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reds1 · 05-21-2023, 06:05 AM

February 1, 1957

Eastern League: Redlegs Rise While Wellington Wilts

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Despite winning twice as many games as they lost in November, the Cobourg Redlegs still found themselves 5-1/2 games back of first place and in 4th place overall in early December, thanks to a four-game losing streak to open the month. But they quickly turned it around after that, going 11-1 at one point in the middle of December, then followed that with a 10-game winning streak that overlapped into January. From November to the end of January, they put up the best record in the United Leagues (53-26), 4 wins better than the next best team (Brunswick at 49-30). Their success is due in large part to a few standout performances in both their lineup and rotation, all backed up by a solid bullpen. Coupled with the No. 1 farm system in the United Leagues – one that is top heavy with promising arms that are either close to reaching the majors or are already there – the Redlegs appear to be well positioned to maintain their recent dominance.

The offense continues to be led by the top ranked centerfielder and shortstop in the United Leagues, namely 30-year old Raymond Williams (.374/.437/.671, 27 HR, 84 RBI, 44 BB, 8 SB, 7.6 WAR) and 25-year old lead-off hitter, Douglas Jones (.268/.352/.491, 24 HR, 63 RBI, 51 BB, 4 SB, 5.6 WAR) respectively. Both are playing at an elite level. Of the nine Player of the Week honors that were handed out over the past two months in the East, Williams and Jones won five of them.

Also contributing are 31-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.326/.378/.509, 13 HR, 55 RBI, 30 BB, 2.2 WAR) and 35-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.295/.352/.447, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 22 BB, 1.4 WAR). But those two players appear to be slowing down which may put pressure on the Redlegs to find their replacements in the not-too-distant future. Thus, its no surprise that Cobourg is officially in a ‘win now’ mode.

The rotation continues to be led by 28-year old LHP Bill Budd (15-6, 2.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 2.63 FIP, 180 ERA+) who is having a Satchel Paige Award-worthy season. Meanwhile, 23-year old sophomore RHP Albert Johnson (13-6, 3.96 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 4.20 FIP, 100 ERA+ - 49/70) continues to progress. But the Redlegs also have 20-year old RHP Lester Bell (1-0, 3.52 ERA, 0.52 WHIP, 2.84 FIP, 112 ERA+ - 40/80) pitching out of the bullpen. Bell, a 3rd-overall pick from 1954-55 is currently ranked No. 3 among all prospects and is a future starter. Down in Triple-A, Cobourg also has 24-year old RHP Shunen Minaminure (41/66 – 13th overall ranked prospect), a 2nd-round pick from 1955-56. But he suffered a torn UCL back in November and is gone for the season. Still, scouts feel he is capable of one day anchoring a rotation.

All-Star Selections:

SP Bill Budd (4th)
CL Brian McDaniel (2nd)
1B Harry Doxey (8th)
SS Douglas Jones (1st)
CF Raymond Williams (10th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 17 – CF Raymond Williams (.542, 13 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R)
December 24 – CF Raymond Williams (.538, 14 H, 3 RBI)
December 31 – SS Douglas Jones (.391, 9 H, 5 HR, 8 RBI)
January 14 – SS Douglas Jones (.471, 8 H, 3 HR, 3 RBI)
January 21 – CF Raymond Williams (.400, 10 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI)

Noteworthy:

January 13 – Immediately following the All-Star break, the Legends went into Cobourg and took the first three games from the Redlegs, each by a one-run margin. But Brunswick had no answer for LHP Bill Budd who blanked the Legends, 7-0 on 2 hits to salvage the final game of the series. Budd went all 9.0 innings, with 2 BB, 5 K, 111 PI, GS: 86.

Key Trade: January 17 with the Cambria Cannons:

To Cobourg – 31-year old RHP Keith Roche (56/56)

To Cambria – 22-year old minor league SS Raúl León (22/45)

Knee-jerk reaction: With the Redlegs aiming for what would be just their second playoff appearance and the Cannons well out of the playoff chase, the two clubs make a deal that now see the top two leaders in saves in the ULB on the same team. Roche, a 3-time all-star from British Columbia, may not have the best stuff (50/50) and essentially only one pitch (sinker-60/60; changeup-35/35), but his ability to limit home runs (70/70) and walks (60/60) has allowed him to be a reliable, consistent reliever throughout his 8-year career. Roche becomes Cobourg’s middle reliever and will make one the Eastern League’s top bullpens even better.

The Redlegs do not give up much in the way of León. The former 7th-round pick from 1952-53, has a decent eye (45/55) and gap power (55/55) with average power (40/50). He has plenty of speed (70) but is not an effective base stealer (45). He is currently buried in the Cannons’ depth chart in Double-A but could make the majors one day if he can get more playing time.

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The Brunswick Legends appear to be the real deal as they have played consistently throughout the season and continue to hold down the wild card. They haven’t gone on any extended winning streaks, but they haven’t endured any extended losing streaks either, although they did stumble a little at the end of January, going 3-6.

Like Cobourg, the Legends have been relying on a few key players. The biggest surprise has been in the rotation, where 31-year old journeyman LHP Luke Henty (13-6, 2.74 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 3.49 FIP, 145 ERA+) is enjoying his best season by far and is on pace for 19 wins. He picked up the first all-star selection of his nine-year career and is currently Brunswick’s ace. But 24-year old RHP Dave Ball (12-6, 2.97 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.17 FIP, 134 ERA+) is enjoying a breakout season of his own, the fourth of his career. 29-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (12-7, 4.14 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.98 FIP, 96 ERA+) endured a rough patch in December (1-4, 6.70 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) but recovered a bit the following month (3-1, 3.06 ERA, 1.20 WHIP). The bullpen has been the best in the Eastern League, with 35-year old stopper RHP Lao Chen (6-2, 13 SV, 1.08 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2.21FIP, 368 ERA+) and 27-year old LHP Ron Killingworth (3-4, 2 SV, 2.02 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.67 FIP, 196 ERA+) providing consistent outings game in and game out.

The offense is led by the top-ranked catcher in the United Leagues, 28-year old Robert Kersey (.301/.390/.526, 21 HR, 74 RBI, 49 BB, 4.5 WAR). Although not the most well-liked player on the club, he has consistently been its best over the past six seasons, earning an all-star selection each year. He has been joined by 27-year old RF Joshua Witherden (.277/.381/.516, 16 HR, 39 RBI, 48 BB, 4.1 WAR), who continues to impress in just his second major league season. Batting ahead of Kersey in the No. 3 spot has been 26-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.279/.379/.531, 19 HR, 61 RBI, 48 BB, 3.4 WAR). The former 11th overall pick from 1951-52 is in his fourth major league season and has gotten better with each passing year.

