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04-19-2021, 09:58 PM
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#641 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas!
Posts: 2,633
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Let's keep it going Monarchs!
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04-24-2021, 03:35 AM
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#642 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,919
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March 30, 1954
Eastern League: Barons, Monarchs to Battle for the Pennant for the Fourth Time    --------   Offense: .270/.353/.416 (5th/3rd/3rd) Pitching: 3.89/3.69/5.14 (1st/1st/6th) Defense: .709 (2nd) The Stratford Barons were in first place for most of the season and secured it with two games remaining, outlasting both the Cobourg Red Stockings and Braeland City Monarchs. They finish with the exact same record as they had last season, when they won the wild card. They finish in top spot for the first time since the 1947-48 season when they won 99 games. The starting rotation is the strength of this ballclub; however they will need their offense to be firing on all cylinders to keep up with the Monarchs high-octane offense if they cannot shut it down. But they will be at a disadvantage, as 24-year old CF Sherwin Carasig (.353/.424/.559, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 33 BB, 8 SB, 4.0 WAR) strained his hip while legging out a double in a game against the Hespeler Stars back on February 6. He is gone for the season. Thus, the Barons will be relying on these three key players even more: • 30-year old LF Roberto Ríos (.290/.431/.438, 14 HR, 77 RBI, 138 BB, 17 SB, 5.4 WAR) • 34-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.262/.410/.443, 23 HR, 89 RBI, 112 BB, 5.1 WAR) • 25-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.293/.341/.507, 23 HR, 111 RBI, 44 BB, 11 SB, 4.9 WAR) For the Series against the Monarchs, 4th-year manager Xavier Ahernfeld has set the following four-man rotation: • 27-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (22-10, 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 131 ERA+) • 27-year old RHP Bill Wolf (13-17, 4.29 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 97 ERA+) • 26-year old RHP Ted Smith (12-14, 3.54 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 118 ERA+) • 33-year old RHP Edward Skerrett (4-2, 3.96 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 105 ERA+) First Round Draft Pick Update: 14th overall – IF/OF Jake Dean (29/48). Dean enjoyed a fine first year in Double-A. He batted .282/.330/.366, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 15 BB, 0.5 WAR in 216 AB and played 409.2 innings at shortstop (-1.8 ZR). Current Injuries: February 6 – CF Sherwin Carasig – severe hip strain. Out for: 4 weeks. February 13 - RHP Alonso Martínez – surgery to remove bone spur (elbow) – Out for: 3-4 months. March 25 – LHP Marcello Dean – bone chips (elbow) – Out for: 3 months. --------   Offense: .293/.358/.459 (1st/1st/1st) Pitching: 4.62/4.11/5.64 (8th/5th/8th) Defense: .687 (7th) The Braeland City Monarchs nearly squandered it, but they did enough to nail down their 6th playoff appearance and 1st in four years. But just how far they can get in the post-season remains a question. They relied heavily on their offense to get this far and the pitching, such as it is, has been weakened even more by the injury bug. But if the offense remains potent, it may be enough. The Monarchs certainly have the firepower, setting a United Leagues team record of 192 home runs this season. That obliterates the previous record of 157, also set by Braeland City back in 1948-49. The Monarchs have six highly respected offensive players in the lineup, batting 1 through 5 and at No. 7: • 29-year old LF Jake Stunt (.311/.367/.431, 13 HR, 53 RBI, 49 BB, 7 SB, 2.9 WAR) • 23-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.340/.406/.533, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 64 BB, 6.2 WAR) • 28-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.343/.430/.640, 35 HR, 102 RBI, 84 BB, 10.0 WAR) • 30-year old 1B Dean Witherden (.319/.386/.517, 28 HR, 121 RBI, 63 BB, 4.4 WAR) • 28-year old C Hayden Billyard (.316/.374/.503, 21 HR, 90 RBI, 46 BB, 5.9 WAR) • 24-year old CF Hayden Goodale (.278/.373/.474, 21 HR, 77 RBI, 66 BB, 3.5 WAR) A formidable lineup for any pitcher that must face them. But it may not matter much if their own pitching does not hold up. And they will have to do so without their No. 1 starter, 33-year old RHP Okura Suzuki (11-5, 4.01 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 105 ERA+) who strained his hamstring in the tiebreaker game against the Red Stockings and is gone for the season. Couple that with the loss of their other key pitcher, 26-year old RHP Pei Ming (10-9, 3.77 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 112 ERA+) and the Monarchs are at a distinct disadvantage, at least from what I can see. For the Pennant Series, manager Toby Reakes has set the following four-man rotation: • 28-year old RHP Lee Corp (8-11, 3.49 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 121 ERA+) • 28-year old RHP Bobby Hogg (11-6, 3.92 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 108 ERA+) • 32-year old LHP Mo Goldstraw (7-8, 4.64 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 91 ERA+) • 29-year old RHP Trevor Canfield (3-4, 5.21 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 81 ERA+) Player of the Week Awards: February 8 – CF Hayden Goodale (.385, 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R) February 15 – 1B Dean Witherden (.391, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI) March 15 – RF Aidan Trembath (.543, 19 H, 4 HR, 9 RBI) First Round Draft Pick Update: 5th overall – OF Bernard Burkitt (23/65). The 17th-rated prospect had a relatively quiet year in Double-A. He batted .240/.279/.338, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 11 BB, 91 SO, 5 SB, -0.9 WAR in 317 AB. He played exclusively at centerfield and struggled defensively (-5.5 ZR). Current Injuries: February 25 – RHP Pei Ming – ruptured ulnar collateral ligament. Out for: 4-5 months. March 19 – 3B Griff Limer – strained hamstring. Out for: DtD, 2 weeks. March 29 – RHP Okura Suzuki – hamstring strain. Out for: 2 months. --------   Offense: .285/.355/.438 (2nd/2nd/2nd) Pitching: 4.18/4.11/4.53 (4th/4th/3rd) Defense: .700 (3rd) The Cobourg Red Stockings hung around the first division all season long and came very close to returning to the playoffs to defend their Eastern League Pennant, but in the end, they came up short to a Monarchs team that suddenly has a more potent offense than Cobourg. The Red Stockings long boasted the top offense in the East, if not in the entire United Leagues, but unlike last season when they won 100 games, they were unable to keep any momentum going this year. Why They Missed the Playoffs: Beats me. Actually, it doesn’t, but there really isn’t a good enough reason to justify why they ultimately fell short. They still have one of the best offenses in the ULB and their pitching was quite respectable. Their Pythagorean record suggests they should have won 88 games this year, but I don’t see why they couldn’t have won 90 or more and dominated the East like they did last year. They had the second-worst record in the ULB in one-run games (14-22, .389). Flip that and they would have won 91. What they need to do: Get some leadership. It seems like years now that the Red Stockings have gone without any captain or leader. This year it caught up to them. Feuding is going on in the clubhouse as the number of selfish players has increased and it apparently has affected their on-field performance. They may have found one though. Brought up late in the season, 24-year old C Yo****ake Ikeda (42/50), a 4th-round pick from 1948-49, is considered a leader in the clubhouse. He saw very limited playing time, however, and there is no guarantee that he will on the major league roster next season. But if he can latch on as a back-up to 31-year old Jason Lymer (.288/.343/.421, 11 HR, 72 RBI, 43 BB, 3.3 WAR), then he may provide that good influence the team needs. Noteworthy: 28-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.368/.413/.522, 14 HR, 100 RBI, 43 BB, 6.3 WAR) won the Eastern League batting title with the highest average in the United Leagues since Kingston’s Danny Trowbridge hit .372 in 1947-48.  February 25 – It was a red-letter day for 27-year old Raymond Williams (.332/.409/.638, 45 HR, 115 RBI, 73 BB, 7 SB, 9.4 WAR) and the Red Stockings as not only did Williams set a new record for most home runs in a season but did so while hitting three in a game. Playing against the Brunswick Legends at Babe Ruth Park, Williams entered the game two shy of Kingston’s 1B Dean Bishop’s record of 39, set back in 1949-50. Facing 37-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian, Williams hit No. 38, a lead-off solo home run in the 2nd inning that tied the game at 1 apiece. In the 4th he tied the record with a two-run shot that cut the Legends’ lead to 4-3. In the top of the 5th, Harry Doxey slammed a two-run shot that gave Cobourg the lead. Up next was Williams, who jumped all over Quian’s first offering, sending 371 ft. into the rightfield stands. It was Williams 40th home run of the season and his third on the afternoon. Cobourg went on to win, 7-4. Williams hit 5 more home runs on the season to set the new record of 45.  March 14 – 32-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.301/.396/.473, 22 HR, 81 RBI, 8830 BB, 5.9 WAR) became the 14th player in United Leagues history (and 4th for the season) to club 3 home runs in a game. Tolmie was on fire, hitting a two-run home run in the 1st and 2nd innings off Queensland Eagles’ RHP Gael Yule, then a third two-run shot in the 5th, off RHP Kian Quick. He also walked in the 6th and singled in the 8th, going 4 for 4 with 6 RBI, 4 R. Cobourg won 11-4. First Round Draft Pick Update: 16th overall – IF Harold Prudom (26/51). The 21-year old Queensland-native got 203 AB in Double-A. He batted .232/.304/.384, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 18 BB, 53 SO, 0.4 WAR. He played almost entirely at 3B (0.1 ZR). Current Injuries: None. --------   Offense: .254/.318/.398 (7th/8th/6th) Pitching: 4.07/4.09/4.02 (2nd/3rd/1st) Defense: .716 (1st) The Downie Chiefs got to within 7 games of the wild card down the stretch but were never a real threat to challenge for it. It’s the second straight season they have missed the playoffs, after three seasons where they finished in top spot twice, second once and won a United Cup. They appear to be rebuilding on the fly in the hopes of returning to playoff contention soon. Why They Missed the Playoffs: The offense let them down. In a season where offensive production was up throughout the United Leagues, the Chiefs’ lineup had a down year. On the other hand, the pitching staff was impressive, despite multiple injuries to their ace, 31-year old RHP Kelii Pelanekelina (6-5, 3.71 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 110 ERA+), and the fact that their pitching staff is getting, quite frankly, a little long in the tooth. What they need to do: Get a bounce-back from their offensive stars next season and have their youngsters take the next step. Only 28-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.322/.395/.510, 25 HR, 87 RBI, 63 BB, 5.7 WAR) had a comparable year to what he had last season, but even then, his production is down from the years when the Chiefs were a contender. 