarchs would be better served by using him in shorter stints. Downie’s return seems a little underwhelming, even for a couple of relievers. But Hernández could develop into a back-end starter as he possesses nice movement potential (55/60) with a couple of decent pitches (curveball-65/65, changeup-40/65). Hancorn is destined to a bench role. While he is a solid defensive shortstop with a terrific arm, he has too many offensive shortcomings to become a regular. -------- Offense: .265/.336/.405 (1st/1st/3rd) Pitching: 4.35/4.91/2.96 (7th/8th/1st) Defense: .693 (8th) The Embro Suns are in a similar situation as Braeland City. They have a respectable lineup that is being hampered by a gruesome pitching staff. But unlike the Monarchs, who boast the top-rated farm system, the Suns do not have any promising arms in their weak pipeline (12th overall). So, although Embro bounced back somewhat from a disastrous November, there is little hope for them to realistically compete for the playoffs this year or next. That is a shame, as they boast some of the top offensive players in the League. Any concern over 27-year old 3B Moromao Nakagawa’s (.310/.406/.554, 22 HR, 80 RBI, 64 BB, 4.6 WAR) struggles in November evaporated, as he returned to award-winning form in December and January. He is the top-rated third baseman in the United Leagues and won his second career Player of the Month honour in January. But not far behind him is 25-year old SS Kieron Bradridge (.307/.348/.474, 16 HR, 80 RBI, 28 BB, 4.3 WAR), who bounced back big-time in January (.380/.402/.648) after a couple of sluggish months. Supported them as the club’s lead off hitter is 26-year old Jesús Abreu (.272/.394/.438, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 71 BB, 9 SB, 3.0 WAR), who has been quietly putting together the best season of his 4-year career. Finally, 27-year old C Gareth Mawle (.321/.362/.452, 5 HR, 42 RBI, 22 BB, 2.4 WAR) is enjoying another fine season at the plate. The rotation is a disaster, with only No. 3 starter 40-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (4-6, 3.36 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 119 ERA+) providing any consistency. Things are so bad that Embro has finally moved 31-year old RHP Domingas Frias (2-2, 2 SV, 2.45 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 162 ERA+ - 45/45) to pitch behind Son. Frias has never started before in his 8-year career until this season, although he is considered a starter. Until recently, Frias was part of one of the strongest bullpens in the East, led by 25-year old RHP Phil McKelvey (8-2, 3 SV, 2.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 156 ERA+) and 25-year old closer RHP Rob Gladstone (5-5, 10 SV, 2.80 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 142 ERA+). All-Star Selections: RHP Phil McKelvey (1st) C Gareth Mawle (2nd) 1B Napana Mamo (3rd) 3B Moromao Nakagawa (4th) LF Jesús Abreu (2nd) Player of the Week Awards: January 23 – 2B Robert Jameson (.545, 12 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI) -------- Offense: .251/.335/.385 (5th/2nd/6th) Pitching: 3.89/3.99/3.44 (4th/4th/3rd) Defense: .717 (3rd) Just when you thought it was time to comfortably write-off them off for another season, the Brunswick Legends go on a hot streak that makes you wonder if they are capable of a playoff run after all. After scuffling in mid-December that saw them go just 3-12 – a stretch that included an 8-game losing streak – the Legends turned things around immediately thereafter, going 10-4 leading up to the all-star break. Brunswick continued their strong play over the course of January. But they still remain 11.5 games back of the wildcard and it will take a much hotter hand to realistically catch up to the Barons and Athletics. The pitching, particularly the starting top 3, are largely responsible for the improved play of late. 38-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (10-11, 3.90 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 103 ERA+) went 4-1, 2.55 ERA, 1.19 WHIP in January. But Brunswick’s ace was joined by 28-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (12-7, 2.99 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 134 ERA+) and 23-year old RHP Dave Ball (7-6, 3.26 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 123 ERA+), who went 3-1, 0.94 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 3-1, 2.31 ERA, 1.28 WHIP in January respectively. The Legends are led by three standout players: 27-year old C Robert Kersey (.289/.386/.550, 20 HR, 71 RBI, 48 BB, 3.9 WAR) is currently the top-ranked catcher in the United Leagues. He is joined by fellow all-stars 29-year old LF Carl Patton (.281/.378/.394, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 61 BB, 7 SB, 3.2 WAR) and 25-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.276/.384/.491, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 60 BB, 2.8 WAR). But outside of 24-year old rookie IF/OF Edliberto Mandac (.308/.352/.500, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 18 BB, 4 SB, 1.2 WAR), there is a big drop off in production in the lineup. As it is, Mandac is having difficulty getting regular starts. For now, he is starting at first base against LH pitching, while 27-year old Francis Joicey (.263/.355/.456, 13 HR, 35 RBI, 39 BB, 3 SB, 1.7 WAR) is getting the starts against RH pitchers. All-Star Selections: C Robert Kersey (5th) LF Carl Patton (2nd) RF Jay Mitchell (1st) Player of the Week Awards: December 5 – SP Dave Ball (2-0, 5 K, 18.0 IP, 0.50 ERA) January 2 – LF Edilberto Mandac (.800, 4 H, 2 RBI) -------- Offense: .246/.323/.391 (7th/7th/4th) Pitching: 4.19/4.21/4.15 (5th/6th/7th) Defense: .706 (5th) The Cobourg Redlegs are an afterthought in the East once again, squandering the fine talent they have on a roster that seemingly has no identity. But their season has taken on a ‘can’t look away’ quality as their top two starting pitchers have fallen to injuries and as a result, the club is frantically cobbling together a pitching staff with unheralded rookies to try and hold things together. A train wreck to be sure, but train wrecks are anything but dull. With 27-year old LHP Bill Budd (10-8, 2.59 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 154 ERA+) and 28-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (1-4, 4.65 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 86 ERA+) unable to stay healthy, it has exposed the Redlegs’ lack of depth in the rotation. Things are so bad right now that a player acquired in a minor deal that I didn’t think was worthy of commenting on is currently the staff’s ace. 21-year old LHP Lachlan Lloyd (2-0, 1.15 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 384 ERA+ - 41/53) came over from the Braeland City Monarchs on January 17 in a 4-player deal. Lloyd is the most promising of the group by far and has done well in his first two major league starts. The 5th-round pick from 1952-53 has decent pitching potentials (Stuff-50, Move-60, Cont-55) and a four-pitch arsenal, with his cutter (55) and splitter (45) having the most potential. But two other rookies are shoring up the back end of the rotation: 23-year old RHP Maurice Foley (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 44 ERA+ - 41/54), who came over from the Queensland Eagles in the Marcus Turvill trade and 24-year old RHP Hang-ki Chin (0-0, 3.47 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 115 ERA+ - 34/34). Foley has only one major league start under his belt while Chin has none. It will be interesting to see how they fare the rest of the way. But if everyone can get healthy, the Redlegs could one day have an impressive pitching roster, as the team has one of the strongest farm systems (4th overall). In addition to Lloyd and Foley, Cobourg has 22-year old RHP Albert Johnson (5-12, 5.10 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 79 ERA+ - 47/80), who is also injured and 23-year old RHP Shunen Minaminure (25/64), a 2nd-round pick from this season who was recently promoted to Triple-A. If they can develop and mature, then things may finally stabilize for the Redlegs. Throughout all this dysfunction, 29-year old CF Raymond Williams (.315/.414/.605, 24 HR, 69 RBI, 60 BB, 11 SB, 5.9 WAR) continues his incredible all-around play and should be a serious contender for winning his third EL Babe Ruth Award this year. He has finished 2nd in the voting over the past three seasons and recently scored his 1000th career run. But outside of 34-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.307/.390/.509, 15 HR, 78 RBI, 46 BB, 3.4 WAR) and 30-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.339/.397/.490, 11 HR, 57 RBI, 32 BB, 2.4 WAR), the rest of the lineup has sputtered. All-Star Selections: LHP Bill Budd (3rd) 1B Harry Doxey (7th) 3B Alexander Tolmie (8th) CF Raymond Williams (9th) Player of the Week Awards: January 30 – 1B Harry Doxey (.500, 14 H, 1 HR, 11 RBI) Noteworthy: December 13 – 29-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (4-10, 4.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 92 ERA+) is not enjoying the success he’s had in previous seasons and was ultimately traded to Queensland the following month, but he was sensational against the Downie Chiefs, blanking them 5-0 on 2 hits. Turvill gave up a single and double, walked one and struck out 9 on 118 PI (GS: 91). -------- Offense: .224/.298/.363 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 3.69/3.82/3.34 (2nd/3rd/2nd) Defense: .723 (2nd) GM Raymond Hunt wasted no time in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, completing four trades that significantly changed the makeup of the Downie Chiefs’ lineup and bullpen. But it remains to be seen whether the pieces he received from all those transactions will help turn his club around. After winning the United Cup back in 1949-50 and making the playoffs the next two seasons, the Chiefs have steadily regressed with four straight losing seasons. That doesn’t look to change anytime soon and if the GM is intent on a full rebuild, more moves may be in store during the off-season. The loss of superstar 30-year old CF Alfonso León (.277/.358/.459, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 48 BB, 8 SB, 4.4 WAR) to Stratford has made an already anemic offense much worse. 30-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.278/.328/.496, 20 HR, 64 RBI, 29 BB, 3.1 WAR is now the team’s top position player and only consistent run-producer. But perhaps León’s heir apparent in 24-year old Ben Darvell (.175/.340/.212, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 20 BB, 4 SB, 0.1 WAR – 50/67) will blossom now that he is entrenched as Downie’s starting centerfielder and lead-off hitter. 23-year old rookie SS Jake Dean (45/51), who was acquired in the León trade, will be given regular starts as well. The pitching has actually been the Chiefs’ strong suit this season, but that could change now with loss of some stalwart relievers as discussed earlier in the Stratford Barons writeup. Still, 24-year old RHP Stefan Rankin (7-9, 3.82 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 102 ERA+) and 33-year old RHP Kelii Pelankelina (6-8, 3.46 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 113 ERA+) have provided a steady hand at the top of the rotation. And the Chiefs will give a couple of newly acquired relievers a chance to contribute: 24-year old LHP José Hernández (25/45) is on the major league roster in long relief while 21-year old RHP Frank Greggs (8-2, 10 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 155 ERA+ - 50/67) is now Downie’s new stopper. All-Star Selections: 2B Dominic Dudding (9th) CF Alfonso León (9th) -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 03-25-2022 at 12:27 PM.