All-Star Selections:

SP Dave Ball (1st)
SP Luke Henty (1st)
CL Lao Chen (7th)
C Robert Kersey (6th)
RF Jay Mitchell (2nd)
RF Joshua Witherden (1st)

Noteworthy:

December 10 – The Legends swept all four games against the lowly Downie Chiefs with the first game being the only shoot-out. In it, C Robert Kersey went 5 for 5 as the Legends outpaced the Chiefs, 12-8. Kersey singled twice in the 2nd, singled again in the 5th, doubled in the 7th and then slammed a solo shot off RHP Frank Greggs in the 8th. In all, he scored 4 times and collected 1 RBI.

December 14 – The Legends rolled into Queensland for a 3-game set against the Eagles and took the first game, 7-0. The man responsible for shutting down the Eagles was LHP Luke Henty who limited Queensland to just 2 hits. In all, he went 9.0 IP with 0 BB, 8 K, 94 PI, GS: 91. C Robert Kersey led the offense with a 3-run home run off RHP Wayne O’Reilly in a 6-run 3rd inning. But Queensland would bounce back to win the next two games to take the series.

Key Trade: January 8 with the Cambria Cannons:

To Brunswick – 36-year old RHP Ramón Ortíz (49/49) and 22-year old minor league IF Dave Smith (24/38)

To Cambria – 22-year old minor league OF Doug Arce (38/47)

Knee-jerk reaction: Not a major deal by any means but like the Redlegs, the Legends make a deal with Cambria for a middle reliever to try and beef up the top bullpen in the East even more. Ortíz is another pitcher with pedestrian stuff (40/40) that relies on command (70/70) and control (55/55) to get outs, utilizing two so-so pitches (fastball, sinker – 45/45). He will serve as one of two middle relievers for Brunswick.

Cambria receives a low-level prospect in Acre, an 8th-round pick from 1952-53 with great plate discipline (60/65) and a decent eye (50/50). Possessing terrific speed and base running instincts (65) and a future solid defensive leftfielder (45/60), Acre has a chance to reach the majors although he may not necessarily be a future all-star in the making.

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The Stratford Barons continue to hang around in the wild card hunt without actually holding it down for any length of time. They have been as close as a game and a half and as far back as 5-1/2 games, but they continue to be a threat in the tight playoff race. There’s a chance that a team in the East could win 90 games this season and still miss the playoffs. That’s happened only once before, back in 1941-42 – to the Barons. That season, the Embro Suns won 100 games, while the Brunswick Legends won 93 to capture the wild card. Stratford finished with 92.

If the Barons are going to buck that trend, they will need to step it up on offense, as they have slid back in a number of categories. December was particularly rough for a number of their key players in the lineup, although most of them bounced back a bit in January.

31-year old CF Alfonso León (.312/.384/.547, 16 HR, 56 RBI, 47 BB, 5.5 WAR) remains the lynchpin of the offense, but December (.241/.298/.429) saw him cool off from his torrid start. Also struggling at the plate in December were 28-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.284/.336/.527, 19 HR, 87 RBI, 34 BB, 15 SB, 4.4 WAR) and 25-year old SS Callum Spalton (.272/.321/.390, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 27 BB, 5 SB, 3.8WAR). Spalton’s struggles in fact, continued into January (.256/.297/.337).

Also concerning for the Barons are signs that 37-year old Aaron Skidmore (.230/.396/.417, 14 HR, 38 RBI, 69 BB, 2.8 WAR) is starting to show his age at the plate, although the 15-time all-star’s defensive skills are still top-notch (.990 PCT, 5.11 RNG, +2.9 ZR, 1.020 EFF).

The rotation represents the strength of the club right now, with the top three starters providing consistent outings. 28-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (15-2, 2.07 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 3.03 FIP, 190 ERA+) is proving that his Satchel Paige Award-winning season last year was no fluke. He is on pace for 21 victories. Pitching behind him in the rotation are 29-year old RHP Ted Smith (12-4, 3.24 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 3.61 FIP, 121 ERA+) and 30-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (11-5, 3.80 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 3.47 FIP, 104 ERA+) who have both shaken off their earlier struggles.

All-Star Selections:

SP Robin Wadsworth (3rd)
2B Matthew Channing (4th)
SS Callum Spalton (2nd)
CF Alfonso León (10th)

Key Trade: December 18 with the Fort Richmond Generals:

To Stratford – 32-year old RHP José Rodríguez (79/79)

To Fort Richmond – 23-year old minor league IF Neil Sluggett (23/49) and 23-year old minor league RHP Waylon Trotta (26/26)

Knee-jerk reaction: Stratford is another team in the playoff hunt that acquired a reliever from a struggling team. In doing so, it snags one of the best. Rodríguez is a 6-time all-star whose forte is inducing ground balls when not generating swings and misses. His stuff-movement-control (65-70-60) are all top notch as are his two pitches: fastball (55) and curveball (60). He immediately moves into the closer role for the Barons.

The main player the Generals get in return is Sluggett, a former 6th-round pick from 1955-56. Sluggett is not fast, but he is a heads-up base runner who will steal a few bases and should be a solid defensive infielder either at shortstop or at third base. He is showing good instincts and a good eye at the plate but will need to develop his bat a bit more if he wants to become anything more that just an average major leaguer.

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The Queensland Eagles continued their strong play into December, coming to within 2-1/5 games of first place in the East by the 24th. But they cooled off in January, pushing them well back of the wild card. They are not out of it just yet by any means, but their key players on both sides of the ball are going to have to reach the next level if they want to crash the playoff party in two months.

The biggest need is for the offense to take it to the next level. The Eagles have some fine players in the lineup, but overall, they haven’t performed as well as have the lineups for both the Redlegs and Legends have.

That can’t be said of 24-year old sophomore 2B Dennis Purcell (.301/.379/.560, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 32 BB, 4 SB, 3.6 WAR) however. The London, Ontario native has emerged as Queensland’s top offensive player, taking over the mantle from 30-year old LF Rod Dennis (.306/.382/.550, 23 HR, 69 RBI, 47 BB, 3.0 WAR). But Dennis is no slouch himself. After a slow start in October, the Pulberry-native found his form once again. The real issue is that the rest of the lineup needs to follow suit. They have a premiere offensive catcher in the making with 28-year old Robbie Leivers (.267/.363/.460, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 47 BB, 3.0 WAR) but the super-competitive East has made the need for Queensland’s young promising players to step it up much more urgent if they are still entertaining hopes of ending their 10-year playoff drought anytime soon.

There is no shortage of outstanding Satchel Paige Award candidates in the East. Among them remains 31-year old RHP Logan Belsey (13-6, 2.79 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.42 FIP, 140 ERA+) despite enduring a rough January (1-3, 6.03 ERA, 1.50 WHIP). But that appears to be more of a blip than anything else. The real concern continues to be with their No. 2 starter, 29-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (12-10, 3.77 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 2.86 FIP, 103 ERA+), although he may be a victim of either poor defense or bad fortune more than anything else. On the positive side of things, 32-year old RHP Tyler Gissing (9-8, 3.24 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.56 FIP, 120 ERA+) is enjoying the best season of his 9-year career.