28-year old CF Alfonso León (.321/.375/.463, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 50 BB, 8 SB, 5.8 WAR) is one of the best, but overall, his season was a disappointment. Interestingly, his WAR values over the past four seasons have gone thusly: 9.3, 5.2, 9.9, 5.8. If that pattern continues, he should be a leading MVP candidate next year. After earning 5.6 WAR last season, 27-year old RF Connor Bing (.243/.296/.439, 21 HR, 68 RBI, 44 BB, 2.2 WAR) was a major disappointment, striking out 123 times, the third highest in the ULB. Player of the Week Awards: March 1 – 2B Dominic Dudding (.556, 10 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI) First Round Draft Pick Update: 6th overall – IF Dave Murray (37/55). Murray enjoyed a promising first campaign in Double-A. He batted .315/.349/.526, 9 HR, 38 RBI, 12 BB, 49 SO, 1.9 WAR in 213 AB. He played all 442.1 innings at C (1.1 ZR). Current Injuries: February 4 – RHP Kent Allomes – torn elbow ligament. Out for: 4 months. --------   Offense: .271/.338/.408 (4th/5th/5th) Pitching: 4.55/4.69/4.13 (7th/8th/2nd) Defense: .692 (5th) Like Downie, the Brunswick Legends are trying to rebuild on the fly, easing in young, promising players on both the pitching staff and in the lineup. No doubt the club is hoping that their strong finish to the season will be a harbinger of things to come. The day after they were eliminated from the playoffs, the Legends went on an 8-game winning streak and finished out the final two weeks, 11-3. Why They Missed the Playoffs: A mediocre starting rotation and a lack of impact players in the lineup to support their superstar catcher, 25-year old Robert Kersey (.320/.403/.580, 33 HR, 110 RBI, 73 BB, 7.3 WAR), sunk them this year. What they need to do: Get some impact players or at least hope that some of their young prospects will quickly develop into solid players and pitchers. Brunswick ended the season with four of their prized prospects on the big-league roster, including 22-year old RHP Dave Ball (8-8, 5.38 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 78 ERA+ - 51/63). Ball received a potential ratings boost (from 54), so the Legends may have a much-needed ace in their future. The rotation has some respectable arms, especially 26-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (12-15, 4.14 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 102ERA+), but none of them are front-of-the-rotation quality. In the lineup, 26-year old SS Harris Yaag (.310/.344/.461, 15 HR, 89 RBI, 29 BB, 3.8 WAR – 61/61) has the best chance at becoming an impact player. They also have three rookies who may lift their fortunes soon: 23-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.252/.333/.428, 13 HR, 53 RBI, 35 BB, 0.5 WAR – 46/53); 24-year old LF Quincy Woolescroft (.411/.434/.658, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 3 BB, 1.1 WAR – 41/54), who was called up in late February and Rookie of the Month honors in March; and finally 22-year old CF Ben Darvell (39/63), who got in all of 17 AB towards the end. Darvell is considered a sparkplug, which may help matters in the clubhouse. Kersey is a special player; but with a disruptive personality, he is a double-edged sword. Player of the Week Awards: March 22 – C Robert Kersey (.565, 13 H, 4 HR, 11 RBI) First Round Draft Pick Update: 9th overall – IF/OF Edilberto Mandac (37/52). The No. 32-rated prospect made a splash in his first season in Double-A, at least offensively. He batted .363/.412/.525, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 20 BB, 32 SO, 21 SB, 3.2 WAR in 366 AB. He played 756.1 innings at 3B (-7.0 ZR). Current Injuries: None. --------   Offense: .273/.344/.414 (3rd/4th/4th) Pitching: 4.53/4.39/4.92 (6th/7th/4th) Defense: .675 (8th) There’s a bit of irony in the fact that the Embro Suns sent 7 players to this season’s All-Star Game (tied with the Kingston Pelicans for most in the ULB) despite the fact that the Suns do not have a truly impact player on the roster. The closest is 25-year old Moromao Nakagawa (.288/.368/.468, 21 HR, 77 RBI, 66 BB, 4.1 WAR), who is rated the No. 2 overall third baseman in the United Leagues, behind Cobourg’s Alexander Tolmie. But Nakagawa faded severely down the stretch and overall, he had a disappointing season. Just like the rest of his teammates. In terms of wins-losses, it was the Suns’ worst season (72 wins was their previous low mark). Why They Missed the Playoffs: A weak starting rotation and a lineup that is not built to compete with the higher-octane offenses in the East. The offense is not terrible by any means, but it appears that the players are regressing instead of playing up to their potential, which is concerning, since so many of them are entering what should be their prime years. 24-year old 3B Adrian Flynn (47/60) joined the major league roster in late February and scouts feel he can make a big impact with his terrific offensive skills and solid defensive abilities. Perhaps he can provide a spark. The former 11th overall pick from 1950-51 is currently rated 11th overall among all prospects. But things are more dire in the rotation. 28-year old RHP Juan Rivas (15-14, 3.91 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 107 ERA+) led the way, but he suffered a forgettable February (0-4, 7.99 ERA). RHP Myung-gu Son (16-6, 3.96 REA, 1.44 WHIP, 106 ERA+) was effective, especially as the season wore on, but at 39-years old and fragile, how much longer he can be effective is a legitimate question. What they need to do: Beef up the rotation pronto and light a fire under their underperforming regulars. The former will not be easy, as Embro does not have a lot of internal options. Their best option is 23-year old rookie RHP Bob Nord (7-7, 14 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 163 ERA+ - 55/59), but he is considered only an emergency starter at present. But if they can somehow help their young players like 24-year old LF Jesús Abreu (.257/.364/.473, 21 HR, 73 RBI, 73 BB, 2.7 WAR – 60/68), 24-year old SS Kieron Bradridge (.348/.390/.543, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 17 BB, 2.6 WAR – 65/65) and 28-year old 2B Robert Jameson (.322/.376/.408, 6 HR, 68 RBI, 53 BB, 8 SB, 2.2 WAR – 58/58) take the next step, they may be able to compete with the current heavyweights in the East and challenge for the wild card. Player of the Week Awards: March 8 – SS Kieron Bradridge (.450, 9 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R) First Round Draft Pick Update: 12th overall – IF/OF Ryan Bird (20/55). Bird only got 6 AB in his first season in Double-A. He struck out 3 times and did not get a hit. Current Injuries: March 18 – RF José Maldonado – sprained knee. Out for: DtD, 2 weeks. --------   Offense: .262/.323/.391 (6th/6th/7th) Pitching: 4.40/4.19/5.07 (5th/6th/5th) Defense: .698 (4th) It was a year of frustration for the Wellington Athletics, as their frontline players were decimated by injuries, dashing any hope for the club to seriously compete for a playoff spot. However, it did allow for some of their prospects to get some major league experience, which could bode well for next season. Why They Missed the Playoffs: Although they may not have made the playoffs anyway, certainly a plethora of injuries to their best players didn’t help. Like other teams in the East, the Athletics are attempting to rebuild on the fly without a complete teardown. If they can catch a break on the injury front next season, we may get a better idea of where this club is really at. What they need to do: Besides staying healthy, of course, they need some of their key players to bounce back from a so-so season and see their young, promising players continue to develop. Wellington has some nice pieces that could make a major impact if all goes right. 21-year old rookie CF Greg Yates (.283/.317/.447, 10 HR, 55 RBI, 20 BB, 2.0 WAR – 51/55) took over CF from 28-year old RF Jim Mars (.295/.343/.443, 8 HR, 67 RBI, 44 BB, 3.6 WAR – 56/56). If 26-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.358/.440/.642, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 23 BB, 2.9 WAR – 80/80) can stay healthy, then the Athletics should have a very impressive outfield. But Wellington also has 23-year old IF Brayden Docking (.304/.364/.398, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 11 BB, 0.8 WAR – 50/64) who projects to being an above-average major league ballplayer. Injuries affected the pitching staff as well, particularly the loss of No. 1 starter, 26-year old RHP Vinnie Snell (11-5, 3.81 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 110 ERA+) midway through the season. But 23-year old RHP Darren Etheridge (13-16, 3.31 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 124 ERA+) was very impressive in his first season. If 21-year old reliever RHP Howard Turnbull (40/61) can bounce back from major surgery after just 0.2 IP and if top prospect 22-year old RHP Mike Murray (35/72) continues to develop in Triple-A, the Athletics’ fortunes may turn around sooner rather than later. First Round Draft Pick Update: 8th overall – IF Vance Fendley (42/58). Fendley did very well in Double-A, going .283/.344/.382, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 21 BB, 46 SO, 2 SB, 2.0 WAR in 233 AB. He played 509.1 innings at SS (9.1 ZR). Current Injuries: January 9 – RHP Vinnie Snell – ruptured disc. Out for 3 months. February 24 – 1B Wayne Emmert – broken kneecap. Out for: 4 months. March 25 – RHP Howard Turnbull – radial nerve decompression surgery. Out for 6 months. --------   Offense: .251/.323/.373 (8th/7th/8th) Pitching: 4.16/3.82/5.60 (3rd/2nd/7th) Defense: .691 (6th) The Queensland Eagles finished in last place for the second consecutive season and with the same record. It’s been seven seasons now since their last playoff appearance and their amazing run to the United Cup. They are blessed with the two best starting pitchers in the United Leagues but have been unable (or unwilling) to complement them with impact offensive players. That has to change. Soon. Why They Missed the Playoffs: A pitiful offense has buried them again in the basement. 27-year old 1B Ryan Conisford (.287/.374/.478, 23 HR, 94 RBI, 78 BB, 4.7 WAR) and 28-year old LF Rod Dennis (.297/.359/.472, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 59 BB, 3.0 WAR) are both all-stars and fine players, but they cannot carry a team by themselves. Beefing up the bullpen wouldn’t hurt either. What they need to do: Queensland has two promising prospects that appear to be on the cusp of joining the major league roster: 20-year old OF Hal Dhu (34/64) and 23 -year old 2B Dave Allison (48/63). Scouts feel that they both have promising futures. If they can establish themselves on the major league roster next season, it could finally turn the club’s fortunes around. Eyes are also on the rotation and the beast it may become fairly soon. Besides 28-year old RHP Logan Belsey (16-12, 2.94 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 140 ERA+ - 76/80) and 26-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (14-13, 2.97 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 139 ERA+ - 71/75), the two best starters in the United Leagues, Queensland also have 21-year old RHP Derek Tarn (6-5, 4.92 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 84 ERA+ - 49/63), 21-year old RHP Wayne O’Reilly (46/67) and 25-year old LHP Amoka Kalea (45/53) shuffling between the rotation and bullpen. Get them settled into the rotation and the Eagles’ 5-man rotation could be set for years to come. Player of the Week Awards: February 22 – RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (2-0, 0.50 ERA, 18 IP, 2 K, .206 OBA) First Round Draft Pick Update: 2nd overall – IF Noel Eissens (39/65). The 4th-rated prospect from Pulberry was solid in Double-A this season. He batted .276/.309/.368, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 16 BB, 55 SO, 17 SB, 1.1 WAR in 326 AB. He played almost entirely at SS (644.2 innings, 2.2 ZR). Current Injuries: October 24 – LHP Steven Selkirk – torn flexor tendon. Out for: 5-6 weeks. --------    
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-26-2021 at 11:57 PM. |
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04-26-2021, 01:56 PM
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#643 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas!
Posts: 2,633
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The pitching has me worried. It's not often you can power thru the playoffs.