All-Star Selections:

SP Logan Belsey (6th)
C Robbie Leivers (3rd)
1B Ryan Conisford (3rd)
2B Dennis Purcell (1st)
LF Rod Dennis (6th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 3 – 3B Apia Yarrah (.455, 10 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI)
January 28 – 2B Dennis Purcell (.476, 10 H, 5 HR, 9 RBI)

Noteworthy:

January 26 – The home run parade continued as 2B Dennis Purcell became the 20th player in United Leagues history and the 3rd this season to hit 3 home runs in a game. But because Braeland City’s Hayden Goodale actually accomplished this feat twice earlier this year, this represents the 21st time in league history and 4th time this season that it has been accomplished. Facing the Wolseley Unions in the first game of a three-game set, Purcell singled in the 1st, hit a solo shot off RHP Theo Morse in both the 3rd and 5th innings, hit a three-run home run off Morse in the 7th until striking out in the 9th. In all Purcell went 4 for 5 with 3 R and 5 RBI. But it wasn’t enough, as the Unions held on to win, 9-7.

Key Trade: January 28 with the Fort Richmond Generals:

To Queensland – 26-year old OF Matsuo Oyama (49/49)

To Fort Richmond – 26-year old OF José Ibarra (48/48)

Knee-jerk reaction: Essentially a trade of back-up outfielders that immediately helps out Queensland in the short-term as they strive to remain in striking distance of the wild card. Oyama, a 3rd-round pick from 1952-53, appears to be a solid offensive player with nice power (gap & home run power-55/60) and plate discipline (60/60) to go along with speed (70). He is a solid defensive outfielder as well either at center or rightfield. As such, he has taken over centerfield from 28-year old John Oldknow (.227/.303/.322, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 30 BB, 4 SB, -0.2 WAR) who began to regress last season. The Eagles are looking to Oyama to serve at least as a stopgap.

Ibarra is very similar to Oyama both at the plate and defensively, especially on the outfield corners. The only difference is that he is a slow baserunner. He has tremendous raw power (65/65), so if he can make his way into the lineup on a regular basis, he could provide a much needed offensive punch, as the Generals are ranked last in terms of home runs in the West. As it is, he will be their 4th outfielder that could start every fourth game.

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Perhaps the biggest story over the past two months has been the collapse of the Wellington Athletics, who fell out of first place on December 5th and into a deep funk. They lost 8-straight games heading into the All-Star break and were as much as 9-1/2 games back of the lead shortly thereafter. A 6-game winning streak to end January has perhaps restored some hope that the Athletics can rebound, but they have dug themselves into a deep hole in the highly competitive East. The big question of course is why this sudden and dramatic collapse occurred in the first place.

While it is true that Wellington has the worst-ranked bullpen in the East, there was only one blown save over the past two months that I could spot. The fact is the entire pitching staff has not exactly wrapped itself in glory of late. The rotation has struggled, and the lineup is perhaps not as explosive as it once was in the early going of the season. But the Athletics have made some curious player transactions as well.

The most noticeable was the demotion of 3-time Rookie of the Month winner, 23-year old RHP Baskin Arncaple (7-4, 10 SV, 1.83 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.74 FIP, 212 ERA+) to Triple-A on January 1st. Since then, he has been up and down twice. It makes absolutely no sense. Arncaple is a future starter and the Athletics have done themselves no favours depriving themselves of the services of the pitcher that leads the Eastern League in ERA. Incidentally, shortly after his initial demotion, Arncaple pitched a no-hitter against the Tansley Dukes (Stratford), beating them 2-0 on 17 K, 3 BB.

Wellington has also brought up two other promising pitchers: 24-year old LHP Adam Gibb (3-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 3.02 FIP, 151 ERA+ - 45/51), a 4th-round pick from 1953-54 who just won his own Rookie of the Month honor for January, and 23-year old RHP Christian Wiley (1-2, 5 SV, 2.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.78 FIP, 155 ERA+ - 59/80), a 2nd-round pick from 1955-56. While Gibb is pitching out of the 3rd spot in the rotation, Wiley has recently taken over the closer role from a struggling 34-year old RHP Finlay Capstick (1-7, 6 SV, 6.89 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 5.26 FIP, 56 ERA+).

Any lineup that is anchored by a player of the likes of 29-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.342/.436/.681, 38 HR, 88 RBI, 68 BB, 6 SB, 8.0 WAR) will be an enviable one. Although he cooled off just a little in January (.266/.400/.447), he still leads the East in 8 offensive categories. Batting right behind him in the order is 24-year old CF Greg Yates (.298/.351/.519, 16 HR, 65 RBI, 33 BB, 4 SB, 4.3 WAR). The Philadelphia-native is enjoying his best season by far, the fourth of his career and earned his first all-star selection. Along with 31-year old RF Jim Mars (.324/.386/.487, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 40 BB, 3.9 WAR) who continues to be his steady self, the Athletics can at least boast one of the most formidable outfields in the United Leagues.

All-Star Selections:

C Carlos Camasura (6th)
LF Matthew Floyd (6th)
CF Greg Yates (1st)
RF Jim Mars (7th)

Noteworthy:

January 13 – The Athletics took 3 of 4 from the Monarchs right in Braeland City immediately following the All-Star break. The final game saw a brilliant pitching performance by rookie LHP Adam Gabb who blanked the Monarchs, 1-0 on 2 hits. Gabb pitched 9.0 innings with 8 BB, 4 K, 119 PI, GS: 79. The only run of the game came in the top of the 5th, when Jim Mars doubled home Yorikane Takeuchi, after Takeuchi led off the inning with a 4-pitch walk and reached 2B on a sac bunt by Gabb.

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The Embro Suns have gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Last month saw them move above .500 for the first time this season, thanks to an impressive 17-9 record, tied with both the Cobourg Redlegs and Pulberry Trolleys for the best record in January. But it has the feeling of ‘too little, too late’ as the Suns remain well back of the wildcard.

On the surface, it would appear that the pitching staff is weakest part of the team, but a closer inspection reveals it more about their poor defense as being the real culprit. 29-year old RHP Bradley Strawson (10-6, 3.27 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 121 ERA+) and 31-year old RHP Juan Rivas (5-3, 2.35 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 2.70 FIP, 168 ERA+) have been quite good leading the rotation. Rivas in fact picked up his first all-star selection after eight seasons. Pitching in the No. 3 spot is 23-year old RHP Jun Kichida (3-4, 3.81 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 3.87 FIP, 103 ERA+). The Japanese rookie has been struggling with his control at times, but scouts think he will be a middle-of-the-rotation mainstay for years to come. Interestingly, the entire pitching staff is currently comprised entirely of right-handers.

The Suns’ upswing in fortune in recent months is reflected in the improved performance of 28-year old Moromao Nakagawa (.268/.363/.517, 26 HR, 78 RBI, 58 BB, 5.1 WAR). After an excruciatingly slow start, Nakagawa finally began turning things around in December, then got really hot in January (.360/.402/.690). As goes the 2-time Babe Ruth Award winner, so goes the Suns. 27-year old clean-up hitter, LF Jesús Abreu (.279/.389/.505, 22 HR, 63 RBI, 65 BB, 7 SB, 3.5 WAR), has been the most consistent hitter this year for the Suns, but was not selected to the All-Star Game. Perhaps his shortcomings on defense (.967 PCT, 2.35 RNG, -3.7 ZR, .975 EFF) influenced the voters.

All-Star Selections:

SP Juan Rivas (1st)
SP Bradley Strawson (2nd)
CL Rob Gladstone (2nd)
3B Moromao Nakagawa (5th)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 7 – 3B Moromao Nakagawa (.577, 15 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R)

Noteworthy:

December 15 – The Suns managed to pull out a win in Stratford with a 9-6 victory over the Barons in 10 innings. Leading the way for Embro was 23-year old rookie 1B Damien Whetter (.357/.448/.554, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 20 BB, 1.4 WAR), who completed the 32nd Cycle in United Leagues history and 4th of the season. Whetter hit a 3-run home run off RHP Bill Wolf in the first, singled in the 3rd, doubled in the 5th, grounded out in the 7th, and tripled in the 10th. With the game tied at 6-apiece going into the top of the 10th, 3B Moromao Nakagawa slammed a 2-run shot off RHP Bill Lafontaine immediately before Whetter hit his triple to complete the cycle. Whetter would eventually score on a C Gareth Mawle single to round out the scoring.

January 4 – At the tail end of Wellington’s 8-game losing slide, the Suns swept all four of their games against the Athletics leading up to the All-Star break. In the second game, Embro pulled out a 14-inning, 10-8 victory. The star of the game was 3B Moromao Nakagawa who went 5 for 7 with 2 home runs, scoring 3 times and driving in 4. Nakagawa grounded out in the 1st, singled in the 4th, flied out in the 6th and doubled in the 8th before hitting a two-run home run off RHP Rizal Doctolero in the 9th to tie the game up and send it into extras. After hitting a double in the 12th, Nakagawa connected on a walk-off two-run home run off RHP Finlay Capstick in the 14th to finally end the game after nearly 4-1/2 hours.

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The Braeland City Monarchs recovered somewhat from a disastrous November to earn their first winning month in January. Things were looking up in early December when they went 8-1, but then they promptly lost the next 7 games and went 1-10 over that stretch. It is clear that this is a team on a downward slide and will need to focus on rebuilding if they want to become relevant again. What that means for their current stars on offense remains to be seen but they desperately need more help on the pitching staff.

30-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (12-9, 3.77 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 4.15 FIP, 106 ERA+) is as good as it gets in the rotation, but even he faltered badly in Dec/Jan (5-5, 5.12 ERA, 1.72 WHIP). They continue to use 20-year old rookie LHP Charlie Honeysett (2-3, 1 SV, 5.13 ERA, 2.19 WHIP, 3. 50 FIP, 78 ERA+ - 46/72) in long relief, but he has been recalled and demoted so many times, even on the same day that it has been a farce (I thought that had been fixed in OOTP a long time ago). The bullpen has been much more consistent, with 26-year old RHP Clive Howard (7-1, 6 SV, 2.02 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 198 ERA+) being a particular standout this season.

27-year old LF Hayden Goodale (.311/.390/.566, 26 HR, 80RBI, 47 BB, 3.5 WAR) remains the top offensive player in the lineup, but he suddenly went ice cold in January (.189/.275/.356). Here’s hoping he gets out of his funk quickly as he has been a fun player to watch this season. Close behind him is 31-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.261/.382/.500, 18 HR, 56 RBI, 67 BB, 3.4 WAR), but he has not been the fearsome hitter he once was in previous seasons and this year he has been downright awful on defense (.965 PCT, 4.79 RNG, -9.4 ZR, .943 EFF).

All-Star Selections:

1B Dean Witherden (7th)
2B Patrick Lidgate (8th)
LF Hayden Goodale (3rd)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 10 – LF Hayden Goodale (.625, 15 H, 6 HR, 17 RBI)

Noteworthy:

December 4 – Just eight games after he first accomplished the feat, LF Hayden Goodale slammed another three home runs in a game. He becomes not only the first player in United Leagues history to accomplish the feat more than once, but he is also the first player to accomplish it twice in the same season and to do it ‘back-to-back’. In the second game of a three-game series against the Downie Chiefs, Goodale first flied out in the 1st before hitting a solo shot off RHP Archie Harville in the 4th. He victimized Harville once again in the 5th with a 3-run homer before hitting another 3-run home run in the 7th off RHP Frank Greggs. He capped off his afternoon with an RBI single in the 8th. In all, Goodale collected 4 hits in 5 at-bats, scoring 3 runs and 8 RBIs as the Monarchs won, 9-6.

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13-42. That is the pathetic record the Downie Chiefs put up Dec/Jan. December was ‘highlighted’ by a 12-game losing skid while January saw two – 6-game losing streaks. But the Chiefs did finish the final week in January going 4-2, taking 2 of 3 each from both the Pulberry Trolleys and Kingston Pelicans. So that’s something, right? But unless Downie can turn things around in the final two months of the season, the Chiefs are in danger of setting a new record in futility. They are currently on pace for losing 104 games. The current record for losses in a season is 103, set by the Cobourg Red Stockings back in 1940-41. There really is no excuse. The Chiefs have been in decline ever since their United Cup championship season back in 1949-50 and have had lots of time to either reload or reboot. Instead, they have traded away some of their best players for pennies on the dollar and have one of the weakest farm systems (14th overall) in the United Leagues.

There is very little to highlight in the way of standout performances. 26-year old LHP Quinn Merrifield (9-10, 2.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.89 FIP, 129 ERA+) is the only pitcher on the staff enjoying a quality season. The Chiefs did have 25-year old rookie LHP Lucas Franklin (1-2, 3 SV, 2.89 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 134 ERA+ - 56/58) pitching out of the bullpen until he was sent down to Triple-A in late December. Scouts say that he will one day flourish in the majors and that he is close. I’d say he has nothing left to prove.

On a largely gutted lineup, 31-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.318/.395/.516, 17 HR, 45 RBI, 41 BB, 4 SB, 3.9 WAR) continues playing at an all-star level. He has been joined by 28-year old 1B Louie Revill (.271/.333/.475, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 36 BB, 2.2 WAR) but like the majority of his teammates, he has cooled off over the past two months. Lastly, 25-year old rookie RF Ewan Komaki (.283/.338/.452, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 27 BB, 2.7 WAR – 54/54) remains perhaps the lone bright spot among Downie’s young prospects. The 2nd-round pick from 1953-54 has a decent bat with tremendous speed and is defensively sound (.977 PCT, 3.03 RNG, +6.6 ZR, 1.029 EFF).