Oh well. Go Monarchs Go! |
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04-28-2021, 12:21 AM
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#644 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,919
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March 30, 1954
Western League: Trolleys, Generals Ready for Battle    --------   Offense: .279/.341/.427 (2nd/4th/2nd) Pitching: 3.87/3.75/4.31 (4th/4th/4th) Defense: .711 (2nd) Although at times it looked as though the Pulberry Trolleys would fall short of the playoffs once again, they responded to the challenge with a strong March, finally securing their first post-season appearance on the 27th, the next to last day of season. After finishing in 3rd place the past two seasons, Pulberry captured top spot for the first time when they defeated the Fort Richmond Generals in the tiebreaker. Boasting the best record in the United Leagues, they are now set to face the Generals for the Western League Pennant. 48-year old manager Ryo Ichikawa has set his rotation for the Pennant Series: • 26-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (16-10, 3.04 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 135 ERA+) • 37-year old RHP Ron Cowen (12-13, 4.12 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 100 ERA+) • 32-year old RHP Alexander Ellacott (16-7, 3.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 109 ERA+) • 27-year old RHP Harley Rodman (15-8, 3.21 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 128 ERA+) The Trolleys are one of the most balanced teams in the ULB and are blessed with arguably the top player in the Western League in 25-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.327/.417/.607, 33 HR, 122 RBI, 92 BB, 16 SB7.8 WAR). But Thirkettle appeared to slow down a little in March (.295/381/.442) from his torrid pace. The Trolleys are hoping that he will return to his elevated play for the playoffs. On the other hand, 29-year old RF Ellis Dibble (.349/.408/.566, 24 HR, 95 RBI, 58 BB, 6.0 WAR) seemed to get stronger as the season wore on and won his first Batting Title.  Player of the Week Awards: February 22 – RF Ellis Dibble (.435, 10 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI) Noteworthy: February 26 – It was a low scoring affair between the Trolleys and Wellington Athletics at Trolleys Stadium, but Pulberry managed to eke out a 1-0 victory. RHP Ron Cowen was brilliant as he pitched a complete game 2-hit shut-out. He went 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 84 PI, GS: 83. Wellington’s RHP Darren Etheridge matched zeros with Cowen until the bottom of the 9th. That was when RF Ellis Dibble led off with a single. CF Cooper Tyson followed with a walk-off triple into right-centerfield to end the game. March 6 – The Trolleys prevailed over the Fort Richmond Generals 4-2 in 11 innings at Generals Stadium. Leading the way for Pulberry was RF Ellis Dibble who went 5 for 6 on the afternoon. After flying out in the 1st, Dibble singled in the 3rd and 5th innings, doubled in the 7th, singled in the 9th and hit the go-ahead run in the 11th with an RBI single. March 8 – Two days later, RF Ellis Dibble saw his 21-game hitting streak come to an end, going 0-4 against the Balmoral Giants. The Trolleys still won, however, 8-5. First Round Draft Pick Update: 11th overall – OF Joe Riding (20/50). Riding made 79 starts in Double-A, hitting .211/.262/.324, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 12 BB, 7 SB, 93 SO, -1.0 WAR in 275 AB. He played mostly in centerfield (550.0 innings, -5.0 ZR). Current Injuries: January 17 – LHP Allan Fidge – surgery to remove bone chips. Out for: 7 weeks. January 20 – LF Jon Pring – fractured knee. Out for: 5-6 months. February 13 – RHP Wilfried Schop – ruptured tendon (finger). Out for: 2-3 months. --------   Offense: .274/.333/.388 (3rd/5th/6th) Pitching: 3.62/3.57/3.87 (1st/2nd/2nd) Defense: .724 (1st) On February 22, the Fort Richmond Generals sat in first place in the West, 5 games ahead of their nearest competitors. But that lead quickly evaporated as the Generals struggled in March and before long, they found themselves in a dogfight just to hold onto the wildcard. Although they regained first place temporarily on March 22, they were unable to fend off the Trolleys. In the end they had to settle for the wildcard after losing the tiebreaker game to Pulberry. But the Generals can claim a moral victory, as simply making the playoffs was impressive enough considering they lost three key players to serious injuries. They head into the Pennant Series without two of their best pitchers in 33-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes (12-4, 2.90 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 141 ERA+) and 35-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (6-7, 3.51 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 116 ERA+) as well as their top position player, 29-year old Nobuyoshi Yoshida (.320/.352/.444, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 16 BB, 3.0 WAR). Faced with those losses, manager John Mathis is expected to go with the following 4-man rotation: • 26-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (10-7, 3.72 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 110 ERA+) • 38-year old RHP Kazunori Fujimoto (13-13, 4.06 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 101 ERA+) • 31-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (19-6, 2.92 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 140 ERA+) • 31-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (10-17, 4.15 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 98 ERA+) On offense, Fort Richmond will be relying on 26-year old CF Greg Cusack (.324/.375/.451, 10 HR, 72 RBI, 51 BB, 10 SB, 5.2 WAR) and 26-year old 1B Jacob Gadsden (.349/.394/.508, 11 HR, 62 RBI, 30 BB, 3.3 WAR), who both enjoyed break-out years in their young careers. Noteworthy: March 17 – The Generals defeated the Tigers, 4-2 at the Paramount in Sherburn. However, 29-year old RF Brandon Robinson (.292/.343/.436, 14 HR, 81 RBI, 45 BB, 1.8 WAR) went 0-3 with 2 BB, ending his 23-game hitting streak. Player of the Week Award: February 8 – CF Greg Cusack (.583, 12 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI) First Round Draft Pick Update: 10th overall – 1B Takuji Kanno (26/52). Kanno enjoyed a solid debut in Double-A, going .261/.313/.429, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 24 BB, 70 SO, 1.1 WAR in 333 AB. He was impressive defensively as well (694.0 innings, 4.7 ZR). Current Injuries: November 26 – LHP Frank Lita – torn flexor tendon. Out for: 7-8 weeks. November 26 – RHP Roberto Taváres – shoulder inflammation. Out for: 8 weeks. January 14 – LHP Nicholas Grimes – bone chips (elbow). Out for: 3 weeks. February 21 – RHP Louis Le Roy – torn Labrum. Out for: 5 months. March 21 – SS Nobuyoshi Yoshida – strained abdominal muscle. Out for: DtD, 2 weeks. --------   Offense: .266/.346/.390 (5th/3rd/5th) Pitching: 3.70/3.47/4.61 (3rd/1st/5th) Defense: .701 (4th) The Wolseley Unions were in the playoff hunt all season long and even flirted with first place for a few days thanks to a strong March. But ultimately, they fell just short and will miss the playoffs for the first time in seven years. It was a tremendous run, one that saw them capture three United Cups. Although they may not be the powerhouse they once were, they are still a talented team that should not be ruled for returning to the playoffs next season. Why They Missed the Playoffs: The main reason is parity in the West. With no less than six clubs fighting over the two available playoff spots, four had to be left out. Last season, the Unions won 87 games with a weaker offense to boot and still finished in first place. They simply had stouter opposition – and more of it – this time around. What they need to do: Find some young, impact players to give their offense the boost it needs. Multiple 1st-place finishes have left Wolseley’s farm system one of the weakest (12th overall) and outside of 22-year old 3B Rusty McLaren (42/64), the club is bereft of good, young position players that are capable of injecting some life into a lineup that is starting to show its age. 32-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.326/.464/.484, 17 HR, 71 RBI, 141 BB, 5.9 WAR), 32-year old SS George Kimpton (.308/.380/.4554, 16 HR, 80 RBI, 63 BB, 4.2 WAR) and 24-year old 1B Carlos Ortíz (.281/.351/.462, 24 HR, 80 RBI, 68 BB, 2.6 WAR) enjoyed fine seasons at the plate, but the rest of the lineup struggled. The rotation remains Wolseley’s biggest strength. However, the stalwarts are getting older as well, suggesting that the Unions’ playoff window will be closing soon. Nevertheless, their top-two aces were solid this year. Although 28-year old RHP Roberto Garza (11-13, 3.41 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 124 ERA+) struggled a bit in February (0-2, 4.66 ERA), 35-year old RHP Bill Blair (20-10, 2.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 164 ERA+) should get serious consideration for his second Satchel Paige Award. Player of the Week Award: March 15 – 1B Carlos Ortíz (.423, 11 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI) Noteworthy: March 11 – Balmoral could not get anything going against RHP Bill Blair all afternoon, as the Giants fell 1-0 on 2 hits. Blair’s final line was 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 109 PI, GS: 92. The difference was a lead-off solo home run in the bottom of the 5th inning by CF Joey South off LHP Pat Houseman. March 16 – The Unions may have fallen to the Pulberry Trolleys, 5-3, but the day was highlighted by LF Carlton Hawking reaching a milestone. In the bottom of the 1st, Hawking singled off RHP Harley Rodman for his 2000th career hit. He is the 11th player to achieve that feat in United Leagues history. First Round Draft Pick Update: 15th overall – IF/OF Curt Holmes (30/54). In Double-A, Holmes saw limited playing time this season. He batted .247/.291/.305, 0 HR, 14 RBI, 12 BB, 32 SO, 0.0 WAR in 190 AB. In the field, he played all but 6.0 innings at 3B (403.1 innings, 2.5 ZR). Current Injuries: None. --------   Offense: .290/.354/.449 (1st/1st/1st) Pitching: 4.37/4.19/4.99 (7th/6th/6th) Defense: .679 (8th) The was no lightning in a bottle this year for the Cambria Cannons. Last season, they won 85 games as well and parlayed the wild card into a United Cup championship. This year it got them only 4th place and a spectator’s chair for the playoffs. They made it interesting down the stretch though, going 11-2 in the second half of February to catapult them from 7 games out of 1st place on February 15th to just one game back of the wild card one month later. They hung in until the final day of the regular season when they were finally eliminated from contention. Why They Missed the Playoffs: Parity certainly played a role, but uneven pitching and lousy defense were the main culprits. 25-year old RHP Ray Lambright (17-6, 3.56 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 116 ERA+) emerged as an ace and 36-year old RHP Hun Park (14-8, 3.43 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 122 ERA+) won Pitcher of the Month honors after coming over from Balmoral in January. In fairness, 28-year old RHP Masami Fujihara (17-11, 3.78 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 109 ERA+) was fine at times as well, but overall, the pitching staff is a bit of a shambles. What they need to do: Shoring up the pitching would help the Cannons take advantage of the West’s top-rated offense. In the bullpen, the Cannons have a reliable stopper in 28-year old RHP Keith Roche (3-6, 2.67 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 155 ERA+) and an up-an-coming reliever in 21-year old LHP Sebastian Cromwell (36/66). But much more will be needed. The offense, though, is strong and getting stronger. 24-year old CF Sam Tite (.297/.397/.515, 28 HR, 109 RBI, 94 BB, 6.2 WAR – 67/75) emerged as a quickly rising star and two rookies gave a glimpse of future stardom, namely 23-year old LF Calvin Hanbridge (.287/.410/.477, 18 HR, 73 RBI, 115 BB, 4.7 WAR – 60/71) and 22-year old 2B Doug Martin (.326/.389/.478, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 21 BB, 2.4 WAR – 46/69). 34-year old SS César Ruíz (.288/.371/.504, 29 HR, 109 RBI, 71 BB, 3.9 WAR, -19.4 ZR) and 27-year old 1B Carlos Corea (.335/.375/.566, 30 HR, 115 RBI, 35 BB, 3.6 WAR, -21.9 ZR) were terrific at the plate but were nightmares defensively. Player of the Week Awards: February 15 – SS César Ruíz (.435, 10 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R) March 1 – 3B Luis Torres (.379, 11 H, 11 RBI, 4 R) Noteworthy: February 28 – The Cannons fell to the Hespeler Stars, 10-6, at the Fabulous Avalon. Although 28 hits were belted out between the two clubs, CF Sam Tite was held hitless, going 0-3 with 1 BB, ending his 22-game hitting streak. March 21 – The Cannons had a field day against the Trolleys in Pulberry, racking up 22 hits and outscoring the Trolleys, 15-7. 