All-Star Selections:

1B Louie Revill (1st)
2B Dominic Dudding (10th)

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05-21-2023, 06:05 AM	#785
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	February 1, 1957 Eastern League: Redlegs Rise While Wellington Wilts -------- Despite winning twice as many games as they lost in November, the Cobourg Redlegs still found themselves 5-1/2 games back of first place and in 4th place overall in early December, thanks to a four-game losing streak to open the month. But they quickly turned it around after that, going 11-1 at one point in the middle of December, then followed that with a 10-game winning streak that overlapped into January. From November to the end of January, they put up the best record in the United Leagues (53-26), 4 wins better than the next best team (Brunswick at 49-30). Their success is due in large part to a few standout performances in both their lineup and rotation, all backed up by a solid bullpen. Coupled with the No. 1 farm system in the United Leagues – one that is top heavy with promising arms that are either close to reaching the majors or are already there – the Redlegs appear to be well positioned to maintain their recent dominance. The offense continues to be led by the top ranked centerfielder and shortstop in the United Leagues, namely 30-year old Raymond Williams (.374/.437/.671, 27 HR, 84 RBI, 44 BB, 8 SB, 7.6 WAR) and 25-year old lead-off hitter, Douglas Jones (.268/.352/.491, 24 HR, 63 RBI, 51 BB, 4 SB, 5.6 WAR) respectively. Both are playing at an elite level. Of the nine Player of the Week honors that were handed out over the past two months in the East, Williams and Jones won five of them. Also contributing are 31-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.326/.378/.509, 13 HR, 55 RBI, 30 BB, 2.2 WAR) and 35-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.295/.352/.447, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 22 BB, 1.4 WAR). But those two players appear to be slowing down which may put pressure on the Redlegs to find their replacements in the not-too-distant future. Thus, its no surprise that Cobourg is officially in a ‘win now’ mode. The rotation continues to be led by 28-year old LHP Bill Budd (15-6, 2.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 2.63 FIP, 180 ERA+) who is having a Satchel Paige Award-worthy season. Meanwhile, 23-year old sophomore RHP Albert Johnson (13-6, 3.96 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 4.20 FIP, 100 ERA+ - 49/70) continues to progress. But the Redlegs also have 20-year old RHP Lester Bell (1-0, 3.52 ERA, 0.52 WHIP, 2.84 FIP, 112 ERA+ - 40/80) pitching out of the bullpen. Bell, a 3rd-overall pick from 1954-55 is currently ranked No. 3 among all prospects and is a future starter. Down in Triple-A, Cobourg also has 24-year old RHP Shunen Minaminure (41/66 – 13th overall ranked prospect), a 2nd-round pick from 1955-56. But he suffered a torn UCL back in November and is gone for the season. Still, scouts feel he is capable of one day anchoring a rotation. All-Star Selections: SP Bill Budd (4th) CL Brian McDaniel (2nd) 1B Harry Doxey (8th) SS Douglas Jones (1st) CF Raymond Williams (10th) Player of the Week Awards: December 17 – CF Raymond Williams (.542, 13 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R) December 24 – CF Raymond Williams (.538, 14 H, 3 RBI) December 31 – SS Douglas Jones (.391, 9 H, 5 HR, 8 RBI) January 14 – SS Douglas Jones (.471, 8 H, 3 HR, 3 RBI) January 21 – CF Raymond Williams (.400, 10 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI) Noteworthy: January 13 – Immediately following the All-Star break, the Legends went into Cobourg and took the first three games from the Redlegs, each by a one-run margin. But Brunswick had no answer for LHP Bill Budd who blanked the Legends, 7-0 on 2 hits to salvage the final game of the series. Budd went all 9.0 innings, with 2 BB, 5 K, 111 PI, GS: 86. Key Trade: January 17 with the Cambria Cannons: To Cobourg – 31-year old RHP Keith Roche (56/56) To Cambria – 22-year old minor league SS Raúl León (22/45) *Knee-jerk reaction:* With the Redlegs aiming for what would be just their second playoff appearance and the Cannons well out of the playoff chase, the two clubs make a deal that now see the top two leaders in saves in the ULB on the same team. Roche, a 3-time all-star from British Columbia, may not have the best stuff (50/50) and essentially only one pitch (sinker-60/60; changeup-35/35), but his ability to limit home runs (70/70) and walks (60/60) has allowed him to be a reliable, consistent reliever throughout his 8-year career. Roche becomes Cobourg’s middle reliever and will make one the Eastern League’s top bullpens even better. The Redlegs do not give up much in the way of León. The former 7th-round pick from 1952-53, has a decent eye (45/55) and gap power (55/55) with average power (40/50). He has plenty of speed (70) but is not an effective base stealer (45). He is currently buried in the Cannons’ depth chart in Double-A but could make the majors one day if he can get more playing time. -------- The Brunswick Legends appear to be the real deal as they have played consistently throughout the season and continue to hold down the wild card. They haven’t gone on any extended winning streaks, but they haven’t endured any extended losing streaks either, although they did stumble a little at the end of January, going 3-6. Like Cobourg, the Legends have been relying on a few key players. The biggest surprise has been in the rotation, where 31-year old journeyman LHP Luke Henty (13-6, 2.74 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 3.49 FIP, 145 ERA+) is enjoying his best season by far and is on pace for 19 wins. He picked up the first all-star selection of his nine-year career and is currently Brunswick’s ace. But 24-year old RHP Dave Ball (12-6, 2.97 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.17 FIP, 134 ERA+) is enjoying a breakout season of his own, the fourth of his career. 29-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (12-7, 4.14 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.98 FIP, 96 ERA+) endured a rough patch in December (1-4, 6.70 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) but recovered a bit the following month (3-1, 3.06 ERA, 1.20 WHIP). The bullpen has been the best in the Eastern League, with 35-year old stopper RHP Lao Chen (6-2, 13 SV, 1.08 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2.21FIP, 368 ERA+) and 27-year old LHP Ron Killingworth (3-4, 2 SV, 2.02 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.67 FIP, 196 ERA+) providing consistent outings game in and game out. The offense is led by the top-ranked catcher in the United Leagues, 28-year old Robert Kersey (.301/.390/.526, 21 HR, 74 RBI, 49 BB, 4.5 WAR). Although not the most well-liked player on the club, he has consistently been its best over the past six seasons, earning an all-star selection each year. He has been joined by 27-year old RF Joshua Witherden (.277/.381/.516, 16 HR, 39 RBI, 48 BB, 4.1 WAR), who continues to impress in just his second major league season. Batting ahead of Kersey in the No. 3 spot has been 26-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.279/.379/.531, 19 HR, 61 RBI, 48 BB, 3.4 WAR). The former 11th overall pick from 1951-52 is in his fourth major league season and has gotten better with each passing year. All-Star Selections: SP Dave Ball (1st) SP Luke Henty (1st) CL Lao Chen (7th) C Robert Kersey (6th) RF Jay Mitchell (2nd) RF Joshua Witherden (1st) Noteworthy: December 10 – The Legends swept all four games against the lowly Downie Chiefs with the first game being the only shoot-out. In it, C Robert Kersey went 5 for 5 as the Legends outpaced the Chiefs, 12-8. Kersey singled twice in the 2nd, singled again in the 5th, doubled in the 7th and then slammed a solo shot off RHP Frank Greggs in the 8th. In all, he scored 4 times and collected 1 RBI. December 14 – The Legends rolled into Queensland for a 3-game set against the Eagles and took the first game, 7-0. The man responsible for shutting down the Eagles was LHP Luke Henty who limited Queensland to just 2 hits. In all, he went 9.0 IP with 0 BB, 8 K, 94 PI, GS: 91. C Robert Kersey led the offense with a 3-run home run off RHP Wayne O’Reilly in a 6-run 3rd inning. But Queensland would bounce back to win the next two games to take the series. Key Trade: January 8 with the Cambria Cannons: To Brunswick – 36-year old RHP Ramón Ortíz (49/49) and 22-year old minor league IF Dave Smith (24/38) To Cambria – 22-year old minor league OF Doug Arce (38/47) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Not a major deal by any means but like the Redlegs, the Legends make a deal with Cambria for a middle reliever to try and beef up the top bullpen in the East even more. Ortíz is another pitcher with pedestrian stuff (40/40) that relies on command (70/70) and control (55/55) to get outs, utilizing two so-so pitches (fastball, sinker – 45/45). He will serve as one of two middle relievers for Brunswick. Cambria receives a low-level prospect in Acre, an 8th-round pick from 1952-53 with great plate discipline (60/65) and a decent eye (50/50). Possessing terrific speed and base running instincts (65) and a future solid defensive leftfielder (45/60), Acre has a chance to reach the majors although he may not necessarily be a future all-star in the making. -------- The Stratford Barons continue to hang around in the wild card hunt without actually holding it down for any length of time. They have been as close as a game and a half and as far back as 5-1/2 games, but they continue to be a threat in the tight playoff race. There’s a chance that a team in the East could win 90 games this season and still miss the playoffs. That’s happened only once before, back in 1941-42 – to the Barons. That season, the Embro Suns won 100 games, while the Brunswick Legends won 93 to capture the wild card. Stratford finished with 92. If the Barons are going to buck that trend, they will need to step it up on offense, as they have slid back in a number of categories. December was particularly rough for a number of their key players in the lineup, although most of them bounced back a bit in January. 31-year old CF Alfonso León (.312/.384/.547, 16 HR, 56 RBI, 47 BB, 5.5 WAR) remains the lynchpin of the offense, but December (.241/.298/.429) saw him cool off from his torrid start. Also struggling at the plate in December were 28-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.284/.336/.527, 19 HR, 87 RBI, 34 BB, 15 SB, 4.4 WAR) and 25-year old SS Callum Spalton (.272/.321/.390, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 27 BB, 5 SB, 3.8WAR). Spalton’s struggles in fact, continued into January (.256/.297/.337). Also concerning for the Barons are signs that 37-year old Aaron Skidmore (.230/.396/.417, 14 HR, 38 RBI, 69 BB, 2.8 WAR) is starting to show his age at the plate, although the 15-time all-star’s defensive skills are still top-notch (.990 PCT, 5.11 RNG, +2.9 ZR, 1.020 EFF). The rotation represents the strength of the club right now, with the top three starters providing consistent outings. 28-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (15-2, 2.07 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 3.03 FIP, 190 ERA+) is proving that his Satchel Paige Award-winning season last year was no fluke. He is on pace for 21 victories. Pitching behind him in the rotation are 29-year old RHP Ted Smith (12-4, 3.24 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 3.61 FIP, 121 ERA+) and 30-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (11-5, 3.80 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 3.47 FIP, 104 ERA+) who have both shaken off their earlier struggles. All-Star Selections: SP Robin Wadsworth (3rd) 2B Matthew Channing (4th) SS Callum Spalton (2nd) CF Alfonso León (10th) Key Trade: December 18 with the Fort Richmond Generals: To Stratford – 32-year old RHP José Rodríguez (79/79) To Fort Richmond – 23-year old minor league IF Neil Sluggett (23/49) and 23-year old minor league RHP Waylon Trotta (26/26) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Stratford is another team in the playoff hunt that acquired a reliever from a struggling team. In doing so, it snags one of the best. Rodríguez is a 6-time all-star whose forte is inducing ground balls when not generating swings and misses. His stuff-movement-control (65-70-60) are all top notch as are his two pitches: fastball (55) and curveball (60). He immediately moves into the closer role for the Barons. The main player the Generals get in return is Sluggett, a former 6th-round pick from 1955-56. Sluggett is not fast, but he is a heads-up base runner who will steal a few bases and should be a solid defensive infielder either at shortstop or at third base. He is showing good instincts and a good eye at the plate but will need to develop his bat a bit more if he wants to become anything more that just an average major leaguer. -------- The Queensland Eagles continued their strong play into December, coming to within 2-1/5 games of first place in the East by the 24th. But they cooled off in January, pushing them well back of the wild card. They are not out of it just yet by any means, but their key players on both sides of the ball are going to have to reach the next level if they want to crash the playoff party in two months. The biggest need is for the offense to take it to the next level. The Eagles have some fine players in the lineup, but overall, they haven’t performed as well as have the lineups for both the Redlegs and Legends have. That can’t be said of 24-year old sophomore 2B Dennis Purcell (.301/.379/.560, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 32 BB, 4 SB, 3.6 WAR) however. The London, Ontario native has emerged as Queensland’s top offensive player, taking over the mantle from 30-year old LF Rod Dennis (.306/.382/.550, 23 HR, 69 RBI, 47 BB, 3.0 WAR). But Dennis is no slouch himself. After a slow start in October, the Pulberry-native found his form once again. The real issue is that the rest of the lineup needs to follow suit. They have a premiere offensive catcher in the making with 28-year old Robbie Leivers (.267/.363/.460, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 47 BB, 3.0 WAR) but the super-competitive East has made the need for Queensland’s young promising players to step it up much more urgent if they are still entertaining hopes of ending their 10-year playoff drought anytime soon. There is no shortage of outstanding Satchel Paige Award candidates in the East. Among them remains 31-year old RHP Logan Belsey (13-6, 2.79 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.42 FIP, 140 ERA+) despite enduring a rough January (1-3, 6.03 ERA, 1.50 WHIP). But that appears to be more of a blip than anything else. The real concern continues to be with their No. 2 starter, 29-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (12-10, 3.77 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 2.86 FIP, 103 ERA+), although he may be a victim of either poor defense or bad fortune more than anything else. On the positive side of things, 32-year old RHP Tyler Gissing (9-8, 3.24 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.56 FIP, 120 ERA+) is enjoying the best season of his 9-year career. All-Star Selections: SP Logan Belsey (6th) C Robbie Leivers (3rd) 1B Ryan Conisford (3rd) 2B Dennis Purcell (1st) LF Rod Dennis (6th) Player of the Week Awards: December 3 – 3B Apia Yarrah (.455, 10 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) January 28 – 2B Dennis Purcell (.476, 10 H, 5 HR, 9 RBI) Noteworthy: January 26 – The home run parade continued as 2B Dennis Purcell became the 20th player in United Leagues history and the 3rd this season to hit 3 home runs in a game. But because Braeland City’s Hayden Goodale actually accomplished this feat twice earlier this year, this represents the 21st time in league history and 4th time this season that it has been accomplished. Facing the Wolseley Unions in the first game of a three-game set, Purcell singled in the 1st, hit a solo shot off RHP Theo Morse in both the 3rd and 5th innings, hit a three-run home run off Morse in the 7th until striking out in the 9th. In all Purcell went 4 for 5 with 3 R and 5 RBI. But it wasn’t enough, as the Unions held on to win, 9-7. Key Trade: January 28 with the Fort Richmond Generals: To Queensland – 26-year old OF Matsuo Oyama (49/49) To Fort Richmond – 26-year old OF José Ibarra (48/48) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Essentially a trade of back-up outfielders that immediately helps out Queensland in the short-term as they strive to remain in striking distance of the wild card. Oyama, a 3rd-round pick from 1952-53, appears to be a solid offensive player with nice power (gap & home run power-55/60) and plate discipline (60/60) to go along with speed (70). He is a solid defensive outfielder as well either at center or rightfield. As such, he has taken over centerfield from 28-year old John Oldknow (.227/.303/.322, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 30 BB, 4 SB, -0.2 WAR) who began to regress last season. The Eagles are looking to Oyama to serve at least as a stopgap. Ibarra is very similar to Oyama both at the plate and defensively, especially on the outfield corners. The only difference is that he is a slow baserunner. He has tremendous raw power (65/65), so if he can make his way into the lineup on a regular basis, he could provide a much needed offensive punch, as the Generals are ranked last in terms of home runs in the West. As it is, he will be their 4th outfielder that could start every fourth game. -------- Perhaps the biggest story over the past two months has been the collapse of the Wellington Athletics, who fell out of first place on December 5th and into a deep funk. They lost 8-straight games heading into the All-Star break and were as much as 9-1/2 games back of the lead shortly thereafter. A 6-game winning streak to end January has perhaps restored some hope that the Athletics can rebound, but they have dug themselves into a deep hole in the highly competitive East. The big question of course is why this sudden and dramatic collapse occurred in the first place. While it is true that Wellington has the worst-ranked bullpen in the East, there was only one blown save over the past two months that I could spot. The fact is the entire pitching staff has not exactly wrapped itself in glory of late. The rotation has struggled, and the lineup is perhaps not as explosive as it once was in the early going of the season. But the Athletics have made some curious player transactions as well. The most noticeable was the demotion of 3-time Rookie of the Month winner, 23-year old RHP Baskin Arncaple (7-4, 10 SV, 1.83 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.74 FIP, 212 ERA+) to Triple-A on January 1st. Since then, he has been up and down twice. It makes absolutely no sense. Arncaple is a future starter and the Athletics have done themselves no favours depriving themselves of the services of the pitcher that leads the Eastern League in ERA. Incidentally, shortly after his initial demotion, Arncaple pitched a no-hitter against the Tansley Dukes (Stratford), beating them 2-0 on 17 K, 3 BB. Wellington has also brought up two other promising pitchers: 24-year old LHP Adam Gibb (3-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 3.02 FIP, 151 ERA+ - 45/51), a 4th-round pick from 1953-54 who just won his own Rookie of the Month honor for January, and 23-year old RHP Christian Wiley (1-2, 5 SV, 2.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.78 FIP, 155 ERA+ - 59/80), a 2nd-round pick from 1955-56. While Gibb is pitching out of the 3rd spot in the rotation, Wiley has recently taken over the closer role from a struggling 34-year old RHP Finlay Capstick (1-7, 6 SV, 6.89 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 5.26 FIP, 56 ERA+). Any lineup that is anchored by a player of the likes of 29-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.342/.436/.681, 38 HR, 88 RBI, 68 BB, 6 SB, 8.0 WAR) will be an enviable one. Although he cooled off just a little in January (.266/.400/.447), he still leads the East in 8 offensive categories. Batting right behind him in the order is 24-year old CF Greg Yates (.298/.351/.519, 16 HR, 65 RBI, 33 BB, 4 SB, 4.3 WAR). The Philadelphia-native is enjoying his best season by far, the fourth of his career and earned his first all-star selection. Along with 31-year old RF Jim Mars (.324/.386/.487, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 40 BB, 3.9 WAR) who continues to be his steady self, the Athletics can at least boast one of the most formidable outfields in the United Leagues. All-Star Selections: C Carlos Camasura (6th) LF Matthew Floyd (6th) CF Greg Yates (1st) RF Jim Mars (7th) Noteworthy: January 13 – The Athletics took 3 of 4 from the Monarchs right in Braeland City immediately following the All-Star break. The final game saw a brilliant pitching performance by rookie LHP Adam Gabb who blanked the Monarchs, 1-0 on 2 hits. Gabb pitched 9.0 innings with 8 BB, 4 K, 119 PI, GS: 79. The only run of the game came in the top of the 5th, when Jim Mars doubled home Yorikane Takeuchi, after Takeuchi led off the inning with a 4-pitch walk and reached 2B on a sac bunt by Gabb. -------- The Embro Suns have gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Last month saw them move above .500 for the first time this season, thanks to an impressive 17-9 record, tied with both the Cobourg Redlegs and Pulberry Trolleys for the best record in January. But it has the feeling of ‘too little, too late’ as the Suns remain well back of the wildcard. On the surface, it would appear that the pitching staff is weakest part of the team, but a closer inspection reveals it more about their poor defense as being the real culprit. 