22-year old rookie 2B Doug Martin went 5 for 6, collecting 4 singles, 1 triple and 3 R. First Round Draft Pick Update: 13th overall – 2B Chia-Liang Fang (37/53). Fang did very well in his first year in Double-A, hitting .331/.403/.459, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 31 BB, 47 SO, 2.0 WAR in 266 AB. He was solid defensively as well (607.2 innings, 3.7 ZR). Current Injuries: December 9 – LHP Hirotada Fukushima – fractured elbow. Out for: 2 months. December 23 – 2B George Lasseter – broken bone in elbow. Out for: 3 months. January 27 – RHP Lenny Tennison – torn UCL. Out for: 4 months. --------   Offense: .274/.348/.409 (4th/2nd/3rd) Pitching: 4.22/4.23/4.18 (5th/7th/3rd) Defense: .699 (5th) The Kingston Pelicans started off strong and shared first place with the Generals at one point, but a rough December/January forced them to play catch-up the rest of the way. Ultimately, they fell short and were eliminated from the playoffs on the next-to-last day of the season. Still, they improved by 14 wins over last year and have enough to talent to take a run at the wild card next season – especially if the West remains a free-for-all. Why They Missed the Playoffs: Although Kingston could go on a tear at times (they went 16-3 at one point in February/March), they are not built for sustained success quite yet. This is especially true with the rotation, where long-time stalwarts are fading with few real options to take their place. While they scored 4.8 R/G, the Pelicans allowed 4.7 R/G, making their margin of error rather small. What they need to do: Shore up the back end of the rotation, their biggest need. 29-year old ace RHP Kieran Bunce (17-8, 3.44 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 122 ERA+) finished strong, going 9-0, 2.07 ERA, 1.14 WHIP in February/March. No. 2 starter, 27-year old LHP Rob Hutchence (15-10, 3.29 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 128 ERA+) provided consistent outings all season as well, but things start to drop off after them. The offense was rated third overall in the West in runs scored and could get even better next season as new faces joined the lineup. 27-year old C Carlos Camasura (.309/.462/.419, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 133 BB, 5.3 WAR – 71/77) and 25-year old SS Charlie Cockin (.301/.369/.445, 9 HR, 87 RBI, 53 BB, 4.0 WAR – 67/67) are the offensive leaders on this club. This season, though, the offense got a big boost from both 26-year old sophomore IF Harry Herold (.321/.372/.514, 21 HR, 101 RBI, 39 BB, 4.9 WAR – 52/52) and 23-year old rookie CF Chris Ramsbottom (.288/.340/.443, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 50 BB, 19 SB, 3.0 WAR – 50/60), an 8th overall pick from 1951-52. Player of the Week Awards: March 8 – SS Charlie Cockin (.471, 8 H, 3 HR, 11 RBI) March 22 – 1B Harry Herold (.500, 11 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI) Noteworthy: March 3 – The visiting Pelicans pulled out a 13-inning, 1-0 win over the Wellington Athletics. However, the Athletics were able to stop CF Chris Ramsbottom’s 23-game hitting streak, as he went 0-5 on the afternoon. March 3 – The Pelicans crushed the visiting Wolseley Unions 23-2 on 22 hits. Leading the charge was SS Charlie Cockin, who blasted 3 home runs. In the 1st inning, he hit a 3-run home run off RHP Aaron Saunderson, a 2-run homer off RHP Robert Kingsnorth in the 4th and a two-run home run off RHP Kai Tosh in the 7th. In all, Cockin went 4 for 5, collecting 3 R, 7 RBI, 1 BB. First Round Draft Pick Update: 4th overall – IF/OF Eddie Reed (26/41). Reed saw limited action this season, playing mostly in RF (143.1 innings, -1.9 ZR). He hit .289/.364/.588, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 10 BB, 22 SO, 0.9 WAR in 97 AB. Current Injuries: November 3 – CF George Nipper – torn meniscus (knee). Out for: 3-4 months. March 21 – 1B Dean Bishop – severe hip strain. Out for: 3 weeks. March 22 – 1B Harry Herold – hip flexor strain. Out for: unknown. --------   Offense: .264/.328/.377 (8th/6th/7th) Pitching: 3.68/3.69/3.63 (2nd/3rd/1st) Defense: .711 (3rd) The Balmoral Giants enjoyed one torrid month in January where they went 17-9, but otherwise, they were a below average team. They managed to reach second place and the wild card in early February but soon faded. By March 19, they were 10 games back and officially eliminated from the playoffs. Why They Missed the Playoffs: Despite the boost provided by 33-year old LF Ángel Costa (.334/.399/.530, 19 HR, 79 RBI, 58 BB, 4.7 WAR – 67/67), the Giants’ offense remains one of the most anemic in the United Leagues, averaging just 3.9 R/G. Last season without Costa, Balmoral averaged only 3.6. So, until Balmoral finds a bunch more Ángel Costas to fill out the rest of the lineup, this team will struggle just to reach the first division. What they need to do: Easy. Inject some life into one of the Leagues’ worst offenses to compliment one of the League’s best pitching staffs. They are set at the catcher position in 28-year old Alexander Pyatt (.342/.372/.480, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 21 BB, 4.4 WAR). But every other position other than LF should be viewed as upgradable. Unfortunately, Balmoral does not have the deepest farm system (13th overall), but they do have some mid-level prospects that could help. 24-year old IF Hayden Gunton (46/57) and 24-year old IF Morgan Tyreman (45/53) both joined the major league roster late in the season, but it remains to be seen if they will still be there at the start of next season. The rotation appears to be peaking and the Giants would be foolish not to take advantage of it. Really, 30-year old LHP Ron Albin (13-17, 3.47 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 120 ERA+), 28-year old RHP Rodrigo González (13-13, 3.25 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 128 ERA+) and 27-year old LHP Lucas Nott (17-12, 3.65 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 114 ERA+) all enjoyed solid seasons. Even 29-year old LHP Pat Houseman (4-1, 1.73 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, .183 BABIP), a late-season call-up, was terrific in his 6 starts. Noteworthy: February 23 – The Giants dropped a close game, 1-0, against the hometown Hespeler Stars. 27-year old RF Roy Belknap (.255/.290/.364, 9 HR, 57 RBI, 26 BB, 8 SB, -0.2 WAR) went 0-4 with 3 K, ending his 23-game hitting streak. March 15 – It was a tough day for Balmoral, as the Pelicans beat them 8-2 at Kingston Park. They also ended C Alexander Pyatt’s 22-game hitting streak, as he went 0-4 on the afternoon. First Round Draft Pick Update: 3rd overall – IF/OF Quido De Jesús (23/61). Balmoral’s top prospect made 281 AB in Double-A, batting .221/.297/.295, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 27 BB, 5 SB, 55 SO, -0.4 WAR. He spent most of his time at CF (523.2 innings, 0.1 ZR). Current Injuries: January 10 – LF Won-ho Kim – ruptured tendon (finger). Out for: 3 days. --------   Offense: .265/.325/.403 (6th/7th/4th) Pitching: 5.03/4.83/5.79 (8th/8th/8th) Defense: .685 (7th) Unlike the other six clubs above them, the Hespeler Stars never made even a remote threat of challenging for a playoff spot all season and it is unlikely that they will anytime soon. In a way, it is an accomplishment that they avoided finishing in the basement, for not only is the team talent-poor, but what talent they have has been seriously mismanaged. Why They Missed the Playoffs: You’re not going to get far with just one star. Really, this team should just be called the Hespeler ‘Star’, as 30-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian (.323/.378/.490, 22 HR, 101 RBI, 55 BB, 6.8 WAR – 71/71) is the only player on the roster who is a bona fide star in all facets of the game. 27-year old sophomore 3B Mike Park (.340/.388/.471, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 42 BB, 2.1 WAR – 59/59) was solid at the plate but was simply abysmal in the field (-21.1 ZR, .878 EFF). 29-year old 2B Vic Lewis (.261/.320/.439, 19 HR, 87 RBI, 39 BB, 1.7 WAR – 64/64) also regressed this season in all facets of the game. He racked up 5.4 WAR last season. The pitching staff is almost a total write-off as well. What they need to do: To me, an entire culture change in the organization must take place. Hespeler cannot expect to keep doing the same old thing and expect different results. It’s time to jettison almost 80% of this tired, old roster and LET THE YOUNG PLAYERS PLAY. Seriously. Young, promising prospects such as 24-year old SS Apia Yarrah (50/69) and 23-year old RF Bill Spaeth (43/57) are stagnating. Otherwise, the same thing that happened to 25-year old Tim Beattie (35/40) will happen to them. Beattie was a 7th overall pick back in 1947-48 and was once rated as the 15th best prospect in the ULB in 1949. He won a Platinum Stick Award and the Josh Gibson Award in Triple-A in 1950. Then he was called up to the majors in 1951 to simply wither on the vine. Inexcusable. Noteworthy: February 27 – 3B Mike Park enjoyed a big day at the plate, going 5 for 5 against the Cambria Cannons. However, the Stars came up short, 8-7. Park hit 5 singles, with two of them driving in runs. In all, he collected 1 R, 2 RBI. First Round Draft Pick Update: 7th overall – IF Shigemori Saikawa (28/52). Saikawa hit .289/.327/.429, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 14 BB, 17 SB, 46 SO, 1.2 WAR in 266 AB in Double-A. He split most of his time between SS (319.1 innings, -2.7 ZR) and 2B (258.0 innings, -0.8 ZR). Current Injuries: March 26 – 2B Rodney Gabrielson – back spasms. Out for: DtD, unknown. --------   Offense: .265/.319/.369 (7th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.25/3.90/5.71 (6th/5th/7th) Defense: .696 (6th) The Sherburn Tigers finished in last place and with the worst record in the United Leagues for the second year in a row. That means they will select first once again in next season’s amateur draft. But unlike the Hespeler Stars, the Tigers are committed to playing their talented young players regularly. For the most part, anyway. By season’s end, four rookies found themselves in the regular starting lineup. It should be five, but maybe that will change next season. Why They Missed the Playoffs: An uneven offense largely sunk any chance at competing this season, but the lineup screams future potential. We should have a better idea next season if that potential translates into tangible results. What they need to do: Keep running out the prospects everyday. By doing so, they are playing their best players as well. 24-year old SS Dwayne Vick (.282/.322/.381, 2 HR, 65 RBI, 29 BB, 3.5 WAR – 57/68), 23-year old CF Ryan Blenkhorn (.348/.383/.449, 4 HR, 54 RBI, 25 BB, 10 SB, 2.9 WAR – 57/57) and 23-year old 2B Bernard Kerkin (.353/.399/.566, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 14 BB, 2.1 WAR) were the top three players on the squad in terms of WAR, although Vick struggled in the second half of the season and Kerkin accomplished what he did in just 44 games. 24-year old RF Albert Sulley (.270/.339/.382, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 32 BB, 0.6 WAR – 51/58) was made the everyday right fielder in February. All should benefit from the regular playing heading into the next season. Now if they could only commit to playing 25-year old Archie Eridge (44/62) at third base everyday as well. 30-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (11-17, 3.49 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 121 ERA+ - 63/63) may not be the dominant pitcher he once was, but he’s still one of the best. If 27-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (5-5, 2.22 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 194 ERA+ - 61/61) can come back healthy and if 26-year old RHP Bradley Strawson (5-13, 3.94 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 107 ERA+ - 52/59) continues to progress, Sherburn will have a nice starting three for next season. But it will be all for naught if the offense can’t pick it up its bootstraps. First Round Draft Pick Update: 1st overall – IF/OF Bernard Kerkin (51/72). The highly touted Kerkin came as advertised. The top-ranked prospect batted .444/.494/.771, 10 HR, 39 RBI, 14 BB, 2 SB, 10 SO, 3.5 WAR in 153 AB at Double-A before being promoted to the major league roster. All he did on the Tigers roster is hit .353/.399/.566, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 14 BB, 3 SB, 23 SO, 2.1 WAR. He was steady in the field as well, playing almost exclusively at 2B with Sherburn (381.0 innings, 1.2 ZR). Current Injuries: December 26 – RHP Ben Buschlen – torn flexor tendon. Out for: 5 months. December 28 – C Christopher Dainty – torn labrum. Out for: 3 months. --------    
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-28-2021 at 01:14 AM. |
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04-28-2021, 01:07 AM
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#645 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,522
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Let's go Trolleys! Expecting a tough series with the Generals but confident the boys can get it done.
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04-29-2021, 05:23 PM
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#646 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,919
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 Stratford Barons (86-68) vs. Braeland City Monarchs (84-71) Season Matchup: 9-6 in favor of Stratford Stratford: Runs scored – 771 (3rd in East); runs against – 671 (1st) Braeland City: Runs scored – 875 (1st); runs against – 846 (8th) The Stratford Barons and Braeland City Monarchs meet for the fourth time in the Eastern League Pennant Series. In the previous three matchups, the Barons defeated the Monarchs in 1940-41 (4 games to 2) and most recently in 1948-49 (4 games to 1). Braeland City defeated Stratford in 1947-48 (4 games to 3). So neither team are strangers to each other in the Battle of the East. Stratford enters the playoffs boasting a balanced attack, while the Monarchs will be relying on their high-powered offense to try and carry them through. Braeland City enters the Series minus their top two starters: 33-year old RHP Okura Suzuki (11-5, 4.01 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 105 ERA+) and 26-year old RHP Pei Ming (10-9, 3.77 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 112 ERA+). Taking their place in the four-man rotation will be 32-year old LHP Mo Goldstraw (7-8, 4.64 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 91 ERA+) and 29-year old RHP Trevor Canfield (3-4, 5.21 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 81 ERA+). The Barons meanwhile will be without the starting centerfielder: 24-year old CF Sherwin Carasig (.353/.424/.559, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 33 BB, 8 SB, 4.0 WAR). Carasig, who was enjoying his most productive season when he was healthy, lost more than 4 months to various injuries. 30-year old Ramón Corona (.238/.283/.325, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 19 BB, 5 SB, -0.5 WAR) will be getting his starts. The Barons’ 60-year old Xavier Ahernfeld returns to his second consecutive playoff appearance, after losing to the Cobourg Red Stockings last season. Braeland City’s 56-year old Toby Reakes meanwhile, leads his club back to the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons, after 3 consecutive appearances from 1947 to 1949. Its been a long season for all involved, but the playoffs are finally here. Play ball! -------- Game 1 – March 31 Stratford’s Bosworth Field plays host to the first two games. Under beautiful blue skies, the Barons go with their ace, RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco. He is 1-2, 2 SV, 1.59 ERA in 12 playoff games and 3 starts. Braeland City’s RHP Lee Corp gets the assignment for Game 1. He is 0-2, 6.75 ERA in 5 playoff games. This will be his second playoff start. Bottom of the 2nd: Stratford strikes first when RF Andy Faulkner leads off with a solo home run that travels 393 ft. into the cheering rightfield bleachers. With one out, 1B Bob Goodyear and 3B Walter Beauvais bang out back-to-back doubles, scoring another run. Braeland City 0 – Stratford 2 Bottom of the 5th: Magtanggol Jaojoco leads off with a first-pitch single and reaches second when LF Roberto Ríos draws a walk. CF Ramón Corona fouls off three straight pitches before lining a single into leftfield. Jaojoco is waved home and beats out LF Jake Stunt’s throw to the plate. However, Jaojoco injures his hand while sliding into C Hayden Billyard at home plate and is forced to leave the game. Meanwhile, the Monarch’s Lee Corp is relieved by RHP Samuel Hollier in a double switch before the inning is over. Braeland City 0 – Stratford 3 Top of the 6th: LHP Tony Wheeler takes over from Jaojoco and immediately gives up a single to SS Natsu Sakei. After Sakei reaches 2B on a Jake Stunt ground out, RF Aidan Trembath hits a two-out single just past a diving 3B Walter Beauvais. Sakei gets the Monarchs on the board when he beats out LF Roberto Ríos’ throw home. Braeland City 1 – Stratford 3 Bottom of the 8th: Stopper RHP Rizal Doctolero takes over in the 7th inning, but in the 8th the wheels fall apart. 2B Matthew Channing leads off with solo home run into the rightfield bleachers. C Aaron Skidmore then lines a double into rightfield. After Andy Faulkner is intentionally walked, SS Callum Spalton doubles home Skidmore. Bob Goodyear is intentionally walked to load the bases. With one out, PH Ronald Hollinshed singles and Roberto Ríos doubles, scoring three more runs. That ends Doctolero’s day. RHP Corey Timothy takes over, but with two out, Matthew Channing, who led off the inning, doubles into left-centerfield, scoring both Hollinshed and Ríos to extend the lead. In the top of the 9th, RHP Harold Barr takes over from Wheeler. Barr strikes out PH Simon Flat, then induces back-to-back groundouts from Hayden Billyard and PH Roland Binns to end the game. The Barons win big-time to take Game 1. FINAL: Braeland City 1 – Stratford 10 Update: Magtanggol Jaojoco suffered hand soreness and is diagnosed as Day-to-Day for the next 10-11 days.    -------- Game 2 – April 1 The two teams reconvene at Bosworth field for Game 2. Once again, the skies are clear with little relief from the scorching sun. RHP Bill Wolf takes the mound for Stratford for his 5th career start in the playoffs. He is 2-2, 3.98 ERA in five games. Braeland City taps RHP Bobby Hogg, who will be making his first career playoff start. Bottom of the 7th: Through seven and half innings, Hogg surrenders only two hits to Wolf’s six, but it’s the Barons that finally break the scoreless tie. C Aaron Skidmore and RF Andy Faulkner lead off with a walk and single. After SS Callum Spalton grounds out to advance the runners, 1B Bob Goodyear is intentionally walked to load the bases. Manager Toby Reakes then elects to replace Hogg with RHP Rizal Doctolero after 93 pitches. 3B Walter Beauvais then flies out to LF Jake Stunt. Skidmore tags up and scores without a throw. In the top of the 9th, Wolf strikes out 2B Patrick Lidgate, throws out 1B Dean Witherden at first base, then strikes out C Hayden Billyard to end the game. After a Game 1 blowout, the Barons eke out their second victory in Game 2. Final: Braeland City 0 – Stratford 1    -------- Game 3 – April 3 The Eastern Pennant Series heads to the nation’s capital, with the Monarchs hoping that the hometown crowd at Kings Park will spur them on to their first victory in the Series. LHP Mo Goldstraw gets the start for Braeland City, the fourth of his career and first for the Monarchs. With the Fort Richmond Generals, he went 1-2, 10.38 ERA in three starts. RHP Ted Smith makes his second career playoff start, after going 1-0, 3.86 ERA last year against the Cobourg Red Stockings. Top of the 3rd: CF Ramón Corona opens the scoring with lead off home run that travels 376 ft. down the rightfield line into the bleachers. Stratford 1 – Braeland City 0 Top of the 4th: Goldstraw runs into some trouble when he loads the bases with one out. With two out, he throws a wild pitch during Ramón Corona’s at-bat that scores Aaron Skidmore. Corona is then intentionally walked in order to face RHP Ted Smith. But Smith singles just over the head of SS Natsu Sakei. Callum Spalton scores easily on the play while Walter Beauvais beats out the throw home from CF Hayden Goodale. Stratford 4 – Braeland City 0 Top of the 7th: With RHP Clive Howard taking over from Goldstraw in the 6th, the Barons load the bases once again with one out. SS Callum Spalton hits one deep to rightfield, where it is caught by Aidan Trembath. 2B Matthew Channing tags up and scores easily, beating out Trembath’s throw. Stratford 5 – Braeland City 0 Top of the 9th: Aaron Skidmore extends the Barons’ lead with a two-out solo home run off RHP Samuel Hollier. Stratford 6 – Braeland City 0 Bottom of the 9th: Facing RHP Kai Torr, 3B Danny Silk lines a double into left-centerfield to lead off. After Hayden Goodale flies out, Natsu Sakei doubles into centerfield to finally get Braeland City on the board. But back-to-back groundouts by PH Danny Seath and LF Jake Stunt snuff out any potential rally. Stratford takes a commanding 3 games to none lead in the Series. FINAL: Stratford 6 – Braeland City 1    -------- Game 4 – April 4 With their backs against the wall and unable to gain any sort of traction against the Barons, Braeland City looks to make their last stand at Kings Park to try and avoid a sweep. The Monarchs’ mighty offense has been limited to less than a run a game, having been outscored 17-2 so far in the Series. RHP Trevor Canfield, who was toiling in Triple-A until he was called up in February, gets the start. This will be his first taste of playoff action. RHP Edward Skerrett also spent much of the season in Triple-A until being promoted back to the majors in January. He previously appeared in one playoff game where he blanked the Cobourg Red Stockings 3-0 in a complete game effort in Game 4 of last season’s Pennant Series. Top of the 1st: Canfield is given a rude welcome to the playoffs. In fact, he is unable to escape the inning. LF Roberto Ríos lines a double into rightfield to lead off, then advances to 3B when CF Ramón Corona grounds out. Mathew Channing then doubles to score Ríos. Aaron Skidmore draws a four-pitch walk while Andy Faulkner follows with a single. Channing beats out the throw home from CF Hayden Goodale to score. Callum Spalton lines a single past SS Natsu Sakei scoring Skidmore. After Bob Goodyear draws a walk to load the bases, Walter Beauvais lines a single into shallow left-centerfield. That scores Faulkner for the inning’s fourth run. Adding insult to injury, Edward Skerrett lines a first-pitch single into right-centerfield, scoring Spalton. Canfield is then sent to the showers as he is replaced by RHP Dara Eaddy. But with the bases still loaded, Eaddy walks Roberto Ríos who started the inning, forcing in Goodyear for Stratford’s sixth run. Stratford 6 – Braeland City 0 Bottom of the 1st: But Skerrett doesn’t fare much better. LF Jake Stunt leads off with a first-pitch single. During RF Aidan Trembath’s subsequent at-bat, Stunt steals second. But C Aaron Skidmore’s throw is off target and 2B Matthew Channing is unable to corral it, allowing Stunt to reach 3B. Trembath then fouls of six pitches before grounding out to Matthew Channing, allowing Stunt to score. Braeland City then loads the bases, as 2B Patrick Lidgate is hit by a pitch, 1B Dean Witherden singles into leftfield and C Hayden Billyard draws a walk. 3B Danny Silk then cranks out a line drive single into left-centerfield, scoring both Lidgate and Witherden. Still with one out, CF Hayden Goodale walks to re-load the bases. SS Natsu Sakei then doubles off a 1-1 pitch into deep rightfield, clearing the bases and tying up the game. Stratford 6 – Braeland City 6 Bottom of the 2nd: Edward Skerrett starts the inning but fails to finish it. Patrick Lidgate leads off with a walk. Although he gets the next two batters out, Skerrett surrenders back-to-back singles to Danny Silk and Hayden Goodale, allowing Lidgate to score. RHP Kai Torr is then called from the bullpen to get out of the inning. Stratford 6 – Braeland City 7 Top of the 3rd: Bob Goodyear quickly ties things up, leading off with solo home run off Dara Eaddy that lands 417 ft. into the left-centerfield seats. Stratford 7 – Braeland City 7 Bottom of the 3rd: Braeland City retakes the lead when Jake Stunt and Aidan Trembath lead off with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. RHP Kai Torr then uncorks a wild pitch during Patrick Lidgate’s at-bat, scoring Stunt. Stratford 7 – Braeland City 8 Top of the 4th: But the Barons come right back. Ramón Corona battles Eaddy for nine pitches for a lead off walk but is thrown out at 2B when Matthew Channing hits into a fielder’s choice. Channing ties the game when Aaron Skidmore and Andy Faulkner follow with back-to-back singles. Callum Spalton then singles to load the bases. With two out, Eaddy gives up a walk to Walter Beauvais, forcing in Skidmore for the go-ahead run. Stratford 9 – Braeland City 8 Top of the 9th The hitters are held in check until they erupt again in the 9th. RHP Rizal Doctolero, who took over in the 8th, gives up a lead off single to Callum Spalton. With one out, Walter Beauvais doubles down into the leftfield corner, allowing Spalton to score without a throw. After Beauvais advances to 3B on a groundout, Roberto Ríos is given a free pass. That move backfires, as Ramón Corona gets all of a 0-1 pitch, sending it 403 ft. into the left-centerfield stands for a three-run home run. RHP Danilio Narvaez then takes over in relief. But Narvaez fares no better, as he gives up a single to Matthew Channing and a walk to Aaron Skidmore. Up next is Andy Faulkner, who crushes a 1-1 pitch 435 ft. into the disheartened right-centerfield bleachers for the inning’s second three-run homer. Stratford 16 – Braeland City 8 Bottom of the 9th: Down by eight, the Monarchs look to make something happen against LHP Robin Wadsworth, who entered the game in the 7th. Hayden Billyard flies out to RF Andy Faulkner to lead off. Danny Silk then draws a walk, but Hayden Goodale strikes out looking. Down to the last out, Natsu Sakei keeps the inning alive when he cranks out a two-run home run that lands just fair, 365 ft. into the leftfield stands. PH Andy Mack follows and beats out the throw from 3B Walter Beauvais for an infield hit. But Jake Stunt flies out to RF Andy Faulkner to end the game and Series. The Stratford Barons win their fourth Eastern League Pennant in impressive fashion and move on to the United Cup. FINAL: Stratford 16 – Braeland City 10    --------   
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04-29-2021, 05:37 PM
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#647 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
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 Pulberry Trolleys (88-67) vs. Fort Richmond Generals (87-68) Season Matchup: 11-6 in favor of Pulberry Pulberry: Runs scored – 762 (2nd in West); runs against – 653 (4th) Fort Richmond: Runs scored – 675 (6th); runs against – 624 (1st) A team making its first playoff appearance in three seasons and a team making its first appearance ever meet in this year’s Western League Pennant Series. The Fort Richmond Generals won the United Cup in their first playoff appearance in 1947-48. They returned to the playoffs the next three seasons but each time they hit a roadblock in the Wolseley Unions that prevented from returning to the United Cup. But this year, they will face a new challenger in the Pulberry Trolleys. The Trolleys finished in 3rd place over the past two seasons but finally got into the post-season this year. That leaves the Hespeler Stars as the only club in the United Leagues who has yet to qualify for the post-season. As mentioned previously, the Generals enter the Series without three key players. They will be without two of their top pitchers and best position player, namely: • 33-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes (12-4, 2.90 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 141 ERA+) • 35-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (6-7, 3.51 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 116 ERA+) • 29-year old Nobuyoshi Yoshida (.320/.352/.444, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 16 BB, 3.0 WAR) Taking their place in the rotation and lineup will be: • 31-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (10-17, 4.15 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 98 ERA+) • 26-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (10-7, 3.72 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 110 ERA+) • 23-year old SS Benjamin Hollamby (.267/.316/.354, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 13 BB, 8 SB, 0.6 WAR – 42/54) Pulberry has no significant injuries to report, other than 31-year old RHP Wilfried Schop (7-9, 4.96 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 85 ERA+), who ruptured a tendon in his finger in his second start after being traded to the Trolleys from the Queensland Eagles just before the trade deadline. Taking his place for now is 26-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (16-10, 3.04 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 135 ERA+), who has been shifting between the rotation and bullpen all season. For 48-year old John Mathis, who took over as Fort Richmond’s manager the year after they won the United Cup, this year’s playoffs provide another opportunity to silence his critics and finally win his first Pennant. For Pulberry’s 48-year old Ryo Ichikawa, this year marks his return to the playoffs since he led the Embro Suns to within one game of winning the United Cup against the Wolseley Unions back in 1950-51. With these two clubs having battled each other all season long, its time to see who the top dog in the West really is. Play ball! -------- Game 1 – March 31 Trolleys Stadium hosts a playoff game for the first time. The joint is packed, and the weather couldn’t be better. Both starters will be making their first playoff appearance. RHP Taylor Folkard takes the hill for the Trolleys while LHP Diarmid Rowet has been tabbed by the Generals. Bottom of the 1st: Pulberry jumps all over Rowet from the get-go. SS Francis Jones and CF Cooper Tyson lead off with back-to-back singles. RF Ellis Dibble then slams a first-pitch double into left-centerfield, scoring Jones. LF Aiden Thirkettle steps up next and cranks out a line-drive double into centerfield. Tyson and Dibble come racing home, adding to the lead. Although C Paul England follows with a four-pitch walk, Rowet retires the next three batters to get out of the inning. Fort Richmond 0 - Pulberry 3 Top of the 2nd: LF Daniel Paterson leads off with a first-pitch single, then reaches 3B when 1B Jacob Gadsden singles into rightfield. C Scott Sheelah then flies out to CF Cooper Tyson. Paterson tags up and beats out Tyson’s throw home to get Fort Richmond on the board. Fort Richmond 1 - Pulberry 3 Bottom of the 2nd: The Trolleys pick up where they left off in the 1st inning. Pulberry loads the bases when Taylor Folkard leads off with a single, Francis Jones draws a four-pitch walk and Cooper Tyson reaches base safely when 2B Benjamin Donahue mishandles his sharply hit grounder. Ellis Dibble then singles into shallow left-centerfield. Folkard scores easily on the play. He is followed by the speedy Jones, who beats out CF Greg Cusack’s throw to the plate. Aidan Thirkettle then doubles to score Tyson. After Paul England draws his second walk to load the bases, 1B Gerard Koerner doubles down the rightfield line, scoring both Dibble and Thirkettle. At this point, manager John Mathis sees enough and relieves Rowet with RHP Reese McLaughlin, who makes quick work of the next three batters to end the inning. Fort Richmond 1 - Pulberry 8 Top of the 4th: With Reese McLaughlin keeping the Trolleys’ bats quiet, the Generals start to claw their way back. Greg Cusack leads off with a double and scores with one out when Jacob Gadsden reaches base safely after 2B Wade Billyard’s throw to 1B sails wide. After Scott Sheelah walks, Paul England cannot corral Folkard’s pitch, allowing the runners to advance. RF Brandon Robinson then singles into the gap in right-centerfield, scoring both Gadsden and Sheelah. Fort Richmond 4 - Pulberry 8 Top of the 8th: Fort Richmond strikes again in the 8th when Daniel Paterson leads off with a single. Manager Ryo Ichikawa then makes a double switch, relieving Folkard with LHP Ramón Castro. But the wheels fall apart, as Jacob Gadsden promptly singles, putting runners on the corners. Scott Sheelah flies out to CF Cooper Tyson, allowing Paterson to score. After Brandon Robinson singles, 3B Mason Geake doubles home Gadsden. Up next is PH Louis Wearne, who gets a hold of a 0-1 pitch and smashes it 468 ft. into the right-centerfield bleachers for a three-run home run, giving the Generals the lead. Fort Richmond 9 - Pulberry 8 Top of the 9th: LHP Dermott Rathbone takes over from Castro, but the Generals continue to roll. Greg Cusack, Daniel Paterson and Jacob Gasdsen start off with three straight singles, scoring a run. After Scott Sheelah lays down a sac bunt to advance the runners, Brandon Robinson lines a single into left field, scoring Paterson. In the bottom of the 9th, 3B Makani Kahale doubles into leftfield with two out off RHP José Rodríguez. But Rodríguez gets PH Bruno Lapthorne to ground out to SS Benjamin Hollamby to end the game. The Generals mount an impressive comeback to take game 1. FINAL: Fort Richmond 11 - Pulberry 8    -------- Game 2 – April 1 The Trolleys look to regroup after their stunning loss the day before. They will try to do so under a blazing hot sun in Pulberry. RHP Ron Cowen will make his first career start. He previously appeared in two playoff games with the Brunswick Legends, one in 1941 and the other in 1946. He went 0-0, 2 SV, 1.59 ERA. Pitching for Fort Richmond, RHP Kazunori Fujimoto makes his first career playoff start. Top of the 1st: SS Benjamin Hollamby leads off with a walk, then steals 2B with one out. CF Greg Cusack singles into left-centerfield, allowing Hollamby to race home for the game’s first run. Fort Richmond 1 – Pulberry 0 Bottom of the 1st: Pulberry quickly loads the bases when SS Francis Jones and RF Ellis Dibble lead off with back-to-back singles and LF Aidan Thirkettle draws a walk. After CF Cooper Tyson strikes out, SS Scott Sheelah lets a pitch get by him, allowing Jones to score. C Paul England walks to reload the bases. With two out, 3B Makani Kahale steps to the plate and throttles a 2-2 pitch, sending it 455 ft. into the roaring left-centerfield stands for a Gram Slam home run. Fort Richmond 1 – Pulberry 5 Bottom of the 3rd: Cooper Tyson leads off with a walk, advances to 2B on a Paul England sac fly and reaches 3B when 1B Gerard Koerner grounds out to 1B Jacob Gadsden. Makani Kahale lays down a dribbler, but 1B Jacob Gadsden cannot get a hold of C Scott Sheelah’s throw, allowing Kahale to reach safely and Tyson to score. Fort Richmond 1 – Pulberry 6 Bottom of the 4th: Ron Cowen and Francis Jones lead off with back-to-back singles. Aidan Thirkettle then draws a walk with one out to load the bases. Cowen comes in to score when Cooper Tyson grounds into a fielder’s choice at 2B and Francis Jones scores when Paul England reaches base safely as 1B Jacob Gadsden again has trouble holding onto the throw, this time from 2B Benjamin Donahue. Fort Richmond 1 – Pulberry 8 Top of the 5th: Fort Richmond finally responds in the 5th. 3B Mason Geake lines a first-pitch double into right-centerfield with one out. However, Geake sprains his right ankle sliding into 2B. PR Belarmino Barbedo comes in to take his place both on the basepaths as well as in the field. RHP Reese McLaughlin, who relieved Kazunori Fujimoto late in the 4th, bats for himself and hits a first-pitch double into right-centerfield, scoring Barbedo. With two out, Benjamin Donahue smacks the third double of the inning into right-centerfield, scoring McLaughlin. Fort Richmond 3 – Pulberry 8 Bottom of the 6th: Ellis Dibble leads off with a four-pitch walk. Up next is Aidan Thirkettle, who smashes McLaughlin’s 2-2 offering 414 ft. into the rightfield bleachers for a two-run home run. Fort Richmond 3 – Pulberry 10 Top of the 9th: Ron Cowen starts the 9th striking out Scott Sheelah, but then walks Brandon Robinson. Manager Ryo Ichikawa goes to the bullpen and calls for RHP Shinzo Okamoto. But the Trolleys nearly blow it, as Okamoto gives up back-to-back doubles to Belarmino Barbedo and PH Alberto Esquivel, scoring both Robinson and Barbedo. SS Benjamin Hollamby then triples into left-centerfield scoring Esquivel. But after giving up a walk to Benjamin Donahue, Okamoto gets Greg Cusack to line out to 1B Gerard Koerner and Daniel Paterson to fly out to CF Cooper Tyson to end the game. Pulberry holds on to even up the Series. FINAL: Fort Richmond 6 – Pulberry 10 Update: Following the game, Mason Geake’s injury is listed as Day-to-Day but substantial. It is expected to affect his play over the next 5 days.    -------- Game 3 – April 3 The Series shifts to Generals Stadium in Fort Richmond for the next three games. The weather is even hotter in the nation’s interior without a cloud in the sky. A pair of aces are set to face each other. Fort Richmond’s RHP Nicky Sherlock is no stranger to the playoffs. This will mark his 11th game and 7th start, but his first since 1950-51. He has been impressive in the post-season, going 6-1, 2.90 ERA. For RHP Alexander Ellacott who last pitched in the tie-breaker game, this will mark his first career playoff appearance. Top of the 8th: The aces come as advertised, as the two teams are unable to score through the first 7 innings. In the top of the 8th however, 1B Gerard Koerner leads off with a walk. After 3B Makani Kahale strikes out looking, 2B Wade Billyard lines a triple down the rightfield line, scoring Kahale and getting Pulberry on the board. Pulberry 1 – Fort Richmond 0 Bottom of the 9th: Alexander Ellacott looks to complete the game but gives up a lead-off double to 1B Jacob Gadsden. Manager Ryo Ichikawa then prevails upon RHP Taylor Folkard, who is now serving as the team’s closer, to relieve Ellacott and shut the door. But after C Scott Sheelah strikes out and is thrown out at 1B after a dropped strike three pitch, 3B Mason Geake, who is playing with a sore ankle, lines a first-pitch single into centerfield. Gadsden is waved around third and just beats out the throw from CF Cooper Tyson, tying up the game and sending it into extras. Pulberry 1 – Fort Richmond 1 Top of the 10th: RHP José Rodríguez relieves Nicky Sherlock to start the 10th. After getting two quick outs, C Bennie Guis, who substituted for Alexander Ellacott in the 9th, smashes a 1-1 pitch 434 ft. into the dejected left-centerfield stands for a solo home run, giving the lead back to the Trolleys. In the bottom of the 10th, Taylor Folkard gets PH Dylan Moyne, Greg Cusack and Daniel Paterson to all fly out to secure the win. Pulberry takes a 2-1 lead in the Series. FINAL: Pulberry 2 – Fort Richmond 1    -------- Game 4 – April 4 The northern interior of the country remains hot and dry as the Trolleys and Generals get set for the second game at Generals Stadium. RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li, who lost a heartbreaker in the tie-breaker game, is given the start for Fort Richmond. This will be his 11th game and 7th start in the playoffs. His record is 4-4, 2 SV, 3.68 ERA, all with the Generals. Responding for Pulberry will be RHP Harley Rodman, who is making his first career playoff appearance. Bottom of the 3rd: The Generals open the scoring when Ch’ang-chieh Li leads off with a walk, followed by SS Benjamin Hollamby who doubles into rightfield. 2B Benjamin Donahue hits a sac fly to CF Cooper Tyson, scoring Li. With two out, LF Daniel Paterson singles home Hollamby. Pulberry 0 – Fort Richmond 2 Bottom of the 5th: Benjamin Hollamby leads off with a 4-pitch walk and reaches 2B when Benjamin Donahue lines a single into shallow centerfield. CF Greg Cusack then doubles into left-centerfield, scoring Hollamby. Daniel Paterson then hits a sac fly to leftfield. Donahue tags up and beats out the throw from LF Aidan Thirkettle. Pulberry 0 – Fort Richmond 4 Bottom of the 6th: The Generals keep pouring it on. 3B Mason Geake leads off with a single but is thrown out at 2B when Ch’ang-chieh Li is unsuccessful bunting him over. Benjamin Hollamby steps up though and triples to the wall in centerfield, scoring Li. Manager Ichikawa then calls to the bullpen for RHP Joel Coles. But Benjamin Hollamby doubles into right-centerfield and Greg Cusack follows with a single, scoring two more runs. Daniel Paterson steps up to the plate and on a 1-0 pitch, sends a 2-run home run 408 ft. into the rightfield bleachers to break the game wide open. Pulberry 0 – Fort Richmond 9 Bottom of the 7th: RF Brandon Robinson leads off with a 4-pitch walk and reaches 2B when Mason Geake grounds out to SS Francis Jones. With two out, Benjamin Hollamby drives a single into the gap in left-centerfield. Robinson is given the green light at 3B and beats out LF Aidan Thirkettle’s throw to the plate. In the top of the 9th, Li gives up a lead-off single to PH Brian Goetz. But after PH Stewart Lutley strikes out looking, Cooper Tyson grounds into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game. The Generals skunk the Trolleys to even up the series. FINAL: Pulberry 0 – Fort Richmond 10    -------- Game 5 – April 5 In terms of the weather, things have cooled down a little in Fort Richmond and a welcome breeze greets the participants. But its the Generals have become red-hot, having blanked the Trolleys the afternoon before. Looking to bounce back will be LHP Diarmid Rowet, who surrendered 7 runs and failed to get out of the 2nd inning in Game 1. Pulberry has tabbed RHP Ron Cowen, the winner of Game 2. Bottom of the 4th: Rowet and Cowen keep the game scoreless until the 4th inning. CF Greg Cusack leads off with a single and reaches 2B when LF Daniel Patterson grounds out to 2B Wade Billyard. 1B Jacob Gadsden then doubles into rightfield, scoring Cusack. C Scott Sheelah then draws a walk. With two out, 3B Mason Geake line a double into the gap in left-centerfield. Gadsden scores on the play. Closely following him is Sheelah, who scores easily as CF Cooper Tyson does not attempt the throw. Pulberry 0 – Fort Richmond 3 Top of the 6th: SS Francis Jones leads off with a single into shallow leftfield. With one out, RF Ellis Dibble gets all of a 1-2 offering and sends it 418 ft. into the leftfield stands for a two-run home run, ending Pulberry’s 14-inning scoreless drought. Pulberry 2 – Fort Richmond 3 Bottom of the 7th: SS Benjamin Hollamby starts off the inning with a single, then advances to 2B on a Benjamin Donahue sac bunt. Greg Cusack singles through the hole into leftfield. LF Aidan Thirkettle attempts to cut down Hollamby at 3B, but his throw is off target, allowing Hollamby to score. Pulberry 2 – Fort Richmond 4 Top of the 8th: Francis Jones again leads off with a single. With one out, Ellis Dibble singles into centerfield. With two out, Paul England lines a single into centerfield as well, scoring Jones. Gerard Koerner smacks a first-pitch single into shallow leftfield. Dibble reaches 3B and heads for home. But LF Daniel Paterson cuts Dibble down at home plate, ending the inning and preventing Pulberry from tying up the game. In the top of the 9th, Wade Billyard draws a full-count walk with one out, then reaches 2B when PH Stewart Lutley flies out deep to centerfield. But Francis Jones flies out to LF Daniel Paterson to end the game. Diarmid Rowet redeems himself by pitching a complete game victory, giving the Generals the Series lead. FINAL: Pulberry 3 – Fort Richmond 4    -------- Game 6 – April 7 The Pennant Series returns to the south-west coast with the Trolleys needing a win just to stay alive. The heat has shot up with nary a cloud in the sky. RHP Alexander Ellacott, who pitched brilliantly in Game 3 but did not get the win, will start for Pulberry in this pivotal game. Fort Richmond looks to RHP Kazunori Fujimoto, who lost his previous start in Game 2. Top of the 1st: The game begins ominously for Ellacott, who gives up three straight walks to start the inning. LF Daniel Paterson next flies out to CF Cooper Tyson to score the lead off hitter, Benjamin Hollamby. With two out, Scott Sheelah doubles into the gap in left-centerfield, scoring Benjamin Donahue for the inning’s second run. Fort Richmond 2 - Pulberry 0 Bottom of the 2nd: Pulberry gets a run back when C Paul England drives a one-out solo home run 415 ft. into the leftfield bleachers. Fort Richmond 2 - Pulberry 1 Top of the 6th: Scott Sheelah and Brandon Robinson lead off with a walk and a single respectively. After Fujimoto lays down a sac bunt to advance the runners, Benjamin Hollamby drives a two-out double into rightfield, scoring both Sheelah and Robinson. That ends Ellacott’s afternoon, as he is relieved by LHP Ramón Castro. Fort Richmond 4 - Pulberry 1 Top of the 7th: The Generals keep marching. Greg Cusack doubles into right-centerfield to lead off, then reaches 3B when Daniel Paterson grounds out to 2B Wade Billyard. Jacob Gadsden is then given a free pass. With two out, Brandon Robinson triples into the gap in left-centerfield. That scores both Cusack and Gadsden as Fort Richmond extends its lead. Fort Richmond 6 - Pulberry 1 Bottom of the 8th: Pulberry refuses to give up. Francis Jones triples into left-centerfield with one out. After Aidan Thirkettle walks with two out, Cooper Tyson also triples into the gap in left-centerfield. That scores both Jones and Thirkettle. Up next is Paul England, who doubles off the first pitch into the same gap in left-centerfield, scoring Tyson. Fort Richmond 6 - Pulberry 4 Top of the 9th: LHP Dermott Rathbone relieves Ramón Castro to start the 9th, but Daniel Paterson singles with one out. Jacob Gadsden follows with a double into right-centerfield. Paterson reaches 3B and heads for home. CF Cooper Tyson attempts to cut down Gadsden who breaks for 3B, but it is not in time. Scott Sheelah immediately singles into shallow centerfield, scoring Gadsden. In the bottom of the 9th, Fujimoto looks to finish off the Trolleys. Fujimoto gets two quick outs, but Pulberry loads the bases when PH Bruno Lapthorne and Francis Jones bang out back-to-back singles and Ellis Dibble draws a walk. Aidan Thirkettle then grounds out to 2B Benjamin Donahue to end the threat, the game and the Series. The Fort Richmond Generals win their first Pennant in six years and are off to the United Cup to face the Stratford Barons. FINAL: Fort Richmond 8 - Pulberry 4    --------   
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04-29-2021, 08:24 PM
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#648 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Land of Lincoln
Posts: 1,254
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What happen with Pulberry's bull-pen ERA?
Based on the number of hits they gave up, in that series, it looked like they were throwing batting practice! Was the wind blowing out or were they all tipping their pitches?  |
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04-30-2021, 02:43 AM
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#649 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,522
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The Trolley boys just couldn't shake the jitters in their first playoff appearance. Regardless it was a great season and hopefully the team gains in experience. Here's to next year.
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04-30-2021, 07:38 AM
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#650 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,919
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Quote:
Game 1 was a heartbreaker for the Trolleys. You're up by 7 runs and you let it slip away while at same time being completely shut down by the other team's reliever? It was frustrating to watch, that was for sure.
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04-30-2021, 07:42 AM
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#651 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,919
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Quote:
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04-30-2021, 06:45 PM
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#652 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas!
Posts: 2,633
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Encouraged by the Monarchs. They definitely need some arms. Although it was a little troubling that the offense got held down until the last game. And the Stars... hoo boy. |
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05-03-2021, 02:56 PM
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#653 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
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 Fort Richmond Generals (87-68) vs. Stratford Barons (86-68) Season Matchup: 4-2 in favor of Stratford Fort Richmond: Runs scored – 675 (6th in West); runs against – 624 (1st) Stratford: Runs scored – 771 (3rd in East); runs against – 671 (1st) The Stratford Barons return to the United Cup for the first time 5 years, after losing to the Wolseley Unions 4 games to 3 back in 1948-49. This is their third appearance overall, after winning the United Cup back in 1940-41 and 1945-46. The Barons will also be looking to end the Eastern League’s championship drought. The last Eastern League team to win it all was the Downie Chiefs, who upended the Wolseley Unions 4 games to 1 three years ago, in 1949-50. Looking to keep the Western League streak going are the Fort Richmond Generals, who are making their second appearance in the United Cup and first since the 1947-48 season. As previously mentioned in the Western League Pennant Series report, the Generals are without some of their key players. But that did not slow them down in their Series win against the Pulberry Trolleys. 31-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li was outstanding in his complete game victory in Game 4 of the Pennant Series, giving up just 4 hits in the Generals’ 10-0 victory. 26-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet however, got roughed up his first outing against the Trolleys in Game 1, lasting just 1 inning. But he fared better in Game 5, going the distance in a 4-3 win. At shortstop, 23-year od SS Benjamin Hollamby (.304/.429/.609, 3-2B, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 1 SB) has performed admirably in the place of 29-year old Nobuyoshi Yoshida. In their sweep of the Braeland City Monarchs in the Eastern League Pennant Series, the Barons did not miss their regular centerfielder in 24-year old Sherwin Carasig. His replacement, 30-year old Ramón Corona (.294/.368/.647, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB), proved to be up to the challenge. While both clubs have won United Cups before, both managers are looking for their first championship. 60-year old Xavier Ahernfeld is in his fourth year as manager, all with the Barons and has led them to back-to-back 86-68 records and playoff appearances. 48-year old John Mathis meanwhile, has led the Generals the past six seasons. They have made the playoffs four times under his watch, but this is the first time he has won that elusive Pennant. But all the participants will be looking for more glory as the two clubs get set for battle on the biggest stage in Braeland – the United Cup. Play ball! -------- Game 1 – April 9 Fort Richmond hosts Game 1 of the United Cup for the first time. It was 6 years ago to the day when the Generals last appeared in a Game 1 matchup in the United Cup (April 9, 1948 against the Braeland City Monarchs). Fort Richmond’s 31-year old ace, RHP Nicky Sherlock (0-0, 1.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 9.0 IP in WL Pennant Series) will face Stratford’s No. 2 starter, 27-year old RHP Bill Wolf (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 9.0 IP in EL Pennant Series). Bottom of the 4th: The only run of the game is scored in the 4th, when LF Daniel Paterson singles with one out, then reaches 3B when 1B Jacob Gadsden lines a double into leftfield. C Scott Sheelah immediately grounds out to 2B Matthew Channing. Paterson scores on the play. In the top of the 9th, Nicky Sherlock gives up a lead off single to C Aaron Skidmore. But RF Andy Faulkner, SS Callum Spalton and 1B Bob Goodyear all fly out to end the game. The Generals squeak out an opening game win. FINAL: Stratford 0 – Fort Richmond 1    -------- Game 2 – April 10 A pair of No. 3 starters face each other in Game 2. RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li will make his second start of the post-season (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP, 9.0 IP) and the 8th of his career. Facing him will be Stratford’s RHP Ted Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 6.2 IP), who will be making his 3rd career playoff start. Top of the 6th: Game 2 turns into a low scoring affair as well, with both pitchers allowing just 5 hits through the first five innings. Ironically, its pitcher Ted Smith who finally ends the Barons 14-inning scoreless drought when he launches a lead-off solo home run 423 ft. into the right-centerfield bleachers to open the scoring. Stratford 1 – Fort Richmond 0 Bottom of the 7th: Fort Richmond ends their 10-inning scoring drought when Jacob Gadsden leads off with a triple into the gap in right-centerfield. Scott Sheelah immediately lines a double into the gap in left-centerfield, scoring Gadsden and tying up the game. The game remains tied through 9 innings, forcing extras. Stratford 1 – Fort Richmond 1 Bottom of the 13th: LHP Tony Wheeler takes over and gets two quick outs before giving up a full count walk to Jacob Gadsden. Wheeler then throws two straight balls before committing a wild pitch, allowing Gadsden to reach 2B. Wheeler then throws a fourth-straight ball to walk Scott Sheelah. Sensing something amiss, manager Xavier Ahernfeld and trainer Bin-yin He come out to examine Wheeler. Wheeler is removed from the game as LHP Shane Gledhill takes over. Glendhill gets Brandon Robinson to pop out to 1B Bob Goodyear to escape the inning unscathed. Stratford 1 – Fort Richmond 1 Bottom of the 15th: Stratford’s RHP Harold Barr takes the mound and induces a first pitch ground out from CF Greg Cusack. Ron Gavin, who took over leftfield in the 11th, finally ends the game when he connects on a 2-1 pitch for a walk-off solo home run that sails 426 ft. into the delirious right-centerfield stands. Fort Richmond ends the marathon game to take a 2-games-to-none lead in the Series. FINAL: Stratford 1 – Fort Richmond 2 Injury Update: Tony Wheeler suffered a strained shoulder and will be out of commission for 5 weeks.     -------- Game 3 – April 12 The United Cup moves to Bosworth Field in Stratford for Game 3 with the Barons looking to get on track. They will try to do so with their ace on the mound. 27-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.40 WHIP, 5.0 IP) makes his fourth career playoff start, while Fort Richmond counters with their No. 2 starter, 28-year old RHP Kazunori Fujimoto (1-1, 7.11 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, 12.2 IP). This will be Fujimoto’s third career playoff start. Bottom of the 1st: Matthew Channing doubles to left-centerfield with two out. Aaron Skidmore follows and lines a first pitch single into rightfield. Channing chugs around 3B and beats out the throw home from RF Brandon Robinson. Fort Richmond 0 – Stratford 1 Top of the 7th: Magtanggol Jaojoco enters the 7th inning pitching a 1-hit shut-out, but that ends quickly when Daniel Paterson leads off and smashes a home run 441 ft. into the right-centerfield bleachers. With two out, Brandon Robinson fouls off three straight pitches before scratching out an infield hit. Mason Geake doubles off Jaojoco’s first offering into leftfield. Robinson races around 3B and scores ahead of LF Roberto Ríos’ throw home for the go-ahead run. Fort Richmond 2 – Stratford 1 Bottom of the 7th: Andy Faulkner quickly ties things up with a one-out solo home run that lands 443 ft. into the right-centerfield stands. Fort Richmond 2 – Stratford 2 Top of the 8th: But the Generals come right back. Benjamin Hollamby leads off and slaps the first pitch to 2B Matthew Channing, but Hollamby uses his speed to beat out the throw for an infield single. After Hollamby reaches 2B on a Benjamin Donahue sac bunt, Greg Cusack lines a single into leftfield. Hollamby tears around 3B and beats out the throw from LF Roberto Ríos as Fort Richmond re-takes the lead. After Daniel Paterson hits into a fielder’s choice at 2B, the Generals load the bases when Jacob Gadsden punches one through into left-centerfield and Scott Sheelah draws a walk. Brandon Robinson then sends a 0-1 pitch to the wall in rightfield. Paterson scores easily on the play. Gadsden is given the windmill at 3B and scores when RF Andy Faulkner’s throw home is not in time. In the bottom of the 9th, Matthew Channing leads off with single into rightfield. After Aaron Skidmore flies out to rightfield, manager John Mathis signals to the bullpen for RHP José Rodríquez. But Andy Faulkner follows with a single that gets by SS Benjamin Hollamby as Channing moves up to 2B. PH Jake Walker hits into a fielder’s choice at 2B, moving Channing over to 3B. But Bob Goodyear, representing the tying run, strikes out swinging to end the game. The Generals take a commanding lead in the Series. FINAL: Fort Richmond 5 – Stratford 2    -------- Game 4 – April 13 The Barons find themselves in an enormous hole down 3 games to none in the Series. To try and reverse the trend, they turn to their No. 4 starter, 33-year old RHP Edward Skerrett (0-0, 37.80 ERA, 6.00 WHIP, 1.2IP), who got roughed up in his previous outing against the Braeland City Monarchs, in Game 4 of the Eastern League Pennant Series that the Barons still won. Facing him will be Fort Richmond’s No. 4 starter, 26-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (1-0, 9.00 ERA, 2.30 WHIP, 10.0 IP), who pitched much better in his second playoff start against the Pulberry Trolleys in Game 5 of Western League Pennant Series. Bottom of the 4th: The Barons strike first when Aaron Skidmore leads off with a soft single into left-centerfield followed by a walk issued to Andy Faulkner. With one out, Walter Beauvais gets a free pass as well to load the bases. Ramón Corona then lines a sharp single into right-centerfield. Skidmore scores easily on the play to open the scoring. Fort Richmond 0 – Stratford 1 Bottom of the 6th: Stratford adds to their lead when Callum Spalton leads off with a line drive single into the gap in left-center. Walter Beauvais then launches a 2-run home run that just stays fair 369 ft. down the leftfield line into the jubilant stands. In the top of the 9th, Edward Skerrett gets two quick outs before hitting Scott Sheelah with a pitch. Skerrett then issues a free pass to Brandon Robinson while Mason Geake singles into shallow leftfield to load the bases. But PH Louis Wearne hits the ball back to Skerrett who throws him out at first to end the threat and the game. The Barons finally get into the win column. FINAL: Fort Richmond 0 – Stratford 3    -------- Game 5 – April 14 The starters of Game 1 face each other again in this pivotal match. RHP Bill Wolf (1-1, 0.53 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 17.0 IP), who pitched an outstanding game in the Series opener but was still hung with the loss will need to be just as effective if the Barons hope to keep their newfound momentum going. Countering him will be RHP Nicky Sherlock (1-0, 0.50 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 18.0 IP) who blanked the Barons in that Opening game. Top of the 1st: The Generals get to work right of the hop as they load the bases with nobody out. Benjamin Hollamby and Benjamin Donahue lead off with back-to-back singles. Greg Cusack battles Wolf for 9 pitches before drawing a walk. Daniel Paterson then lines a double into the gap in left centerfield that rolls all the way to the wall. Hollamby and Donahue score easily. Cusack rounds third and scores as CF Ramón Corona does not attempt the throw. Fort Richmond 3 – Stratford 0 Top of the 4th: Jacob Gadsden quickly adds to the Generals’ lead with a lead off home run that lands 409 ft. into the leftfield stands. Fort Richmond 4 – Stratford 0 Bottom of the 6th: Ramón Corona leads off with a first pitch single then moves up to 2B when Matthew Channing draws a walk. With one out, Andy Faulkner loads the bases when 1B Jacob Gadsden’s throw to 2B Benjamin Donahue to try and start a double play is off-target. Callum Spalton then flies out to deep rightfield. Corona tags up at 3B and slides into home plate, beating out the throw from RF Brandon Robinson. Fort Richmond 4 – Stratford 1 Top of the 7th: The Generals add to their lead when Brandon Robinson and Mason Geake bang out back-to-back singles with one out. After Nicky Sherlock successfully lays down a sac bunt, Benjamin Hollamby battles Wolf to a full count before lining a single into rightfield. Robinson and Geake come home safely. Manager Xavier Ahernfeld then calls for RHP Harold Barr to take over, ending Bill Wolf’s day. Fort Richmond 6 – Stratford 1 Bottom of the 7th: But the Barons give Sherlock a bumpy ride as well. Walter Beauvais leads off with a first pitch single, then moves up to 3B when PH Don North follows with a double into right-centerfield. Roberto Ríos grounds out to 2B Benjamin Donahue. That allows Beauvais to score and North to move up to 3B. Ramón Corona then slaps one out towards 2B Benjamin Donahue. But Donahue bobbles the ball and is forced to swallow it. North comes home to score. The Barons load the bases when Matthew Channing singles and Aaron Skidmore walks on four straight pitches. Andy Faulkner then hits it to 2B Benjamin Donahue, but Donahue throws out Corona at home plate for the second out. Callum Spalton connects on the first pitch and slaps a roller that gets through into shallow leftfield. Channing scores on the play before Sherlock is finally able to get out of the inning. Fort Richmond 6 – Stratford 4 Top of the 8th: LHP Robin Wadsworth takes over but surrenders back-to-back singles to Daniel Paterson and Jacob Gadsden with one out. After striking out Scott Sheelah, Wadsworth gives up another single to Brandon Robinson. Paterson races around 3B and beats out the throw from CF Ramón Corona. Fort Richmond 7 – Stratford 4 Top of the 9th: Fort Richmond adds to their lead when PH Louis Wearne leads off with walk on four straight pitches from Robin Wadsworth. After Benjamin Hollamby lays down a sac bunt to move up Wearne and Benjamin Donahue strikes out, Greg Cusack singles into shallow left-centerfield. Wearne motors past 3B and scores as CF Ramón Corona’s throw home is not in time. In the bottom of the 9th, RHP Glen Limon takes over from Nicky Sherlock with the Barons down to their final three outs. Matthew Channing leads off with a single that falls in front of RF Brandon Robinson. But Aaron Skidmore hits it back to Limon on the mound, who turns it into a 1-4-3 double play. Down to their final out, Andy Faulkner battles Limon to a full count. Faulkner hits it out to 2B Benjamin Donahue and this time, Donahue makes no mistake, cleanly throwing it to 1B Jacob Gadsden to end the game. The Fort Richmond Generals are United Cup Champions once again! FINAL: Fort Richmond 8 – Stratford 4    --------   
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 05-03-2021 at 03:44 PM. |
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05-04-2021, 02:24 AM
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#654 |
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Congrats to the Generals! Sort of hate to say that, because they knocked off my Trolleys. But, at least a WL team won. Great season, Reds1
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05-04-2021, 10:04 AM
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#655 | |
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Hopefully the off-season won't drag on as long as it has in the past. 
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05-04-2021, 10:05 AM
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#656 |
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05-04-2021, 08:56 PM
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#657 |
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Impressive run by the Generals; considering the players that were out with injuries.
Has Sherlock always pitched with the Generals? |
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05-04-2021, 11:16 PM
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#658 | |
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Sherlock was actually a 2nd-round pick by the Pelicans before he was traded to Fort Richmond for C Danny Trowbridge (who just retired this offseason) while still in the minors. Trowbridge is one of the greatest players in ULB history, buts its interesting that Fort Richmond ended up winning more Untied Cups with Sherlock (2) than Kingston did with Trowbridge (1). And Sherlock's a 'borderline starter'? Who said that - borderline scout? He's certainly not playing like one.  
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05-05-2021, 09:54 PM
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#659 | ||
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Quote:
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05-05-2021, 10:46 PM
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#660 | |
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But half of the pitchers in the Top 20 were drafted after the 1st round: 4 in the 2nd, 1 in the 4th, 3 in the 6th and 2 in the 8th. The amateur draft in the ULB goes 10 rounds. Among them, Sherlock is rated the highest at #3. Cobourg's Marcus Turvill (8th round) is 7th overall. Turvill went from 20/20 in 1945 to 57/57 today. I don't know how much of an affect importing the League through the various editions of OOTP has affected the development of players versus had I not imported the League like others have done. I suspect it does. (As an aside, back in Dec/Jan when my circumstances didn't allow me to update the dynasty, I imported the League into OOTP21 as an 'unofficial' sim and simmed to 1960 just to relieve boredom. Instead of the Generals winning it all, it was the Red Stockings over the Unions. But Pulberry's Aidan Thirkettle was still awesome. The most amusing thing I found in that unofficial sim, is that the Hespeler Stars came out of nowhere one year and won it all, then quickly went back to obscurity.)
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