29-year old RHP Bradley Strawson (10-6, 3.27 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 121 ERA+) and 31-year old RHP Juan Rivas (5-3, 2.35 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 2.70 FIP, 168 ERA+) have been quite good leading the rotation. Rivas in fact picked up his first all-star selection after eight seasons. Pitching in the No. 3 spot is 23-year old RHP Jun Kichida (3-4, 3.81 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 3.87 FIP, 103 ERA+). The Japanese rookie has been struggling with his control at times, but scouts think he will be a middle-of-the-rotation mainstay for years to come. Interestingly, the entire pitching staff is currently comprised entirely of right-handers. The Suns’ upswing in fortune in recent months is reflected in the improved performance of 28-year old Moromao Nakagawa (.268/.363/.517, 26 HR, 78 RBI, 58 BB, 5.1 WAR). After an excruciatingly slow start, Nakagawa finally began turning things around in December, then got really hot in January (.360/.402/.690). As goes the 2-time Babe Ruth Award winner, so goes the Suns. 27-year old clean-up hitter, LF Jesús Abreu (.279/.389/.505, 22 HR, 63 RBI, 65 BB, 7 SB, 3.5 WAR), has been the most consistent hitter this year for the Suns, but was not selected to the All-Star Game. Perhaps his shortcomings on defense (.967 PCT, 2.35 RNG, -3.7 ZR, .975 EFF) influenced the voters. All-Star Selections: SP Juan Rivas (1st) SP Bradley Strawson (2nd) CL Rob Gladstone (2nd) 3B Moromao Nakagawa (5th) Player of the Week Awards: January 7 – 3B Moromao Nakagawa (.577, 15 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R) Noteworthy: December 15 – The Suns managed to pull out a win in Stratford with a 9-6 victory over the Barons in 10 innings. Leading the way for Embro was 23-year old rookie 1B Damien Whetter (.357/.448/.554, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 20 BB, 1.4 WAR), who completed the 32nd Cycle in United Leagues history and 4th of the season. Whetter hit a 3-run home run off RHP Bill Wolf in the first, singled in the 3rd, doubled in the 5th, grounded out in the 7th, and tripled in the 10th. With the game tied at 6-apiece going into the top of the 10th, 3B Moromao Nakagawa slammed a 2-run shot off RHP Bill Lafontaine immediately before Whetter hit his triple to complete the cycle. Whetter would eventually score on a C Gareth Mawle single to round out the scoring. January 4 – At the tail end of Wellington’s 8-game losing slide, the Suns swept all four of their games against the Athletics leading up to the All-Star break. In the second game, Embro pulled out a 14-inning, 10-8 victory. The star of the game was 3B Moromao Nakagawa who went 5 for 7 with 2 home runs, scoring 3 times and driving in 4. Nakagawa grounded out in the 1st, singled in the 4th, flied out in the 6th and doubled in the 8th before hitting a two-run home run off RHP Rizal Doctolero in the 9th to tie the game up and send it into extras. After hitting a double in the 12th, Nakagawa connected on a walk-off two-run home run off RHP Finlay Capstick in the 14th to finally end the game after nearly 4-1/2 hours. -------- The Braeland City Monarchs recovered somewhat from a disastrous November to earn their first winning month in January. Things were looking up in early December when they went 8-1, but then they promptly lost the next 7 games and went 1-10 over that stretch. It is clear that this is a team on a downward slide and will need to focus on rebuilding if they want to become relevant again. What that means for their current stars on offense remains to be seen but they desperately need more help on the pitching staff. 30-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (12-9, 3.77 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 4.15 FIP, 106 ERA+) is as good as it gets in the rotation, but even he faltered badly in Dec/Jan (5-5, 5.12 ERA, 1.72 WHIP). They continue to use 20-year old rookie LHP Charlie Honeysett (2-3, 1 SV, 5.13 ERA, 2.19 WHIP, 3. 50 FIP, 78 ERA+ - 46/72) in long relief, but he has been recalled and demoted so many times, even on the same day that it has been a farce (I thought that had been fixed in OOTP a long time ago). The bullpen has been much more consistent, with 26-year old RHP Clive Howard (7-1, 6 SV, 2.02 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 198 ERA+) being a particular standout this season. 27-year old LF Hayden Goodale (.311/.390/.566, 26 HR, 80RBI, 47 BB, 3.5 WAR) remains the top offensive player in the lineup, but he suddenly went ice cold in January (.189/.275/.356). Here’s hoping he gets out of his funk quickly as he has been a fun player to watch this season. Close behind him is 31-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.261/.382/.500, 18 HR, 56 RBI, 67 BB, 3.4 WAR), but he has not been the fearsome hitter he once was in previous seasons and this year he has been downright awful on defense (.965 PCT, 4.79 RNG, -9.4 ZR, .943 EFF). All-Star Selections: 1B Dean Witherden (7th) 2B Patrick Lidgate (8th) LF Hayden Goodale (3rd) Player of the Week Awards: December 10 – LF Hayden Goodale (.625, 15 H, 6 HR, 17 RBI) Noteworthy: December 4 – Just eight games after he first accomplished the feat, LF Hayden Goodale slammed another three home runs in a game. He becomes not only the first player in United Leagues history to accomplish the feat more than once, but he is also the first player to accomplish it twice in the same season and to do it ‘back-to-back’. In the second game of a three-game series against the Downie Chiefs, Goodale first flied out in the 1st before hitting a solo shot off RHP Archie Harville in the 4th. He victimized Harville once again in the 5th with a 3-run homer before hitting another 3-run home run in the 7th off RHP Frank Greggs. He capped off his afternoon with an RBI single in the 8th. In all, Goodale collected 4 hits in 5 at-bats, scoring 3 runs and 8 RBIs as the Monarchs won, 9-6. -------- 13-42. That is the pathetic record the Downie Chiefs put up Dec/Jan. December was ‘highlighted’ by a 12-game losing skid while January saw two – 6-game losing streaks. But the Chiefs did finish the final week in January going 4-2, taking 2 of 3 each from both the Pulberry Trolleys and Kingston Pelicans. So that’s something, right? But unless Downie can turn things around in the final two months of the season, the Chiefs are in danger of setting a new record in futility. They are currently on pace for losing 104 games. The current record for losses in a season is 103, set by the Cobourg Red Stockings back in 1940-41. There really is no excuse. The Chiefs have been in decline ever since their United Cup championship season back in 1949-50 and have had lots of time to either reload or reboot. Instead, they have traded away some of their best players for pennies on the dollar and have one of the weakest farm systems (14th overall) in the United Leagues. There is very little to highlight in the way of standout performances. 26-year old LHP Quinn Merrifield (9-10, 2.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.89 FIP, 129 ERA+) is the only pitcher on the staff enjoying a quality season. The Chiefs did have 25-year old rookie LHP Lucas Franklin (1-2, 3 SV, 2.89 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 134 ERA+ - 56/58) pitching out of the bullpen until he was sent down to Triple-A in late December. Scouts say that he will one day flourish in the majors and that he is close. I’d say he has nothing left to prove. On a largely gutted lineup, 31-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.318/.395/.516, 17 HR, 45 RBI, 41 BB, 4 SB, 3.9 WAR) continues playing at an all-star level. He has been joined by 28-year old 1B Louie Revill (.271/.333/.475, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 36 BB, 2.2 WAR) but like the majority of his teammates, he has cooled off over the past two months. Lastly, 25-year old rookie RF Ewan Komaki (.283/.338/.452, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 27 BB, 2.7 WAR – 54/54) remains perhaps the lone bright spot among Downie’s young prospects. The 2nd-round pick from 1953-54 has a decent bat with tremendous speed and is defensively sound (.977 PCT, 3.03 RNG, +6.6 ZR, 1.029 EFF). All-Star Selections: 1B Louie Revill (1st) 2B Dominic Dudding (10th) -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland