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03-25-2016, 06:00 PM
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#241 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 11:43 PM. |
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03-26-2016, 07:40 PM
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#242 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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1942-43 United Leagues of Braeland Awards
Eastern League  Babe Ruth Award For the first time in four seasons, an Embro Sun did not win the Babe Ruth Award. This season, it went to 34-year old Mark Elston. Elston had a season for the ages, winning the first Triple Crown by a position play in United League history. This is his first Babe Ruth honour; he finished second in the 1939-40 season, behind Terence Durney. Runners-up were last season’s winner, Embro’s Jim Friend and Elston’s teammate, Stuart Bentham: 2nd: 1B Jim Friend (.313/.397/.469, 19 HR, 109 RBI, 5.0 WAR), 3rd: 1B Stuart Bentham (.320/.385/.480, 19 HR, 87 RBI, 4.8 WAR) Mark Elston led the Eastern League in Runs (111), HR (29), RBI (111), Walks (141), AVG (.334), OBP (469), SLG (.567), OPS (1.036) and WAR (7.3). Stuart Bentham led the Eastern League in PA (709), AB (631) and Hits (202). Previous Winners: 1937-38: Katsunan Chikafuji, Queensland Eagles 1938-39: Paul Hooks, Embro Suns 1939-40: Terence Durney, Embro Suns 1940-41: Jim Friend, Embro Suns 1941-42: Jim Friend, Embro Suns -------- Satchel Paige Award Anastasio Rodríguez won his second consecutive Satchel Paige Award with another outstanding season. Runners-ups for the award this season were Rodríguez’s teammate Matthew Monroe (23-5, 2.49 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.73 FIP and Embro Suns’ Myung-gu Son (23-8, 2.57 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 2.75 FIP). Rodríguez led the Eastern League in HR/9 (0.1) and WAR (9.4). Both Monroe and Son led the league in wins (23). Previous Winners: 1937-38: Colm Soper, Embro Suns 1938-39: Justin Hayhurst, Stratford Barons 1939-40: Lenny Freke, Braeland City Monarchs 1940-41: David Cooling, Braeland City Monarchs 1941-42: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends -------- Rookie of the Year Award The Stratford Barons had a strangle hold on the Rookie of the Year Award this season. In addition to C Geoff Lemoine, the runners-ups were Stratford’s RHP Donn Griffin (14-22, 3.15 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 2.99 FIP) and RF Lyndon Inagaki (.261/.326/.326, 7 HR, 53 RBI, 1.6 WAR). Previous Winners: 1938-39: Adam Ashley, Braeland City Monarchs 1939-40: Soren Heinke, Wellington Athletics 1940-41: Dean Bishop, Queensland Eagles 1941-42: Harry Chatwin, Brunswick Legends -------- Western League  Babe Ruth Award For only the second time, the Western League’s Babe Ruth Award did not go to a Kingston Pelican, as Cambria Cannons’ LF Ron Westmacott won it for the first time. He finished third in the voting back in 1939-40. Runners-ups for the award were: 2nd: Balmoral Giants’ RF Carlton Broadbent (.321/.391/.521, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 5.1 WAR), 3rd: Sherburn Tigers’ 3B Harley Simmons (.303/.367/.447, 12 HR, 72 RBI, 6.9 WAR). Westmacott led the Western League in Runs (118), Hits (286), triples (26), OBP (.431), SLG (.557) and OPS (.988) and WAR (8.7). Broadbent led the League in HR (22) and RBI (98). Previous Winners: 1937-38: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans 1938-39: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans 1939-40: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans 1940-41: Steven Winstanley, Hespeler Stars 1941-42: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans -------- Satchel Paige Award For the fifth consecutive season, a Kingston Pelican won the Satchel Paige Award. This year it was 33-year old Joey Cumberledge. The six-time all-star has come close to winning the award on three previous occasions: 1937-38 (third in voting), 1938-39 (2nd) and 1940-41 (3rd). Runners-up for the award included a newcomer to the voting: 2nd: Wolseley Unions’ RHP Aaron Saunderson (18-15, 2.61 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.02 FIP), 3rd: Fort Richmond Generals’ RHP Oscar Burress (17-14, 3.07 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 2.95 FIP). Cumberledge led the Western League in Wins (21). Saunderson led in ERA (2.61), GS (36), IP (303.2), WHIP (1.15) and WAR (6.9). Burress led the league in K (163) and K/9 (5.3). Burress has been in the running for the Award on two previous occasions: 1939-40 (3rd in voting) and 1940-41 (2nd). Previous Winners: 1937-38: Neil Guerin, Cambria Cannons 1938-39: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans 1939-40: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans 1940-41: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans 1941-42: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans -------- Rookie of the Year Award A catcher won the award for the second consecutive season. Last season it was Balmoral Giants’ Brian Pittman. This year it is Kingston’s Freddie Duran. Runners-ups for the award were Wolseley Unions’ RF Dan Hunter (.354/.429/.424, 4-3B, 21 RBI, 2.4 WAR) and Sherburn’s CF Bob Guerin (.254/.313/.347, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 2.5 WAR). Previous Winners: 1938-39: Aaron Flanagan, Wolseley Unions 1939-40: Francisco Rodríguez, Balmoral Giants 1940-41: Leon Hankey, Cambria Cannons 1941-42: Brian Pittman, Balmoral Giants -------- Manager of the Year Award  When Babe Ruth resigned as manager of the Brunswick Legends after guiding them to their first championship last season, nobody had to tell the 54-year old Wesley Leseberg what big shoes he was trying fill when he was hired to take Ruth’s place. Leseberg had been at the helm of the Pulberry Trolleys for three forgettable seasons and had been without gainful employment in the United Leagues since the 1939-40 season. But while his hiring initially raised some eyebrows, the personable Australian proved the naysayers wrong, as he smoothly led the Legends to 103 victories and to a second consecutive championship. There is no small irony in the 39-year old Ben Houchens winning the Western League Manager of the Year. Houchens had been Brunswick’s first field manager until he was unceremoniously dumped in favour of Ruth. Also out of the United Leagues until he was hired by the Kingston Pelicans this past season, Houchens proved to be a shrewd manager. He carefully guided the Pelicans into first place late in the season and into the United Cup finals. He has a reputation of being temperamental and resents GM control over his lineup and pitching staff. But there is no doubting his success. A victory over his former employer would have been the ultimate reward. There’s always next year. Bill Quinn of the Stratford Barons currently leads all managers in victories (521-403, .564, 1 playoff appearance, 1 championship). Previous Winners: 1937-38: Bradley Balmforth, Wellington Athletics; Rouke Barclay, Sherburn Tigers, 1938-39: Vic Windle, Embro Suns; John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans, 1939-40: Warren Paulino, Braeland City Monarchs; Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons, 1940-41: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons; John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans, 1941-42: Babe Ruth, Brunswick Legends; Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons.
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 11:44 PM. |
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03-27-2016, 09:52 PM
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#243 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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 Notes on 1942-43 All-Braeland Team Starting Pitcher Anastasio Rodríguez won the EL Satchel Paige Award for the second consecutive season, but in my view, it was a very tight race for starting pitching on the All-Braeland Team. For me it came down to the three Eastern League finalists for the Satchel Paige Award: • Brunswick Legends’ Anastasio Rodríguez (18-11, 2.65 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.37 FIP); • Brunswick’s Matthew Monroe (23-5, 2.49 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.73 FIP); and • Embro Suns’ Myung-gu Son (23-8, 2.57 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 2.75 FIP). Rodríguez eventually gets the nod for leading the Eastern League in HR/9 (0.06) and the entire United Leagues in FIP (2.37) and WAR (9.4). But it could have easily gone to Monroe as well. -------- Catcher Fort Richmond’s Danny Trowbridge (.288/.387/.401, 11 HR, 60 RBI, 89 R, 87 BB, 4.7 WAR) did not have as good a season as the previous one, but it was still solid and he combined sturdy defensive work with his offensive output. In consideration were: • Wellington Athletics’ Dylan Watkins (.274/371/.387, 9 HR, 69 RBI, 60 R, 78 BB, 4.4 WAR); • Sherburn Tigers’ Joe Gault (.293/347/.400, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 61 R, 40 BB, 4.2 WAR). -------- First Base There were three stalwarts in the United Leagues at first base, and all three were under consideration for the All-Braeland Team: • Embro Suns’ Jim Friend (.313/.397/.469, 19 HR, 109 RBI, 100 R, 89 BB, 5.0 WAR); • Brunswick Legends’ Stuart Bentham (.320/.385/.480, 19 HR, 87 RBI, 95 R, 67 BB, 4.8 WAR); • Kingston Pelicans’ Fergus Chitty (.288/.424/.433, 16 HR, 78 RBI, 79 R, 123 BB, 4.2 WAR). Bentham is rated the No. 1 first baseman in the United Leagues, followed by Friend and Chitty. But Friend gets the acknowledgement once again. Although he started the season off slow, by his standards, Friend caught fire in the second half to make the Team. -------- Second Base Mo Symes has been the top second baseman in the United Leagues the past few years, but this season, he had serious competition: • Wellington Athletics’ Brian Main (.291/.337/.458, 15 HR, 87 RBI, 100 R, 44 BB, 5.4 WAR); • Pulberry Trolleys’ Jamie Florey (.255/.353/.368, 11 HR, 72 RBI, 78 R, 85 BB, 4.3 WAR); • Kingston Pelicans’ Mo Symes (.315/.395/.437, 12 HR, 86 RBI, 88 R, 77 BB, 4.1 WAR). Offensively, Symes had a decent season, but he was rather woeful on defense. Florey was simply outstanding on defense and won the Western League Top Fielder Award. But Brian Main had an outstanding season and was above average on defense. He was the easy pick for the team. -------- Third Base This season, there was no contest at this position. Sherburn Tigers’ Harley Simmons (.303/.367/.447, 12 HR, 72 RBI, 67 R, 51 BB, 11 SB, 6.9 WAR) had just an outstanding year. He was incredible in the field as well, winning his second Top Fielder Award. -------- Shortstop Overall, it was a down year for shortstops in the United Leagues. In years past, the Leagues’ best players called shortstop home. But this was a close race for the top two players: • Pulberry Trolleys’ Wenceslas Jasmim (.296/.361/.376, 3 HR, 55 RBI, 85 R, 63 BB, 16 SB, 5.0 WAR); • Balmoral Giants’ Francisco Rodríguez (.280/.328/.417, 3 HR, 64 RBI, 75 R, 38 BB, 4.3 WAR); • Embro Suns’ Gary Watkinson (.278/.395/.323, 2 HR, 66 RBI, 76 R, 88 BB, 3.3 WAR); • Stratford Barons’ Jake Walker (.282/.374/.368, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 75 R, 89 BB, 3.2 WAR). Jasmin and Rodríguez both matched good offense with great defense, but this year, the edge goes to Jasmin, who had his best year by far. But Rodríguez would not have been a bad pick either. -------- Leftfield There was no contest at this position. Cambria Cannons’ Ron Westmacott (.323/.431/.557, 18 HR, 94 RBI, 118 R, 104 BB, 8.7 WAR) is the top-rated leftfielder in the ULB. He definitely proved it with a return-to-form season, after two seasons of serious injuries. -------- Centerfield The centerfield spot saw a tight race. It was primarily between the 26-year old Moreau and the 29-year old Durney: • Queensland Eagles’ Jon Moreau (.305/.342/.456, 9 HR, 77 RBI, 83 R, 36 BB, 5.8 WAR); • Embro Suns’ Terence Durney (.274/.387/.419, 12 HR, 66 RBI, 106 R, 105 BB, 5.3 WAR); • Cambria Cannons’ Clint Jones (.288/.357/.441, 16 HR, 84 RBI, 81 R, 58 BB, 4.5 WAR); • Balmoral Giants’ Damon Purcell (.290/.372/.416, 8 HR, 71 RBI, 96 R, 72 BB, 3.0 WAR). Both Jones and Purcell had fine seasons at the plate, but were lacking in defensive performance. For Durney, this past season was a step down from the previous one (where he finished with 7.2 WAR). But he was very good once again in the field. That said, Jon Moreau was even better, winning the Top Fielder Award. That combined with his offense (he led the United Leagues with 47 doubles) earned him his first Team honours. -------- Rightfield Brunswick Legends’ Mark Elston (.334/.469/.567, 29 HR, 111 RBI, 111 R, 141 BB, 7.3 WAR) ran away with this spot. Winner of the first position player Triple Crown, Elston was perhaps the top player overall in the United Leagues this season. He led the entire leagues in at least eight offensive categories. Only his defense was found wanting. He is currently rated second in the ULB, behind only Ron Westmacott, a fellow All-Braeland teammate. Balmoral Giants’ Carlton Broadbent (.321/.391/.521, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 85 R, 65 BB, 5.1 WAR) had his best season yet, but still finished a distant second to Elston. --------
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 11:45 PM. |
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03-29-2016, 10:47 PM
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#244 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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May 10, 1943
Quote:
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 11:46 PM. |
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04-01-2016, 05:15 PM
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#245 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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1943 Offseason: All Quiet – Except in Cambria Further upheaval took place this off-season when nearly 50 players forsook the ballfield for the battlefield by enlisting in the Armed Forces. That brings the total number of players having left the United Leagues due to the War, whether by choice or by expulsion, to almost 175 since 1941. With no end to the World War yet in sight, there may be more making the sacrifice in the ensuing months. Despite the disruptions and distractions, the 16 teams set about preparing for the upcoming 1943-44 season. But for the most part, the teams choose to look for in-house solutions to replace their players lost to the war effort. There were very few significant trades consummated this offseason. One notable exception was the Cambria Cannons, who completed two major transactions, no doubt in hopes of returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence. [NOTE: After simming to August 31, OOTP crashed. This happened when I attempted to click on the scouting report tab of a retired player’s page (because he had been involved in an earlier trade). When I re-opened OOTP, it had reverted back to July 1. I do regular back-ups, but this happened just before I did that. Also, the War Gained table below doesn’t reflect the September 21 trade, as I failed to take an updated screenshot after the crash. Note to self: don’t click on a retired player’s scouting report – OOTP doesn’t like it.] Here are the noteworthy trades this offseason: April 19: The Cambria Cannons received 26-year old OF Nicky Willis (73/80) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, the Unions received five minor leaguers: 21-year old LF Tim Poff (22/28); 22-year old 3B Jarrod Pearce (Retired May 10 – serving in Armed Forces); 20-year old C Hyang-nam Pae (21/44); 22-year old SS Carlos Féliz (23/28); 22-year old CF Edgardo Alomar (22/23). Knee-jerk reaction: Willis, a former 2<sup>nd</sup> round pick from 1937-38, joins a playoff contending team after toiling for a mediocre team for the past four seasons. Willis is a 3-time all-star and won a Top Fielder Award a few seasons ago. He is coming off his best season yet and at 26-years of age, is entering his prime. He now becomes part of the United Leagues’ most impressive outfield; with Willis in leftfield, 4-time all-star Clint Jones in centerfield and 4-time all-star, 1-time Babe Ruth Award winner Ron Westmacott in right (18.1 WAR between them last season). As for Wolseley, well who knows what they’re trying to achieve? While they did lose Pearce when he later enlisted, none of the players were/are projected to make much of an impact, whether short-term or long-term. Another squandered opportunity to rebuild for the future.  ----------- May 1: The Stratford Barons acquired 27-year old CF Brian Ilderton (61/65) from the Pulberry Trolleys. In return, the Trolleys received two minor leaguers: 19-year old 1B Craig Diprose (21/46) and 22-year old C Enrique Orue (22/23). Knee-jerk reaction: With the enlistment of OF Steven Winstanley into the Braeland Armed Forces, one of the United Leagues best players, the Barons made a move to fill the void, acquiring Ilderton from the Trolleys. Ilderton is nowhere near the hitter Winstanley was, but he is a very good defender in all outfield positions and has solid speed. A former 12<sup>th</sup> overall pick in 1938-39, he has not made much of an impact in the United Leagues as yet. Evidently Pulberry gave up on him, getting Diprose, a second round pick from last season. Nothing about Diprose or Orue suggest that they will have much impact at the major league level.  ----------- May 29: The Balmoral Giants traded for33-year old RHP In-san Ahn (65/65) from the Cobourg Red Stockings in exchange for 23-year old minor league C Kyle Moorhouse (23/47). Knee-jerk reaction: The Giants look to beef up their bullpen with the acquisition of Ahn, who joins his fourth team since 1937. Ahn has bounced between the rotation and bullpen over the years, but he will be a fixture in the Giants’ bullpen after starting for Cobourg last season. All-in-all, he is a decent but not great pitcher. In return, Cobourg gets a catcher that projects to spend his career in the minors, as he is a below average hitter, defender and runner. Not a good combination.  ----------- July 10: The Cambria Cannons traded for 27-year old IF Wenceslas Jasmin (74/74) from the Pulberry Trolleys. In return, the Trolleys received three minor leaguers: 21-year old CF Nick Giblett (21/23); 24-year old 2B Everton Weddell (23/23) and 20-year old C Irving Steur (22/23). Knee-jerk reaction: To compensate for the loss of 3B Thomas Murphy (who enlisted), Cambria went out and acquired former 1<sup>st</sup> overall pick SS Wenceslas Jasmin, who enjoyed his best season last year. He will move to 1B, his strongest position defensively. Once again, a team gets practically nothing in return. In this case, Pulberry gets a couple of players that may one day serve as platoon players - maybe. (Sigh, I sure hope OOTP17 will see more equitable trades when its time to move from OOTP16, because these sure stink.)  ----------- September 21: The Kingston Pelicans acquired 27-year old OF Rovilson Valdevieso (55/55) from the Brunswick Legends. The Legends received 30-year old CF Daniel Martin (35/35) and 20-year old RF Sze Fang (21/42). Knee-jerk reaction: The Legends depart with Valdevieso, who has been in decline since his 1939-40 season, when he batted .398, (the highest batting average in the United Leagues to date) and accumulated 6.1 WAR. This past season, the three-time all-star accumulated only 1.2 WAR. He is a liability on defense and it appears he won’t be in the Opening Day starting lineup for Kingston. Brunswick, meanwhile, gets a couple of useful players in Martin and Fang. After one season with Kingston, where he accumulated 3.6 WAR as a starter, Martin will play back up to 25-year old CF Laroya Quindiagan, a second round pick from 1939-40, who will attempt to step into the lineup as an everyday starter. Fang, a third round pick this past season, has some offensive abilities, especially as a power hitter, but his work ethic is a concern.  ----------- The Cambria Cannons finished head and shoulders over their competitors this offseason in terms of War Gained. The acquisitions of OF Nicky Willis (5.1 WAR) and IF Wenceslas Jasmin (5.0) put them at the head of the class. Now it remains to be seen whether those moves will translate in a return to the playoffs. As mentioned earlier, the table below does not reflect the September 21 trade between the Brunswick Legends and Kingston Pelicans. If it did, it would show Brunswick with +2.4 WAR and Kingston with -2.4 WAR, as a result of exchanging Rovilson Valdevieso (1.2) and Daniel Martin (3.6). But all-in-all it was a quiet offseason, in terms of significant transactions. The big news was the loss of players to the war effort – and it may not be quiet on that front just yet. 
Last edited by reds1; 07-06-2017 at 01:02 AM. |
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04-03-2016, 08:32 PM
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#246 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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 With Braeland Armed Forces directly involved in ‘Operation Cartwheel’, the Allies’ major campaign to neutralize the Empire of Japan’s presence in the Solomon Islands, the United Leagues of Braeland nevertheless set about preparing for another baseball season. The loss of players due to the war effort did not dampen the excitement for Opening Day. But first, let’s check out the results of the ‘Coconut Leagues’ that took place in September. First up, the Eastern League results and predicted standings:   Like last season, the Embro Suns finished on top, the only team to surpass 20 victories in the “Coconut Leagues’. However, the Braeland City Monarchs and Wellington Athletics were not far behind. But the predicted standings tell a different tale, as the Stratford Barons and the defending United Cup champions are projected to finish neck-in-neck at the top of the standings. That is interesting as the Barons took a hit with the loss of OF Steven WInstanley who enlisted and will not be back before the war’s end. But it appears that pitching will be Stratford’s strength, with three starting pitchers projected to have Top 10 performances: Joel Fearn (74/74), Donn Griffin (67/67 – 11th overall pick from 1939/40) and Ryan Borden (79/79 – No. 1 starter). Brunswick looks to have a very balanced and strong team once again, with three Top 10 hitters and two Top 10 pitchers. ---------   The Western League saw a tight race, with only 7 wins separating top and bottom. In fact, 6 of the 8 teams finished within 3 games of each other. That would seem to indicate a ‘free-for-all’ with all teams having realistic chances of qualifying for the post-season. The projected standings suggest otherwise, however. The Balmoral Giants are predicted to finish way ahead of the pack, 20 games up on the Cambria Cannons. At the very least, that suggests their qualifying for the playoffs last season was no fluke. With 3 hitters and 3 pitchers making the Top 10, the Giants appear primed for a break out season after the years spent drafting and developing prospects. The Kingston Pelicans once again are not out of the playoff pitcher, projected to finish one game behind the second place Cannons. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that you can never count the Pelicans out until the very last day of the season. The Cannons traded for LF Nicky Willis (76/80) in the offseason, and the Top 10 Hitter list confirms the postulate that the Cannons have the best outfield in the entire United Leagues. Besides Willis, both RF Ron Westmacott (80/80) and CF Clint Jones (73/75) are projected to have big seasons. One team to keep an eye on is the Pulberry Trolleys, as they are projected to finish close to .500 and have four players appearing in the Top 10: LF Bruno Lapthorne (76/76), CF Yoshino Ito (66/72), RHP Bailey Keedwell (37/37) and RHP Patrick Tennant (51/59). If they can follow through on their projections and get some support from others, the Trolleys may surprise. But of course, everything is going to have to fall into place for that to happen. --------- To round out the snapshot of the United Leagues, here are the top players and pitchers and top prospects as updated on Opening Day. With the greatest crisis facing civilization playing out just off the shores of Braeland, it’s time to offer some diversion for all the hardworking men and women. It’s time to ‘play ball’ once again!     
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 11:55 PM. |
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04-03-2016, 10:06 PM
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#247 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Land of Lincoln
Posts: 1,254
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Another great example of why this Braeland Dynasty is from my point of view the best one out there; the Coconut Leagues!
How super creative is that!!!! Little things like that make the United Leagues of Braeland the benchmark of all Dynasties!  As always, super great work, reds1 |
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04-03-2016, 10:33 PM
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#248 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,521
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Agree with Bottom of the Sixth. Love the ULB.
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04-04-2016, 10:53 AM
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#249 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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Thank you so much guys!
 I felt kinda awkward calling it 'spring training', so I looked for another term to use. Although come to think of it, I could still call it spring training, since that's what it is at that time of year down under anyway! But my northern hemisphere brain still considers it fall time  But I have to defer to the Metro Leagues, as I have taken so many cues and ideas from DreamTeams' creation. I've spent countless hours visiting and re-visiting each city page over the years, for example, enjoying the write-ups on the towns and the fans (as well as the music selections). Just one of the things that make the Metro Leagues so special!
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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04-06-2016, 12:24 PM
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#250 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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December 1, 1943
Eastern League: Reshuffling the Deck    October and November saw a slew of teams rise and fall in the unsettled Eastern League standings. At least three teams took turns at the top of the standings, starting with the Queensland Eagles and ending with the Stratford Barons. In between was the Cobourg Red Stockings, who surged in early November to occupy first place before crashing. Familiar teams that we are accustomed to seeing at the top, namely the Brunswick Legends and especially the Embro Suns struggled to reassert themselves. All-in-all it’ been a wild ride in the East, and we’re just getting started. --------  At the end of October, the Stratford Barons were tied with the Brunswick Legends for wild card, two games back of first place, but came alive in November to overtake the Queensland Eagles for top spot. The Barons are a nicely balanced team. They rank no lower than third in any offensive and pitching category, except for home runs (4th) and bullpen ERA (7th). And they are doing this without one of the best players in the United Leagues, as OF Steven Winstanley left at the end of last season to serve in the Armed Forces. Offense: .283/.361/.381 (1st/1st/2nd); Pitching: 3.03/2.86/4.36 (1st/1st/7th – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA); Defense: .698 (3rd). Top Position Player: 30-year old SS Jake Walker (.310/.415/.443, 8-3B, 14 RBI, 37 R, 36 BB) leads in a number of team offensive categories in the early going. Top Pitcher: 33- year old LHP Joel Fearn (8-1, 1.29 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) is off to a sensational start. Although he went 5-1, 1.36 ERA in November, he did not pick up the Pitcher of the Month Award. That honour went to his teammate, 35-year old LHP Ryan Borden (8-2, 2.43 ERA, 1.30 WHIP). As of right now, Borden is rated the top pitcher in the United Leagues, ahead of Brunswick’s Anastasio Rodríguez. Fearn is rated No. 3 overall. Noteworthy: The Barons have a bit of battle going on at the catcher position, with 23-year old Geoff Lemoine (.291/.405/.362, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 12 R, 25 BB) starting against RH pitchers and 32-year old Gavin Hurley (.412/.461/.512, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 11 R, 8 BB) facing LH pitching. Lemoine went 4-5 with 1 R against Cobourg on October 8 and set the team regular season record for BB in an extra-inning game with 4 on November 24. Meanwhile, Hurley went 4-4 against Brunswick with 2 RBI and 2 R on October 19. On October 30, Hurley went 4-6 with 1 RBI, 2 R against the Braeland City Monarchs. Key Injuries: None. --------  The Queensland Eagles traded off key players last season (SS Katsunan Chikafuji and LHP Mac MacColl) and that appeared to signal a rebuild. But the Eagles began a quick rebound, thanks to some shrewd trades that brought in CF Jon Moreau and 1B Merlin Teeters to finish the season in third place. This season they lost Teeters to the war effort, but didn’t miss a beat in October, starting out 7-0 and holding down first place to end the month. They stumbled in November but continue to occupy the wild card spot by 4.5 games. It’s still early, but if Queensland has more months like October, then the playoffs may see a new player in the mix. Offense: .277/.339/.376 (4th/3rd/3rd); Pitching: 3.37/3.32/3.78 (3rd/2nd/6th); Defense: .703 (2nd). Top Position Player: The story of the Eagles in the first two months has been 25-year old rookie C Elijah Sheppard (.296/.340/.497, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 25 R, 11 BB). A second round pick from 1939-40, Sheppard spent 5 seasons in the minors before getting a taste of the majors late last season. All he has done to start this season is win the first two Rookie of the Month Awards and lead the team in a slew of offensive categories. In the process, he has taken over the regular catching duties from 34-year old, 4-time all-star David Wilson. Top Pitcher: 26-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (7-4, 2.55 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) is enjoying his best start to the season, winning Pitching of the Month honours in October. This is the fifth season in the majors for the former 9th overall pick from 1939-40. Quian pitched two 4-hit shutouts in October: one against the Wellington Athletics and the other against the Brunswick Legends. Key Injuries: None. --------  Last season, the Braeland City Monarchs endured a slew of injuries that dashed any hope of competing. The fact that they almost finished at .500 no doubt gave them hope that staying healthy would have led to much better things. This season, it appears that pitching will hold the Monarchs back, as they are really struggling in the early going. But on offense, they are quite good. Offense: .281/.340/.383 (2nd/2nd/1st); Pitching: 4.40/4.53/3.26 (8th/8th/3rd); Defense: .670 (8th). Top Position Player: 29-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.302/.397/.460, 7 HR, 42 RBI, 26 R, 29 BB) is a fine all-round player and he enjoyed a terrific start to the season, winning Batter of the Month honours in October. Also doing well is 30-year old 3B Adam Ashley (.311/.355/.408, 9-2B, 6 RBI, 28 R, 14 BB). Ashley fractured his ankle in ‘spring training’ but returned to the lineup in late October. Top Pitcher: The starting pitchers are struggling for the most part, but 39-year old RHP Frank Leadbeater (5-4, 2.93 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) has started off strong as the No 4 pitcher. Key Injuries: None. Noteworthy: 2B Trevor Bolen (.306/.332/.442, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 37 R, 9 BB, 7 SB) went 5-5 on October 26 against the Cobourg Red Stockings. He picked up 1-2B, 1 RBI and 1 R. Adam Ashley saw his 23-game hitting streak end on November 1 against the Queensland Eagles. 34-year old RHP Lenny Freke (5-5, 4.44 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) was ejected and suspended for four games as a result of a bench clearing brawl against the Kingston Pelicans on November 19. After surrendering a two-run home run to Fergus Chitty to make it 5-0 Kingston in the third inning, Freke hit LF Jayden Tennant with a 2-0 pitch. That ignited a bench-clearing brawl. His suspension, along with Tennant’s, who also got four games, are the first in United Leagues history. --------  The Cobourg Red Stockings found themselves in unfamiliar territory on November 7, when they were sole occupants of first place in the East with a 17-13 record. But then they started to sink, going 2-13, which included a 9-game losing streak. They recovered to finish the last 6 games of the month with a 4-2 record. But this is a very young team that has gone through some growing pains as the young prospects get the hang of things. It would appear that some have, especially on offense. After being dreadful last season, the team’s offense has picked up and the improvement is seen across the board. Offense: .277/.329/.370 (3rd/5th/4th); Pitching: 4.12/4.31/2.91 (6th/7th/2nd); Defense: .675 (7th). Top Position Player: 25-year old C Neil Voigt (.288/.332/.419, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB) is having his best season thus far. He is a solid defender behind the plate as well. The good news though is that it appears other players will be vying for this space in the coming months. The Red Stockings may be shedding their laughing-stock reputation with a nicely balanced lineup. Top Pitcher: The pitching staff hasn’t blown anyone away in the early going, but 26-year old Pedro Gómez (4-6, 3.62 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) is the No. 1 starter and hasn’t embarrassed himself. Gómez was originally a 7th round pick (104th overall) back in 1937-38 by the Stratford Barons. Key Injuries: 30-year old 1B Héctor Torres is having a devil of a time staying healthy. In ‘spring training’, he strained a thigh muscle and missed 4 weeks. Then on October 26, he broke a wrist bone in a collision. He is out a further 4 weeks. Last season’s first overall pick, 21-year old 2B Alexander Tolmie (.278/.333/.383, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 9 R, 10 BB), suffered a knee-bone bruise in a game back on November 23. He can come off the DL in a week. Noteworthy: 26-year old LF Cliff Jordan (.382/.418/.445, 3-2B, 18 RBI, 15 R, 8 BB, 5 SB) went 5-5 against the Downie Chiefs on November 2. He picked up 1 RBI and 2 R. --------  The start of the 1943-44 season provided a rude awakening for the Brunswick Legends, as they stumbled badly in November, falling 6 games below .500 and 5.0 games out of playoff spot. Injuries tell only part of the story, as the overall performance of the team is down from the past two seasons. Offense: .260/.336/.349 (6th/4th/6th); Pitching: 3.75/3.79/3.44 (4th/4th/5th); Defense: .681 (6th). Top Position Player: 27-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (.281/.369/.459, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 22 R, 27 BB) is leading in a number of offensive categories in the early going. But the offense is down overall as previously mentioned. Top Pitcher: 27-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (6-3, 2.77 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) continues to be Brunswick’s ace. November was a fine month, as he went 4-1, 2.05 ERA, 44.0 IP. In October, he accumulated 32 strikeouts verses 18 BB (2-2, 3.45 ERA, 47.0 IP). In November, he threw out only 11 batters (verses 8 BB). Baseball is a funny game. Key Injuries: 26-year old OF Laroya Quindiagan tore a rib cage muscle on a defensive play back on October 8. He is out a further 5-6 weeks after only 15 AB. 25-year old LF Harry Chatwin (.263/.336/.368, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 14 R, 11 BB) suffered a high ankle sprain while running the basis back on November 2. He is expected to miss another 4 weeks. Noteworthy: With the injury to Chatwin, recent acquisition CF Daniel Martin (.275/.321/.399, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 18 R, 10 BB) stepped in. Martin won the Player of the Week Award on November 22, after going 4-6 against the Fort Richmond Generals with 1 R on November 14 and going 4-6 against the Pulberry Trolleys, with 3 RBI, 2 R on November 20. --------  The Wellington Athletics continue their slide into the second division this season and signalled their intent to rebuild by unloading a couple of veteran players for prospects. The offense has been pretty woeful in the early going while the defense and pitching have been top notch. They have already moved in some youngsters into the lineup and no doubt will endure some lean patches as they continue the transition. Offense: .255/.317/.322 (7th/7th/8th); Pitching: 3.25/3.46/1.58 (2nd/3rd/1st); Defense: .715 (1st). Top Position Player: Definitely some lean pickings here right now. But I’ll go with 32-year old 1B Keane Fysh (.289/.354/.358, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 20 R, 21 BB), who shook off a slow October with a fine November, batting .326/.404/.424. This is the guy I chided Wellington over for acquiring him last season from the Cambria Cannons for 25-year old SS Thomas Murphy. Murphy is now serving in the Armed Forces and Fysh is producing. I’m not suggesting Wellington knew Murphy’s intention that far in advance, but baseball is a funny game. Or did I mention that already? Top Pitcher: Some mighty fine performances on the pitching side of things. First off is 34-year old LHP Clyde Boney (7-3, 2.46 ERA, 1.25 WHIP), who was solid right from the get-go. Interestingly, his record exactly a year ago at this time was very similar: 7-3, 2.31 ERA, 1.02 WHIP. He currently holds the United Leagues career records for Wins (124), shutouts (29) and strikeouts (900), among others. Also worth mentioning is 25-year old RHP Luke Woodward, who is saddled with a questionable reputation and who has been traded six times in his brief career. It would appear that he is finally settling down as he is off to his best start by far: 1-2, 4 SV, 1.33 ERA, 1.04 WHIP. Key Injuries: On November 14, 32-year old 3B Ryley McLarnon (.242/.280/.362, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 14 R, 8 BB), tore a knee joint in a collision. He is out another week. Key Trade #1: October 27 with the Balmoral Giants. To Balmoral – 32-year old RHP Derek Cawley (60/60 – 7-4, 1.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP). To Wellington – five minor league players: • 20-year old SS Frazer Rae (22/51); • 23-year old LF John Steggall (22/34); • 24-year old LHP Zak Tuxford (20/44); • 22-year old RHP Dorian Geissler (27/57) and • 24-year old CF Billy Unworth (23/35). Knee-jerk reaction: Balmoral decided to shake up their shaky pitching staff with the acquisition of Cawley. Cawley immediately becomes Balmoral’s No. 1 pitcher, but he has been barely average over his career. Still, he has decent stuff and control and a change of scenery appears to have done him some good (more on that when we get to Balmoral’s write-up). In return, Wellington gets some useful young players that could contribute soon in the majors, particularly Rae, who has good contact and speed, and Geissler, who could become a bullpen asset in the near future.  Key Trade #2: October 29 with the Embro Suns. To Embro – 35-year old LF Bob Boynton (32/32) and 20-year old minor league 1B Percy Mathijssen (21/51) To Wellington – 26-year old RF Spencer Marsland (62/67) Knee-jerk reaction: Wellington is Marsland’s third team in three seasons. The former second round pick from 1939-40 has not developed into a productive every day starter, but the Athletics are hoping that he still can. Boynton is a former 4-time all-star, but he is clearly past his prime and will see very little playing time. Clearly his starting days are behind him, so it is not entirely clear what Embro sees in him. Mathijssen has tremendous power potential and solid speed, but could work on his defense and plate discipline/pitch recognition.  --------  Much like Brunswick, the Embro Suns received a cold dose of reality as they find themselves 10 games out of first place and just one game out of last place. And like the Legends, the Suns crashed in November, winning all of 9 games. Such anemic totals are usually reserved for the likes of Cobourg or Downie, but Embro is facing a crisis. Clearly, their offense is not what it was in recent seasons. They got off to a slow start last season, but still managed to win 104 games. But their struggles this season are much deeper. To their credit, they are not standing idle. In November, in the midst of their tailspin, the Suns made a couple of trades to try and right the ship. Offense: .253/.320/.341 (8th/6th/7th); Pitching: 3.88/3.95/3.33 (5th/5th/4th); Defense: .689 (5th). Top Position Player: CF Terence Durney (.273/.354/.421, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 32 R, 26 BB, 5 SB) gets the nod here for his terrific November, despite the team’s struggles. Durney started off slow in October like most of his teammates, but caught fire in November to win Batter of the Month honours. Top Pitcher: The pitching is struggling as well, so I have to go with a pitcher who just came over in a trade on November 11. 29-year old RHP Oscar Burress (6-4, 2.80 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) has been exactly what the Suns were hoping for when they acquired him. In four starts, he has gone 2-2, 2.25 ERA. On November 13, he pitched a 3-hit shutout against the Wolseley Unions with 6 K, 2 BB in his first start for the Suns. In his second start, he pitched a 5-hit shutout against the Sherburn Tigers with 5 K, 1 BB. He won a Player of the Week Award for his efforts for good measure. Key Injuries: Kian Meadmore (.239/.323/.364, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 10 R, 11 BB) broke his hand in a collision back on November 1. He is out 2-3 months. Key Trade #1: November 11 with the Fort Richmond Giants. To Embro – RHP Oscar Burress (72/78). To Fort Richmond – four minor league players: • 19-year old RHP Shinzo Okamoto (20/74); • 21-year old RHP John Bullivant (29/78); • 22-year old C John Snowden (22/50) and • 20-year old RHP Allan Morrall (20/23). Knee-jerk reaction: Now here is a trade that offers value for both teams. In Burress, Embro gets a 5-time all-star with terrific stuff and movement. Only his control betrays him from time to time. Burress is also considered a ‘cancer to his teammates’; but he knows how to pitch and he immediately becomes Embro’s ace. For Fort Richmond, they get two terrific pitching prospects in Okamoto (16th overall pick last season) and John Bullivant. Okamoto is a future starter with sensational movement and control. Only his stuff could use a bit of improvement. Bullivant projects to be a future go-to guy out of the bullpen. His stuff/movement/control are all big league quality. Even Snowden and Morrall have some talent that could see them reach the majors if they continue to progress. All-in-all, it’s a nice trade that can benefit both sides.  Key Trade #2: November 16 with the Fort Richmond Giants. To Embro – 26-year old 3B Britt Wing (66/69 - .303/.344/.351, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 26 R, 13 BB) To Fort Richmond – five minor league players: • 19-year old C Zachary Wordsworth (22/51); • 23-year old C Elmo Reid (23/46); • 24-year old RF Danny Huggett (23/39); • 23-year old 1B Ryan Vowell (21/23) and • 20-year old 2B Brad Richards (21/25). Knee-jerk reaction: Five days later, the same two teams make another deal. Wing, a former second round pick from 1938-39, has made slow but steady progress offensively in the United Leagues, but he is not going win any fielding awards. In fact, his poor fielding and speed eats away at his overall value. In return, Fort Richmond gets a couple of mid-grade prospects. Both Wordsworth and Reid are capable defenders with Wordsworth being the better hitter. The rest of the haul is pretty hit or miss, with only Vowell having some serious power potential to take note of.  --------  With the Cobourg Red Stockings starting to make some noise this season, the Downie Chiefs appear to have the basement to themselves (unless Embro continues to fade). The Chiefs are essentially a non-descript team with raw players and a focus on bolstering their farm system. Only one player in the starting lineup, 31-year old SS Ninfa Puzon (.280/.338/.386, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 17 R, 19 BB) is over 30. They have some fine talent in the farm system, which is rated third overall. But they still could use some more, especially pitchers. Offense: .262/.310/.350 (5th/8th/5th); Pitching: 4.14/4.05/4.58 (7th/6th/8th); Defense: .693 (4th). Top Position Player: Despite his recent struggles, 23-year old CF Ricardo Castellanos (.314/.384/.444, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 23 R, 19 BB) has been a steady presence in the lineup to start the season. Top Pitcher: 34-year old RHP Darwin Monday (6-5, 3.06 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) started the season as Downie’s No. 1 starter and the former 2-time all-star continues to go the distance for each of his starts most time than not. Downie claimed him off waivers from Stratford back in January. On November 21, Monday pitched a 3-hit shut-out against the Wolseley Unions with 5 K, 1 BB. He injured himself in the first inning of his most recent outing, but it proved to be a mild thigh muscle strain and he’s not expected to miss a start. Key Injuries: None. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-06-2017 at 08:15 PM. |
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04-08-2016, 12:08 PM
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#251 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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December 1, 1943
Western League: The Pelicans Mean Business    At first, it looked as though the Hespeler Stars were going to set the pace as they jumped out to a 10-0 record, 3.5 games up on the Cambria Cannons. But the Kingston Pelicans had other ideas. Through inspired play and inspired trades, the Pelicans have quickly retooled themselves into a powerhouse. Once again, the rest of the Western League are playing catch-up. But this is not a one-team race. After two months, no less than 5 teams boast above .500 records. That is not something that could be said in previous seasons. If nothing else, it appears that improved competition is arriving in the West. --------  The Kingston Pelicans have no intention of just ‘hanging around’ this season. After two seasons of pulling off late-season comebacks to make the playoffs, the Pelicans have ‘gone for the jugular’ as it were and surged into top spot in the West with play on both sides of the ball. They also blindsided the competition with two major trades to shore up some weak spots. In the process, Kingston has transformed themselves into a powerhouse once again. Offense: .297/.365/.414 (1st/1st/1st); Pitching: 2.92/2.97/2.45 (2nd/2nd/3rd – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA); Defense: .711 (1st). Top Position Player: Too close to call between 33-year old 2B Mo Symes (.388/.456/.500, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 34 R, 24 BB) and 35-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.287/.408/.495, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 34 R, 39 BB). Symes picked up October’s Batter of the Month Award, while Chitty followed him with November’s honour. Top Pitcher: 33-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (11-0, 2.11 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is in the zone. The six-time all-star won Pitcher of the Month honours for both October and November and he is on pace to win 31 games this season. I wouldn’t bet against him either. Key Injuries: None. Key Trade #1: November 7 with the Fort Richmond Giants. To Kingston – 24-year old C Danny Trowbridge (79/79). To Fort Richmond – four minor league players: • 20-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (20/74); • 22-year old LHP Mo Goldstraw (23/67); • 24-year old LHP Joy-shan Liu (20/27) and • 20-year old SS Demy Kamphuis (21/23). Knee-jerk reaction: While 25-year old C Freddie Duran (.231/.286/.423, 3-2B, 4 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB) was the feel-good story of last season, winning Rookie of the Year honours, Kingston obviously felt that he was not going to be their long-term answer at backstop. So the Pelicans went out and got the best catcher in the United Leagues. Trowbridge is as good as they come, and although he had a down year last season, he should benefit from having plenty of offensive support in Kingston. He immediately becomes Kingston’s top rated player. Fort Richmond meanwhile, picks up two outstanding starting pitching prospects in Sherlock and Goldstraw; two former second-round picks. Fort Richmond now has the deepest farm system in the United Leagues as they are clearly in rebuilding mode. Liu has joined the Generals as their No. 5 starter. While he does not have the control of movement as the other two pitching prospects, he’s done all he can in the minors and is ready for the big-league challenge.  Key Trade #2: November 18 with the Sherburn Tigers. To Kingston – 29-year old 3B Harley Simmons (44/63). To Sherburn – two minor league players: • 20-year old LF Maurice Moroni (22/51) and • 22-year old RHP Francisco Báez (20/23). Knee-jerk reaction: Kingston added some infield depth with the acquisition of Simmons, who is coming off a monster year last season where he came in third place in the WL Babe Ruth Award voting. While this is a coup for Kingston, it might be hard for Simmons to be reduced to bench duties. While he is not a great contact hitter, he has some pop and can play any infield position with seemingly award-worthy ease. Sherburn gives Simmons up for a pittance, as Moroni is a fine outfield defender with terrific speed, but it woeful with the bat. Báez is project to be a starter one day, but in the majors would seem a long shot.  --------  The story for this season in the Western League initially appeared to be the Hespeler Stars when they jumped out to the best start in the United Leagues: 10 straight wins. But while Kingston’s reloading has stolen their thunder, there’s no denying that the Stars are determined to be in mix for their first playoff spot in March. They are currently tied with the Stratford Barons with the second best record in the ULB, but if they are going to succeed, they are going to have to jump-start their offense, which is the worst in the West. Offense: .255/.317/.363 (8th/8th/6th); Pitching: 2.86/2.89/2.70 (1st/1st/4th); Defense: .706 (2nd). Top Position Player: 25-year old CF Vic Weetman (.299/.329/.431, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 34 R, 11 BB) is off to another fine start and leads an offense that is struggling to get on track. He was the first overall pick for Hespeler back in 1939-40. He recently saw his 24-game hitting streak come to an end back on November 24 when he went 0-4 against the Stratford Barons. Top Pitcher: 35-year old RHP Brendon De san miguel (9-1, 3.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) has been with the Stars since Day 1 and has endured his share of losing. He has never won more than 13 games in a season (back in 1937-38) and has never won more games than he lost. But his ERA has slowly improved over the past four seasons. This season, he has pitched four shutouts (two in October, two in November). If he keeps it up, not only will he finally enjoy his first winning season, but also his first all-star appearance. Key Injuries: LHP Gavin Hewat (3-3, 1.98 ERA, 116 WHIP) injured himself while pitching back on November 17. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is gone for four months. --------  The Balmoral Giants broke it open in November to sit nine games above .500. They enjoyed an 11-game winning streak before falling to the Cobourg Red Stockings on the last day of November. Such would be cause for rejoicing but the Giants find themselves a half-game out of a playoff spot. Such speaks of the improved competition in the Western League. It appears Balmoral and all the other up-and-coming teams will need to fight it out for every win just to get into the playoffs this season. Offense: .281/.339/.386 (3rd/3rd/2nd); Pitching: 3.70/3.66/4.02 (6th/5th/7th); Defense: .701 (3rd). Top Position Player: Some good performances so far, but I’ll go with 23-year old 3B Otton Overbeek (.335/.361/.462, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 29 R, 7 BB) who is off to another fine start. Top Pitcher: He only joined the Giants on October 27, but 32-year old RHP Derek Cawley (7-4, 1.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) has quickly emerged as Balmoral’s top starter, going 4-2, 2.21 ERA with two 5-hit shutouts in seven starts. Cawley, who pitched for the Giants in the United Leagues first two seasons, has never been overly impressive as a starter - until this season. Like Brendon De san miguel of the Hespeler Stars, Cawley may be receiving his first invitation to an All-Star game this season if he is able to keep it up. Key Injuries: On October 6, 41-year old 1B Roger Tyler tore a knee joint while running the bases. He is out of commission for another 4-5 weeks. 33-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (2-0, 1 SV, 4.85 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) fractured his thumb in a collision at a base. He is out another 4 weeks. Noteworthy: RF Carlton Broadbent became the fourth player in United Leagues history to hit 3 home runs in a single game. He did it on October 24 against the Cambria Cannons facing three different pitchers. Broadbent doubled in the 1st, flied out in the 4th, hit a 2-run home run off Owen Tautor in the 6th, hit a 2-run home run off Carl Luscombe in the 7th and hit a solo home run off Nick Paddock in the 9th. In all, he went 4-5, 3 HR, 1-2B, 5 RBI, 4 R. Broadbent is the second Giant to smack 3 home runs in a game. The first Giant – and first player – to achieve it was OF Domenic Carmody (now with Cambria), back on October 7, 1938.  Key Trade: October 20 with the Cambria Cannons. To Balmoral – 32-year old 2B Wayne Balmer (67/67). To Cambria – 37-year old RHP Henny Akerval (45/45) and 23-year old minor league 3B George Morven (29/50). Knee-jerk reaction: With the acquisition of Cawley, Balmoral deemed Akerval expendable and found a trading partner in Cambria, who appears desperate for any kind of pitching. Balmer has been a productive player for both Cambria and Downie in seasons past, but he was struggling this season and will be little more than a back-up to 2B Allen Cattanach. Balmer is a tough out with little power who won’t embarrass himself in the field. Akerval is a once productive starter who is starting to regress, so it’s curious as to how much help he can be for the Cannons. He did pitch a 5-hit shut-out against the Brunswick Legends in his first start for the Cannons back on November 7, however. Morven is capable of showing some offensive flashes from time-to-time, but is nothing special at the plate. His strengths lie in his excellence defense and above-average speed.  --------  The Pulberry Trolleys are no strangers to losing, so finding themselves one game above .500 and 4.5 games within the wildcard must bring some hope that they are finally making some strides to escape the second division. But they will have to pick up the pitching, as it is rated as worst in the league. Their offense is actually quite strong despite the loss of IF Wenceslsas Jasmin to Cambria, as a number of young players are finding their groove. Improve the pitching, even just a little, and the Trolleys may be a player this season as well. Offense: .286/.348/.386 (2nd/2nd/3rd); Pitching: 4.56/4.46/5.27 (8th/8th/8th); Defense: .689 (7th). Top Position Player: 26-year old 2B Colin Strudwick (.360/.383/.471, 11-2B, 30 RBI, 28 R, 5 BB) is enjoying his best start. The former 3rd overall pick from 1937-38 won a Player of the Week Award in late October; thus far, he’s had two games where he batted 4-5 and one other where he went 4-4 at the plate. Top Pitcher: The pitching staff is struggling, but No. 1 starter 27-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (5-1, 3.35 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) is holding his own. Key Injuries: None. --------  The fact that so many teams appear more competitive this season in the West bodes well for the league as a whole. This includes the Wolseley Unions, as they are also hanging around the .500 mark. But they too will need to make further strides if they want to really improve their fortunes. For the Unions, it’s the starting lineup that could afford to pick things up, as the pitching has been decent thus far. Of course, the loss of RF Nicky Willis to the Cambria Cannons in the off-season must also be factored in. Offense: .256/.320/.367 (7th/7th/5th); Pitching: 3.38/3.40/3.27 (3rd/3rd/6th); Defense: .697 (4th). Top Position Player: Despite the struggles, this is actually a tough choice. I’ll start with 25-years old but CF Zak Kidd (.280/.375/.461, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 26 R, 28 BB, 9 SB) who has been with the Unions since Day 1 and is looked upon as a veteran by his teammates, despite his young age. One of those young teammates is 21-year old RF Rizalino Ringor (.294/.400/.435, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 27 R, 30 BB, 7 SB), who won back-to-back Rookie of the Month Awards. The former 7th overall pick from 1941-42, just needs to work on his defense a bit. Top Pitcher: 24-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (6-4, 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) is far and away Wolseley’s best pitcher and has pitched two shutouts thus far. He is currently rated No. 7 overall in the ULB. He is also consistent – last season at this time, his record was 6-4, 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP. Key Injuries: Free agent rookie 28-year old 2B Oscar Agnolutto (.336/.381/.434, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 14 R, 10 BB) fractured his calf bone while running the bases back on November 22. He is out a further 3 months. --------  The Sherburn Tigers sit at .500 two months into the season and they have not been all that bad, but it is hard to see them making significant strides, at least for this season. Their trading away 3B Harley Simmons, their best player last season, also indicates that they too, realize that they are not quite ready to make a serious push for the playoffs. But they will have to do a better job of cultivating quality prospects, as their haul from Kingston for Simmons was rather light. Offense: .261/.329/.356 (6th/6th/7th); Pitching: 3.50/3.54/3.10 (4th/4th/5th); Defense: .691 (6th). Top Position Player: 29-year old 1B Francis Pynchon (.313/.366/.477, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 31 R, 17 BB) is enjoying the best start of his career. It appears that he has finally found his groove with the Tigers. After producing little in his first four seasons and getting traded twice, Pynchon has turned things around. In 1941-42, he produced 2.0 WAR; in 1942-43 he produced 3.0 WAR and earned his first all-star appearance. This season he is on pace for 4.2 WAR. Top Pitcher: The Tigers boast four first round picks on their pitching staff and three other highly touted young pitchers, making the future looks bright. One of those pitchers is 28-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (6-3, 2.22 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) who is off to a sensational start. Key Injuries: 33-year old RHP Leo Chesters tore an elbow ligament last season while pitching. He is out for a further 4 weeks. --------  There appears to have been a seismic shift in Cambria. On December 1, the Cambria Cannons announced that they have reset their focus from ‘Win Now’ to ‘Rebuild’. That is quite the shift, especially after the major trades they made to acquire the likes of OF Nicky Willis, IF Wenceslsas Jasmin and most recently, RHP Henny Akerval. But the Cannons have been merely average to open the season and sit 4.0 games below .500, 11.5 games out of first place. With the loss of star player Ron Westmacott to an extended injury making things only worse, no doubt the Cannons’ brain trust feel that a major reboot is the only way to turn things around. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out during the rest of the season. Offense: .263/.331/.376 (5th/5th/4th); Pitching: 3.50/3.76/1.60 (5th/6th/2nd); Defense: .693 (5th). Top Position Player: 29-year old CF Clint Jones (.308/.363/.468, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 25 R, 19 BB) has played mostly in centerfield, but has also seen a bit of playing time at first base, left field and third base. Despite the merry-go-round, he has continued to produce. Top Pitcher: 32-year old RHP Bradley Dodson (6-3, 2.72 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) has been Cambria’s best pitcher thus far. Dodson recently pitched a 4-hit shut-out against the Downie Chiefs on November 29. Key Injuries: 26-year old RF Ron Westmacott (.275/.378/.443, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 22 BB) injured himself in a collision at a base back on November 28. The diagnosis is brain fever. He is expected to miss five more months. Noteworthy: In the second game of the season, Cambria pasted the Balmoral Giants 18-5, and three Cannons had big games. LF Nicky Willis went 5-6 with 1-2B, 1HR, 4 RBI and 3 R. SS Rubén Sánchez drove in 6 runs, going 3-6 with 1HR. Finally, 1B Wenceslsas Jasmin went 4-5 with 1 RBI, 3 R. --------  Last year at this time, I opined that the Fort Richmond Generals needed to decide whether to make a push for the playoffs or commit to rebuilding, as they were treading water season after season. Well it appears they have finally committed to a complete rebuild, as they have parted with key players like C Danny Trowbridge, LHP Oscar Burress and 3B Britt Wing. Such losses will hurt in the short-term, but the Generals did very well with the young prospects they got in return. Their farm system is now rated No. 1 in the ULB and they can finally look to a promising future. Relegating yourself to last place is never fun, but having a light at the end of the tunnel certainly softens the blow. Offense: .278/.339/.350 (4th/4th/8th); Pitching: 3.85/4.23/1.41 (7th/7th/1st); Defense: .683 (8th). Top Position Player: Trowbridge and Wing were producing for the Generals before they were traded, so this selection falls to 25-year old LF Rommel Ballena (.293/.321/.381, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 20 R, 9 BB). Ballena was a second round pick from 1939-40 and is in his third full season in the majors. Top Pitcher: The loss of ace RHP Oscar Burress will be felt, as he was Fort Richmond’s top pitcher once again. So I’ll go with 30-year old RHP Leo Bonfield (3-2, 1 SV, 1.89 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) who was claimed off waivers from the Stratford Barons on November 9. In Stratford he used very sparingly, but in Fort Richmond, he is now their top starter. In his last start, on November 29, he pitched a 6-hit shutout against the Embro Suns, with 2 K, 4 BB. Key Injuries: 24-year old RF Gavin Bansfield (.312/.353/.416, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB, 4 SB) suffered a swollen disc on a defensive play back on November 12. He is expected to miss 5-6 months. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-06-2017 at 08:20 PM. |
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04-11-2016, 05:18 PM
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#252 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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December 6, 1943
1943-44 Amateur Draft Results Braeland City, Perth (BP) – The United Leagues took time out to hold its seventh annual Amateur Draft in Braeland City, the nation’s capital. The organizers did something a little different this year, holding the Draft at the open air Britannia Amphitheatre, in the shadow of the dormant volcano, Mt. Yasawa. The weather cooperated, as warm, sunny skies accentuated the already breathtaking vistas. But the participants also took time to pay tribute to those who were presently serving in the Armed Forces throughout the Pacific Theatre. With news of the recent American invasion of the Gilbert Islands in the Battle of Tarawa and the attack on Japanese forces in the Marshall Islands, Braelanders were once again reminded that far more serious events were taking place just beyond the horizon. After a few words commemorating those who have already sacrificed their lives and a moment of silence, club members got down to the business at hand. The Cobourg Red Stockings selected first for the third year in a row. They were followed by the Downie Chiefs and Sherburn Tigers. Here is a brief sketch of the 16 players taken in the first round: 1st Pick – Cobourg Red Stockings:   IF John Medley (50/80) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 175 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. Hailing from Birmingham, Dunwich, the Red Stockings selected 22-year old John Medley, whose strongest defensive position is shortstop. Medley has amazing vision and speed, which should help him be a terror as a lead-off hitter. Power is not part of his game and he could stand to work on his patience so as to draw more walks. But he is well respected by his coaches for his training discipline. Update: Shortly after making the selection, the Red Stockings announced that they will promote Medley to their major league roster, where he is expected to lead off. Cobourg will now have three 1st-overall picks on their 25-man roster: Medley, 3B Shelby Cain (1941-42) and 2B Alexander Tolmie (1942-43). -------- 2nd Pick – Downie Chiefs:   OF Howard Dumbrill (21/71) – 19-years old; 5’-9”, 165 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. The Downie Chiefs went with power in selecting the 19-year old from Kingston. Dumbrill has tremendous power potential who will work the count and frustrate opposing pitchers to no end. He is also blessed with tremendous speed. While his power is undeniable, scouts are not entirely sure how much overall hitting ability he’ll display at the major league level. He is also nothing special defensively, but he is athletic. -------- 3rd Pick – Sherburn Tigers:   LHP Dana Listman (20/80) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws LH. The Tigers went with a home-town native in Dana Listman, the first pitcher selected in the draft. Listman is blessed with consistent, above-average stuff, outstanding movement and great control. He should be a future all-star, if he is able to put it all together. -------- 4th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys:   OF Tadamichi Matsumoto (22/63) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. Another speedster, the native of Stratford has decent contact with great patience and some power. Defensively, he is best suited in left field, although he can play all outfield positions without embarrassing himself. -------- 5th Pick – Wolseley Unions:   SS George Kimpton (23/68) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 175 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. The Unions went with a Wolseley native in George Kimpton. Kimpton has little weaknesses to speak of – he projects to be a solid contact hitter with a good eye and great power. He is blessed with great speed and acceleration as well. Only his defense can be described as average. He is projected to be a proto-typical clean-up hitter. -------- 6th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals:   C Louis Wearne (23/71) – 22-years old; 6’-2”, 215 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. After trading their star catcher to the Kingston Pelicans earlier in the season, the Fort Richmond Generals take as their first pick a catcher from Kingston, Oxford. Wearne’s strength lies in his hitting ability – while he is projected to be an average contact hitter, he has all-star power potential and a great eye. Defensively he is merely average and his speed is non-existent. -------- 7th Pick – Stratford Barons:   RHP Stephen Tindall (20/75) – 19-years old; 5’-7”, 155 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. The Barons pick up a player who is projected to be a dynamic pitcher of the future. The 19-year old is blessed with great stuff, top-notch movement and really good command. He is aggressive and his breaking stuff will be hard to handle. He is a strike-out artist in the making. -------- 8th Pick – Cambria Cannons:   SS Clive Lanham (22/56) – 21-years old; 6’-1”, 185 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. For their pick, the Cannons went with Lanham, who is projected to be a decent although not great hitter with well-above average speed. Lanham should be an adequate fielder as well. -------- Here is the rest of the first round, selections 9-16: 9th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs: IF Derek Reed (21/66) – contact (35/65), gap power (35/55) and eye (25/35). 18-years old; 5’-8”, 160 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH. The Monarchs went with the kid from Balmoral in Derek Reed. Reed is a pure contact hitter but he could afford to improve his patience at the plate. Speed and power at not part of his game. Defensively, he is barely average, with 2B (40) considered his best position. He is viewed as a good influence on his teammates. -------- 10th Pick – Hespeler Stars: RHP Rodney Gabrielson (20/79) – stuff (35/45), movement (55/70) and control (25/55). 18-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; groundball tendency; 85-87 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH. The Stars went with the Downie native Rodney Gabrielson, a promising young starter with nice stuff (35/45), wonderful movement (55/70) and excellent control (25/55). Gabrielson has three main pitches: fastball (35/40), curveball (35/50) and changeup (20/25). -------- 11th Pick – Wellington Athletics: RHP Scott Wheeler(21/79) – stuff (35/45), movement (55/70) and control (30/50). 21-years old; 6’-5”, 210 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH. The first non-native player taken, Scott Wheeler of Leesburg, VA is another pitcher with above-average stuff (35/45), terrific movement (55/70) and solid control (30/50). However, he is projected to work out of the bullpen. His main pitchers are the cutter (45/50), curveball (35/50) and changeup (20/25). -------- 12th Pick – Queensland Eagles: C Éric Denis (23/77) – contact (45/70), gap power (40/55) and eye (35/50). 19-years old; 5’-10”, 180 lbs.; spray hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH. The Eagles pick up a catcher with outstanding contact and tremendous power potential, and with a little practice, could have very good plate discipline as well. Defensively, he is a capable catcher. Speed is not part of his repertoire, however. Denis, a native of Coquitlam, BC, is considered an introvert. -------- 13th Pick – Balmoral Giants: OF Javier Serrano (31/72) – contact (50/55), gap power (40/45) and eye (45/55). 23-years old; 5’-9”, 180 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits LH/Throws LH. A native of Ecatepec, Mexico, Serrano brings some solid offensive tools to his game: above-average contact, some extra-base power and a good eye. He is an above average runner and can play all three outfield positions: leftfied and rightfield (55); centerfield (65). -------- 14th Pick – Kingston Pelicans: 1B Dean Witherden (21/64) – contact (35/60), gap power (35/50) and eye (30/45). 19-years old; 6’-3”, 220 lbs.; pull hitter; Hits LH/Throws RH. For their pick, the Pelicans selected 19 year old Dean Witherden, a proto-typical first baseman: good contact and plus-plus power. He will need to work on his plate discipline though, as he has a tendency to swing at anything that comes near it. The Queensland native will also need to work on his defense, as it is very poor at the moment (40). An intense player, he does not take losing in stride. -------- 15th Pick – Brunswick Legends: IF Connor Parret (22/69) – contact (40/50), gap power (40/55) and eye (40/60). 19-years old; 5’-9”, 160 lbs.; pull hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH. The Legends took Connor Parret from Wellington, Perth. Parret is projected as a .240 hitter with good to very good power and a great eye. His greatest strength will be in base-stealing as he has tremendous speed and instincts. The scouts are not entirely sold on his defense, however. He has experience at playing at 2B (45), 3B (60) and SS (50). Parret also has a reputation of being difficult to coach and accept instruction. -------- 16th Pick – Embro Suns: RHP Domingas Frias (20/78) – stuff (35/40), movement (60/70) and control (30/60). 19-years old; 6’-4”, 200 lbs.; groundball tendency; 86-88 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH. The final pick of the first round hails from Brazil. The Suns selected Frias, a projected starter with nice stuff, really great movement and excellent control. He throws three pitches: fastball (35/40), sinker (45/50) and slider (30/40). He has a laid back personality who likes to boat in the offseason. --------
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-08-2017 at 11:48 PM. |
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04-14-2016, 02:11 PM
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#253 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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December 31, 1943
Looking Back: The 1938-39 Amateur Draft As I did last season for the initial 1937-38 Amateur Draft, I wanted to check in and see how the players selected in the first round of the 1938-39 Amateur Draft have fared in the United Leagues over the past five seasons. I went in with the same questions: Who’s living up to their promise? Who isn’t? And were there any ‘diamonds in the rough’ found in the later rounds? I’ve read anecdotal claims that subsequent amateur drafts in OOTP are not as strong as the initial one, and glancing over this class, I’m inclined to agree. There are no Babe Ruth or Satchel Paige Award winners to be found in this class, at least not yet. But again, not all drafts are nor should be created equal. So an additional benefit to this annual exercise will be to gauge strength and depth of each draft class. But there’s no question, that the quality of this class is a step below from the previous one. I may also have to wait longer than 5 seasons before passing judgement on a particular draft class, if subsequent draft classes are similar to this one. Here are the top 3 position players taken in the 1938-39 Draft, based on their careers thus far:  RF Carlton Broadbent – 3rd overall pick originally by the Braeland City Monarchs. Career: .302/.371/.501, 667 H, 162-2B, 20-3B, 79 HR, 370 RBI, 347 R, 251 BB, 210 K, 11 SB, 143 OPS+, 143 wRC+, 16.0 WAR. Achievements: • Three All-Star Game selections: 1941-42, 1942-43, 1943-44; • Finished 2nd in the 1942-43 Western League Babe Ruth Award voting. What the original scouting report said: “The 20-year old Broadbent projects to be an offensive powerhouse; a plus contact hitter combined with elite power potential and good plate discipline. He should also acquit himself fine in the field.” Comments: The Monarchs traded Broadbent to the Balmoral Giants a few months after drafting him for LHP David Cooling, which has proven to be a fairly equitable trade thus far. But Broadbent has improved with each passing season and has seen his gap power and home run power surpass initial expectations. He and SS Francisco Rodríguez have formed a really good one-two punch in the heart of the Giants’ lineup since 1940 with Broadbent just having turned 26 on December 23. He is also durable – his six weeks on the DL last season for an elbow strain was the first time he was out of the lineup for any length of time. Broadbent, in my view, has proven to be the best player selected from this class thus far. --------  IF Wenceslas Jasmim – 1st overall pick by the Pulberry Trolleys. Career: .262/.316/.378, 779 H, 147-2B, 51-3B, 16 HR, 302 RBI, 375 R, 240 BB, 333 K, 59 SB, 89 OPS+, 95 wRC+, 15.2 WAR Achievements: • One All-Star Game selection: 1942-43; • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1942-43. What the original scouting report said: “Jasmim’s strengths are his ability to hit for good contact, his speed on the base paths and his tremendous defense.” Comments: Jasmin has been a solid, if not a superlative player since his second full season in the ULB in 1940-41. His defensive game is sound, whether a SS, 2B or his current position 1B. He just hasn’t been quite outstanding enough to win a Top Fielder Award, however. Offensively, he has been below average as his OPS+ and wRC career metrics would indicate. But last season saw a breakthrough, as Jasmin finished above average (111 OPS+, 120 wRC+) offensively, earning him a spot on the All-Braeland Team. This season sees that trend continue with the Cambria Cannons. If it continues in the ensuing seasons, then Jasmin may begin to justify his first overall selection. --------  OF Jon Moreau – 4th overall pick originally by the Wolseley Unions. Career: .281/.317/.421, 361 H, 83-2B, 24-3B, 16 HR, 158 RBI, 173 R, 69 BB, 86 K, 11 SB, 109 OPS+, 111 wRC+, 7.3 WAR Achievements: • Two All-Star Game selections: 1942-43, 1943-44; • One Top Fielder Award: 1942-43 (CF); • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1942-43. What the original scouting report said: “The French Canadian’s main strengths will be his above average speed and outstanding defense in center field. He has the potential to be a .290 hitter and may hit 15 home runs a season down the road. But he will need to work on his plate discipline to capitalize on his potential.” Comments: Moreau makes this list primarily based on his the 1942-43 season, his first with the Queensland Eagles. After spending a couple of seasons adjusting to the majors, the Unions gave up on him and shipped him to Queensland for a mediocre pitcher and a second round prospect. But I digress. Moreau found his groove last season, earning 5.8 WAR alone with great offense and tremendous defense. Now it remains to be seen if he can maintain that high level in the ensuring seasons. -------- Biggest Draft Disappointment At this point, all 16 players selected in the first round of the 1938-39 Amateur Draft have reached the major league level. But a couple of players are having trouble making it stick. One player can be singled out.  IF/OF Henry Yarnold – 9th overall pick originally by the Hespeler Stars. Career: .266/.307/.347, 331 H, 70-2B, 5-3B, 7 HR, 125 RBI, 131 R, 74 BB, 158 K, 5 SB, 80 OPS+, 79 wRC+, 4.2 WAR The ninth selection in the Amateur Draft has not been kind to the team making the selection, as this is the second consecutive season that the ‘biggest draft disappointment’ is found in this spot. But it didn’t appear that way at first. Yarnold enjoyed a promising rookie season with the Stars, batting .307/.330/.419 in 101 games with steady defense, compiling 2.4 WAR. But then Yarnold severely regressed over the next two seasons and now finds himself toiling in AAA. In my opinion, he definitely deserves another chance at the major league level. But his ratings have fallen since he was first drafted and it appears that the Hespeler Stars have lost confidence in him. But at just 26-years of age, there’s still time for Yarnold to salvage his career. -------- Diamond in the Rough  OF Harry Chatwin – 55th overall pick (round 4, pick 7) by the Brunswick Legends Career: .266/.342/.370, 325 H, 52-2B, 13-3B, 16 HR, 108 RBI, 194 R, 138 BB, 57 K, 100 OPS+, 108 wRC+, 7.6 WAR Achievements: • Won the 1941-42 Eastern League Rookie of the Year Award; • One All-Star Game selection: 1941-42. Chatwin made steady progress in the minors following his selection and earned a starting job in centerfield in 1941-42. He showed that he was ready for the majors by batting .271/.349/.396 in 143 games. He was strong on defense and led the Eastern League in steals, compiling 4.2 WAR in his rookie season. He won Rookie of the Year honours and made the all-star team. He also helped the Legends win the United Cup that season as well as the next. But he has not matched the success of his initial season; in fact he has regressed. But that could be marked down to simply suffering from a sophomore slump and a month-long injury early in his third season. At just 25-years of age, there’s still plenty of time for Mr. Chatwin to return to his early form. -------- Random Notes on the 1938-39 Draft Class: • The same season that ‘Diamond in the Rough’ Harry Chatwin won the Eastern League Rookie of the Year Award, Balmoral Giants’ C Brian Pittman won the Western League Rookie of the Year Award. Pittman (85th overall pick) was himself selected as the 1937-38 ‘Diamond in the Rough’ pick for his respective draft class. • Two players selected in the draft later left the ULB to serve in the Braeland Armed Forces: 5th overall pick SS Steven Wormleighton (.278/.318/.367, 91 OPS+, 13.5 WAR) and 8th overall pick 2B Jamie Florey (.276/.367/.389, 113 OPS+, 7.2 WAR). • The Balmoral Giants must have really liked this draft class, as no less than six players from the first round are currently on their 25-man roster, acquired mostly in trades. In addition to Carlton Broadbent noted above, the other five are: - OF Damon Purcell (2nd overall pick by Balmoral, two-time all-star), - C Allen Cattanach (6th overall pick by the Cambria Cannons, one Top Fielder Award), - OF Ramón Tavira (7th overall pick by the Brunswick Legends), - LHP Ah-cy Yao (10th overall pick by the Embro Suns), and - RHP Ramón Ortíz (15th overall pick by the Wellington Athletics).
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-08-2017 at 11:51 PM. |
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04-15-2016, 05:54 AM
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#254 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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January 11, 1944
1944 All-Star Game: The West is Best  -------- Cambria, Oxford (BP) – The Western League got back into the win column today, winning their first All-Star Game in four seasons. The seventh annual United Leagues All-Star Game was held at Alexander Field in Cambria. Despite a steady rain and a fresh 21-mph wind blowing in from right field, the game went off without any delays and the stadium was packed with over 24,700 braving the elements. Kingston’s RHP Joey Cumberledge started for the Westerners, while Stratford’s LHP Joel Fearn took the mound for the Eastern League. Top of the 1st: The Eastern League gets their lone run of the game early. After C Kane Broom and SS Gary Watkinson single with one out to put runners on first and second, a wild pitch during 1B Jim Friend’s subsequent at-bat move the runners up. Friend then hits into a 6-3 groundout, scoring Broom. Eastern All-Stars 1 – Western All-Stars 0 Bottom of the 2nd: After getting two quick outs, Joel Fearn surrenders four consecutive singles to LF Jayden Tennant, 2B Mo Symes, RHP Joey Cumberledge and CF Zak Kidd. Cumberledge’s single scores Tennant and Kidd re-loads the bases. But Fearn gets 3B Otton Overbeek to pop-up (F3) to limit the damage. Eastern All-Stars 1 – Western All-Stars 1 Bottom of the 4th: Embro’s RHP Oscar Burress takes the mound to start the inning and quickly runs into trouble. Burress immediately surrenders back-to-back singles to 1B Fergus Chitty and Jayden Tennant. Mo Symes follows with a double, scoring both Chitty and Tennant before the Eastern League can record their first out. Eastern All-Stars 1 – Western All-Stars 3 Bottom of the 6th: Embro’s RHP Colm Soper starts the inning for the Eastern League, and like Joe Fearn back in the second inning, Soper gets two quick outs. But Soper then surrenders back-to-back walks to 3B Terry Maxwell and PH Clint Jones. PH Rizalino Ringor, appearing in his first all-star game, singles in Maxwell for the Western League’s fourth and final run. The Easteners are unable to mount any sort of rally in the remaining innings, ending their 3-game winning streak. Eastern All-Stars 1 – Western All-Stars 4 Kingston’s Jayden Tennant won Player of the Game honours, going 2-3 with 2 R. -------- Here are the complete All-Star rosters:   -------- Here are the standings as of January 11:  
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-08-2017 at 11:53 PM. |
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05-02-2016, 05:00 PM
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#255 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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After 9 'glorious' years of Vista, I finally got a new computer with Windows 10 last Friday. OOTP16 and my league appear to have survived the changeover just fine (thankfully). I also got a 2-TB WD Passport for backup purposes. Now I just need to make sure I use it!
--------------------------------------- February 1, 1944 Eastern League: Legends Embark on a ‘Dynasty’    A League that was once dominated by the Embro Suns and Brunswick Legends over the past couple of years appeared poised to see a changing of the guard in the early going of the season. But while the Suns have continued to struggle, the Legends have battled their way back into contention. All-in-all, four teams appear to be in contention at this point in the East, hopefully setting up an exciting final run for the playoffs. --------  The Stratford Barons remain the standard-bearers in the East and enjoy a 5-game cushion while holding down top spot. But they cannot afford to let their guard down, as three other teams remain within striking distance. Six Barons were invited to the All-star game: LHP Ryan Borden (3rd appearance), LHP Joel Fearn (5th), RHP Donn Griffin (1st), 1B Don Adkins (3rd), 2B Maurice Keyworth (1st), and SS Jake Walker (5th). Offense: .270/.344/.365 (2nd/2nd/3rd); Pitching: 2.86/2.76/3.60 (1st/1st/6th – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA); Defense: .690 (6th). Top Position Player: 32-year old 1B Don Adkins (.300/.397/.573, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 38 R, 46 BB) leads the Eastern League in homeruns and is enjoying the best season of his career. In 1941-42, he finished with 2.9 WAR in 139 games. After 84 games this season, he already has 2.9 WAR. Top Pitcher: The Barons’ rotation has been outstanding this season, boasting three current all-stars. But 33- year old LHP Joel Fearn (14-4, 1.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) has just been sensational. His previous best season was in 1941-42, when he went 25-8, 2.61 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.89 FIP, 8.3 WAR, 152 ERA+ and finished second in the EL Satchel Paige Award voting. But this season, he is sporting a 2.45 FIP, 6.2 WAR and 242 ERA+ with still two months two go. Key Injuries: 39-year old LHP Raúl Lucero (0-1, 2 SV, 5.71 ERA, 1.85 WHIP) strained his thigh back on December 1. He is out 4 more weeks. 24-year old C Geoff Lemoine (.270/.374/.345, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 21 R, 46 BB) suffered an undisclosed injury on January 31. He will miss 2-3 weeks. The scuttlebutt is that he injured himself while attempting to tear a phonebook in half. Key Trade: January 30 with the Downie Chiefs. To Stratford – 25-year old RHP Willem Dowling (67/67 – 2-7, 3.05 ERA, 1.52 WHIP). To Downie – two minor league players: • 19-year old IF Ethan Morrall (22/44) and • 20-year old SS Dan Hoskins (21/27). Knee-jerk reaction: The bullpen is the one notable area of weakness for Stratford, and with the venerable 42-year old RHP Larry Parrish (3-7, 5 SV, 4.42 ERA, 2.02 WHIP) finally showing his age, the Barons made a move to try and shore things up. Dowling will never be a shut-down option from the bullpen – his stuff is merely average and he tends to work up high pitch counts leading to a lot of walks. It remains to be seen if he can be more effective on a playoff caliber team. In return, Downie receives a couple of potential platoon players whose strengths are both defense and speed. But neither of them will make a dent in the Chiefs’ prospect pool.  --------  For the first time that I can recall in all my OOTP playing, a team has announced that they have set their team focus to ‘Build a Dynasty!’ – with an exclamation mark yet! I never knew that was an option (I was just aware of ‘rebuild’, ‘neutral’ or ‘win now’). Brunswick has won the United Cup the past two seasons, but has yet to finish first. A similar scenario is shaping up again as the Legends have stormed back into contention, a half game up on the Queensland Eagles. Both the offense and pitching have picked things up in that past couple of months, where the Brunswick Legends have won 34 games, second best in the ULB. If they keep it up, then they just may challenge the Barons for first. The Legends sent 5 representatives to the All-star game: LHP Mathew Monroe (5th), LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (4th), RHP Luke Woodward (1st), SS Matthew Shelley (4th), and RF Mark Elston (5th). Offense: .268/.340/.373 (3rd/3rd/2nd); Pitching: 3.09/2.98/4.10 (2nd/2nd/7th); Defense: .695 (5th). Top Position Player: 29-year old SS Matthew Shelley (.337/.339/.470, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 35 R, 35 BB) has been simply outstanding for the Legends this season and leads the entire United Leagues in batting average. But the Legends also got a boost from recently acquired LF Terry Aspden (.270/.362/.422, 8 HR, 54 RBI, 59 R, 57 BB, 5 SB), who came alive in January, winning Batter of the Month honours. Top Pitcher: The rotation is firing on all cylinders right now, as ace LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (14-6, 2.09 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) and LHP Matthew Monroe (12-7, 2.99 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) won consecutive Pitcher of the Month honours in December/January. Key Injuries: RF Mark Elston (.285/.403/.457, 10 HR, 51 RBI, 50 R, 69 BB) strained a thigh on a defensive play back on January 30. He is out for 3 weeks. Key Trade #1: December 6 with the Wellington Athletics. To Brunswick – 25-year old RHP Luke Woodward (76/80 – 4-8, 12 SV, 2.78 ERA, 1.51 WHIP). To Wellington – four minor league players: • 21-year old RHP Finlay Capstick (26/78); • 20-year old OF Martín García (22/23); • 20-year old OF Francisco Fernández (22/46) and • 21-year old OF Atamu Apekaloma (22/30). Knee-jerk reaction: Oh, look – its Woodward, again. But this time it appears Woodward has finally settled in to being a reliable relief pitcher and is enjoying his best season, qualifying for his first all-star appearance and leading the Eastern League in saves. But that still did not stop the Athletics from unloading him for the second time (it’s the seventh trade that Woodward has been involved with). For Brunswick, they get a relief pitcher that appears to have finally found his game and that can help shore up a sore area for the Legends. Meanwhile, Wellington gets a young promising relief pitcher in Capstick, a former second rounder from 1940-41. He combines great stuff and excellent control with OK movement. The fact that he is a popular player among teammates also doesn’t hurt.  Key Trade #2: January 18 with the Queensland Eagles. To Brunswick – 29-year old OF Terry Aspden (68/70). To Queensland – two minor league players: • 20-year old OF Elton Limby (22/51) and • 20-year old IF Sze Fang (23/49). Knee-jerk reaction: Aspden, who was with the Eagles since Day 1, started off slowly this year, and it appears that was the signal for Queensland to cut ties, even though he still qualified for the all-star game. The Eagles have a couple of young promising outfielders in 22-year old Héctor García and former first-round pick 22-year old Marcus Maundrell to step in, but it remains to be seen if they can replace Aspden’s production right away. Brunswick meanwhile is obviously in a ‘win-now’ mode and are benefitting tremendously from Aspden’s hot streak that began in January. The Legends may not have a farm system to speak of at the moment (they have absolutely no prospects to speak), but that’s not exactly their top priority. They want to win now, and Aspden is doing just that.  --------  The Queensland Eagles remained competitive as December and January wore on, but with the resurgence of Brunswick, the Eagles find themselves a half-game back of the wildcard. They also took a gamble in trading established all-star Terry Aspden to those very same Legends. How foolhardy a move that was depends on how Queensland’s young prospects can adjust to the major league level and whether the Eagles were really interested in making the playoffs this year. Queensland sent 6 players to the All-star game: RHP Francisco López (1st), RHP Pi-ao Quian (1st), C Elijah Sheppard (1st), LF Terry Aspden (5th), and CF Jon Moreau (2nd) and RF Aaron Flanagan (3rd). Offense: .262/.325/.354 (4th/6th/4th); Pitching: 3.17/3.01/4.56 (4th/6th/8th); Defense: .699 (4th). Top Position Player: Although he has slowed down some – just like the rest of the team – C Elijah Sheppard (.279/.329/.434, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 44 R, 25 BB), continues to set the pace, despite being a rookie. His play has so pleased the Eagles that they went ahead and unloaded veteran C Dave Wilson to Cambria (more on that in the Cambria section). Top Pitcher: Although Queensland’s pitching has cooled down a little, there was still some solid efforts. 36-year old RHP Steward Colcott (12-10, 3.46 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) bounced back from a rough November (1-5, 5.62 ERA) to go 7-3, 2.66 in Dec/Jan. 4th starter, 22-year old RHP Okura Suzuki (8-8, 2.81 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) went 3-1, 1.69 ERA in five starts in January. Key Injuries: 30-year old RF Aaron Flanagan (.271/.375/.399, 5 HR, 40 RBI, 39 R, 48 BB) tore his knee joint while running the bases back on January 20. He is out 3 more weeks. --------  Lost in the battle between the pace-setting Stratford Barons and surging Brunswick Legends, are the Braeland City Monarchs who have quietly put together one of the most balanced teams in the East this year. While their pitching got off to a slow start, it has become a strength in the past two months to nicely compliment the top performing offense. If the pitching continues to improve, the Monarchs may find themselves closing that 3 game gap between themselves and the wildcard. But that means trying to overcome a red-hot Brunswick team, which appears easier said than done. Five Monarchs were selected to play in this year’s All-star game: C Kane Broom (4th), 1B Dean Bishop (1st), 2B Trevor Bolen (2nd), SS Adam Ashley (5th), and CF Scott Kessler (5th). Offense: .278/.344/.384 (1st/1st/1st); Pitching: 3.42/3.46/2.96 (4th/4th/2nd); Defense: .699 (3rd). Top Position Player: 29-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.326/.427/.518, 14 HR, 79 RBI, 57 R, 67 BB) is having by far his best season in the United Leagues and won his second Batter of the Month Award in December. Bishop leads the Eastern League in 9 offensive categories and is having a solid season defensively as well. He has already earned 5.1 WAR this season with two months to go. His previous best was 4.1 WAR in 1939-40. It’s no surprise that he is rated the top first baseman in the ULB. Top Pitcher: The good news for Braeland City is that their pitching has really improved over December/January to help them stay relevant. Leading the resurgence is LHP David Cooling (13-9, 3.54 ERA, 1.27 WHIP), LHP Max MacColl (12-9, 3.58 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) and RHP Lenny Freke (11-8, 2.86 ERA, 1.25 WHIP). Over the past two months, Cooling went 8-1, 1.50 ERA; MacColl 6-4, 2.56 ERA and Freke 6-3, 1.66 ERA. Key Injuries: 2B Trevor Bolen (.308/.337/.449, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 47 R, 12 BB, 9 SB) fractured his hand on a defensive play back on December 14. He is out a further 3 weeks. --------  The second division in the Eastern League is currently led by the Wellington Athletics who have begun their rebuilding process and strengthen their farm system. They’ve made a few trades already (including one worth commenting on) and have a few more players on the trading block. In the midst of it all, the offense has picked up a bit in December and January while the pitching has leveled off. But the defense remains top-notch. Three Athletics participated in this year’s All-star game: LHP Clyde Boney (6th), C Dylan Watkins (6th), and 1B Keane Fysh (5th). Offense: .261/.326/.336 (5th/5th/7th); Pitching: 3.55/3.68/2.55 (5th/5th/1st); Defense: .706 (1st). Top Position Player: 32-year old 3B Ryley McLarnon (.265/.300/.382, 3 HR, 46 RBI, 39 R, 18 BB, 12 SB) started off slowly this season, but got it going in January, batting .311/.360/.425. But it’s his defense at the hot corner that has really shined (3.28 RNG, +11.1 ZR, 1.064 EFF) and gives him the nod; especially since C Dylan Watkins was traded to Embro. Top Pitcher: The rotation cooled off over the past couple of months, after starting the season strong. Bucking that trend though was 5th starter 29-year old RHP Craig Martin (8-9, 3.54 ERA, 1.45 WHIP). After starting the season 0-8, 5.25 ERA, Martin went 8-1, 2.13 ERA in Dec/Jan. That included his first career shut-out, a 1-0 victory over the Cobourg Red Stockings on January 3. Martin gave up 6 hits with 3 K and 3 BB. A minor league signing back in 1939, Martin spent 3 and half seasons in the minors before being called up to Wellington late last season. Key Injuries: RF Spencer Marsland (.245/.295/.306, 7-2B, 12 RBI, 39 R, 19 BB, 11 SB) tore a finger tendon back on December 20. He is out 7 more weeks. Key Trade: January 12 with the Embro Suns. To Embro – 33-year old C Dylan Watkins (63/63 – .277/.319/.385, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 35 R, 27 BB). To Wellington – three minor league players: • 22-year old RHP Arthur Collier (33/77); • 18-year old C Stuart Waycott (21/45) and • 23-year old RHP Edward Skerrett (20/24). Knee-jerk reaction: Watkins is a 6-time all-star and has been a reliable backstop for the Athletics. But with Wellington in the midst of a rebuild, the club handed catching duties to their young prospect 23-year old C Mick Gunnis, a second-round pick from 1940-41. Watkins is the upgrade that Embro has been searching for, but it’s debatable how much of a difference he can make with a team where nothing has gone right this year. Wellington receives a quality reliever prospect in Collier and a hum-drum young catcher in Waycott. The return is a little underwhelming for an established star like Watkins in my opinion.  --------  The Cobourg Red Stockings’ flirtation with first place in the East earlier this season seems like a distant memory, as the Red Stockings have faded to 6th place. While the pitching has improved somewhat, the offense cooled off in Dec/Jan. But Cobourg has top-tier talent in the lineup. Three 1st-overall picks are currently on their 25-man roster: SS John Medley (.219/.230/.297), 3B Shelby Cain (.268/.332/.398) and 2B Alexander Tolmie (.291/.342/.433), who are all in various stages of progress. If they and Cobourg’s other youngsters can catch fire, then the Red Stockings will be one of the most dynamic offense teams in the United Leagues. But for all their young talent in the lineup, they are short on pitching prospects which could hold them back if they don’t address the issue soon. 3B Shelby Cain (1st) was Cobourg’s lone representative to this year’s all-star game. Offense: .261/.310/.350 (6th/7th/5th); Pitching: 3.93/4.04/3.21 (8th/8th/4th); Defense: .690 (7th). Top Position Player: Cain’s selection to the all-star game notwithstanding, Cobourg’s best player overall has so far been C Neil Voigt (.291/.336/.393, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 29 R, 22 BB) Cain has been up-and-down this season. If he could produce more consistently, then he will easily become one of the ULB’s most dynamic and exciting young players. Top Pitcher: Not much to choose from, as no pitcher has performed consistently the past two months. I’ll go with RHP Pedro Gómez (8-10, 3.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) again, as he was terrific in December (2-2, 1.97 ERA). Gómez pitched a 5-hit shut-out on December 31 against the Downie Chiefs, with 3 K and 1 BB. No doubt he would benefit immensely from an offense that was even just a little bit more consistent. Key Injuries: None. Noteworthy: He’s still trying to get his bearings, but 1st overall pick 22-year old SS John Medley (.219/.230/.297, 7-2B, 16 RBI, 15 R, 4 BB, 15 SB) had a couple of nice outings to take note off, both against the Embro Suns. On November 22, he went 4-5 with 1 RBI and 1 R. On January 19, he also went 4-5 with 3 RBI and 2 R. --------  The Embro Suns are an enigma. They sent seven players to the all-star game, more than any team in the East and yet are sinking further into irrelevance, winning just 9 games in January. That is not an aberration, as it was the second time they won fewer than 10 games in a month this season. They haven’t stood pat either, acquiring quality players like C Dylan Watkins, 3B Britt Wing and RHP Oscar Burress in trades. But all to no avail. The Suns are just 3.5 games out of last place in the East, something unthinkable as recent as last season. Things certainly haven’t gone their way, as their Pyt. Record is 52-52, a difference of 8 games, the most of any team in the ULB. (The Fort Richmond Generals stand at -4 and the Balmoral Giants are a +6). Seven Suns were invited to the All-star game: RHP Oscar Burress (6th), RHP John Palm (6th), RHP Colm Soper (6th), 1B Jim Friend (5th), SS Gary Watkinson (5th), LF Charles Usherwood (1st) and CF Terence Durney (7th). Offense: .258/.331/.347 (7th/4th/6th); Pitching: 3.81/3.87/3.34 (6th/6th/5th); Defense: .686 (8th). Top Position Player: 1B Jim Friend (.289/.365/.446, 12 HR, 70 RBI, 65 R, 52 BB) has picked things up in the past few months to be Embro’s top offensive player, but this season has been a step down from his established level of excellence. Embro sure would like to see him and some of his other teammates find their groove again. One bright spot was rookie 2B José Sánchez, who has been called up from AAA a couple of times this season, but enjoyed more playing time in January and responded by winning the Rookie of the Month Award. Top Pitcher: The Suns are not regretting the trade they made to get RHP Oscar Burress (13-8, 2.75 ERA, 1.20 WHIP). He has been their most consistent starter and went 4-1, 2.40 ERA in December. Key Injuries: Kian Meadmore (.239/.323/.364, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 10 R, 11 BB) broke his hand in a collision back on November 1. He could be back in 4 days. 31-year old RHP Chris Sappington (6-6, 4.01 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) tore his shoulder joint while pitching in a game back on December 18. He is gone 2-3 more months. --------  Unlike the Embro Suns, there is no mystery as to why the Downie Chiefs are struggling. They are simply not a very good team, but they are young and are gathering prospects to hopefully improve their fortunes in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, times will be lean. Two Chiefs participated in this year’s All-star game: 3B Elliot Tugby (1st) and RF Ricardo Castellanos (2nd). Offense: .247/.301/.321 (8th/8th/8th); Pitching: 3.83/3.94/3.19 (7th/7th/3rd); Defense: .702 (2nd). Top Position Player: The two all-stars for Downie are far and away the Chiefs’ best players. 24-year old RF Ricardo Castellanos (.296/.351/.414, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 42 R, 30 BB, 8 SB) and 25-year old 3B Elliot Tugby (.277/.341/.372, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 41 R, 35 BB, 15 SB) are tied for the team lead with 3.3 WAR. No one has more than 1.5 WAR, including pitchers. Tugby, in particular, is having another Top Fielder Award-worthy season (3.13 RNG, +12.5 ZR, 1.067 EFF). Top Pitcher: The choices are underwhelming, but 32-year old RHP Reece Abberley (9-13, 3.44 ERA, 1.29 WAR) is now considered Downie’s top starter. After going 1-4, 4.38 ERA in Decmeber, Abberley bounced back in January (3-3, 2.19 ERA). After starting off fairly strong, RHP Darwin Monday (10-12, 3.97 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) had a forgetful December (2-5, 6.50 ERA). But he too bounced back in January (2-2, 3.14 ERA). Key Injuries: None. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-09-2017 at 12:00 AM. |
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05-08-2016, 08:11 PM
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#256 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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February 1, 1944
Western League: The Kingdom of Kingston    The Kingston Pelicans continue to set the bar for excellence, not just in the Western League, but for the entire ULB. The Pelicans are simply dominating every facet of the game: offense, pitching and defense. Their 1.5 runs per game differential (5.0 R/G scored, 3.5 R/G allowed) well illustrates their dominance. The next best run differential is 0.5 runs, shared by three teams: the Hespeler Stars, Stratford Barons and the Brunswick Legends. It’s hard to keep pace with a team that is on tear like that. And there is no sign of them slowing down. --------  Nine Pelicans were selected for the All-star game in January: RHP Joey Cumberledge (7th), RHP Francis Slocock (5th), RHP Luis Velásquez (1st), C Danny Trowbridge (3rd), 1B Fergus Chitty (7th), 2B Mo Symes (7th), 3B Terry Maxwell (2nd), SS Katsunan Chikafuji (7th) and LF Jayden Tennant (7th). Offense: .282/.353/.402 (3rd/2nd/2nd); Pitching: 3.12/3.19/2.56 (1st/1st/2nd – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA); Defense: .704 (1st). Top Position Player: 28-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.315/.383/.482, 13 HR, 76 RBI, 75 R, 43 BB) has been just sensational this year, and won the January Batter of the Month Award for his efforts. Top Pitcher: 34-year old RHP Francis Slocock (18-4, 2.11 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) has been outstanding on a very strong rotation. He won Pitcher of the Month honours in December. Key Injuries: 39-year old RHP Simon Chell (0-3, 3 SV, 4.88 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) tore an elbow ligament while pitching back on January 24. He is out 6 more months. --------  The Giants sent five players to the all-star game: C Brian Pittman (1st), 3B Otton Overbeek (2nd), SS Francisco Rodríguez (4th), CF Damon Purcell (2nd) and RF Carlton Broadbent (3rd). Offense: .292/.353/.404 (1st/1st/1st); Pitching: 3.87/3.90/3.71 (6th/5th/6th); Defense: .698 (3rd). Top Position Player: No shortages of great performances on offense, as the Giants lead the Western League in 6 offensive categories. While RF Carlton Broadbent (.316/.409/.525, 18 HR, 72 RBI, 68 R, 61 BB) won Batter of the Month honours in December, I'll go with SS Francisco Rodríguez (.317/.364/.433, 3 HR, 61 RBI, 65 R, 33 BB) who leads the team in WAR (4.7). In addition to great offense, Rodríguez has been getting it done defensively as well (.967 PCT, 4.96 RNG, +12.0 ZR, 1.048 EFF). Top Pitcher: Unfortunately, RHP Derek Cawley (12-10, 3.36 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) regressed in December and January, sporting ERAs of 4.15 and 5.48 respectively and missed his chance of earning his first all-star selection. But No. 2 starter RHP Tristan Purss (13-9, 3.22 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) picked up the slack, going 6-1, 3.66 ERA in December and winning January's Pitcher of the Month Award. Key Injuries: None. --------  Four Stars were selected to this year’s all-star game: LHP Jake Osmotherley (1st), LHP Carlton Sherrell (2nd), LHP Phil Wiebe (1st) and C Aaron Skidmore (3rd). Offense: .261/.330/.366 (7th/7th/6th); Pitching: 3.36/3.44/2.89 (2nd/3rd/4th); Defense: .702 (2nd). Top Position Player: The struggling offense got a shot in the arm from newcomer 25-year old 2B Quinlevan Goldfinch (.312/.368/.405, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 44 R, 26 BB) who came on strong in December and January, batting .376 and .337 respectively. Goldfinch batted .234 and .269 in October/November. Top Pitcher: Like Derek Cawley of Balmoral. 35-year old RHP Brendon De san miguel (12-6, 3.58 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) stumbled badly in December (1-4, 5.24 ERA) and missed the opportunity to appear in his first all-star game. He did recover in January, however (2-1, 2.81 ERA). Overall, 25-year old LHP Carlton Sherrell (10-8, 2.33, 1.32 WHIP) has been Hespeler's best pitcher this season. In January, he went 3-2, 1.80 ERA. Key Injuries: LHP Gavin Hewat (3-3, 1.98 ERA, 116 WHIP) injured himself while pitching back on November 17. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is out 7-8 more weeks. 23-year old LF Marcus Peyto (.250/.321/.361, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 26 R, 23 BB) tore a finger tendon on a defensive play back on December 8. He is out for another two months. --------  Four Tigers were selected to the all-star game: LHP Max Littler (1st), LHP Daniel Pierson (2nd), RHP Roberto Taváres (1st) and RF Francis Pynchon (2nd). Offense: .272/.344/.365 (5th/4th/7th); Pitching: 3.54/3.39/4.77 (3rd/2nd/8th); Defense: .691 (6th). Top Position Player: 29-year old RF Francis Pynchon (.321/.373/.504, 13 HR, 71 RBI, 65 R, 34 BB) has continued his hot play this season. December saw him hit .375/.430/.614. Top Pitcher: The Tigers enjoy two starting pitchers currently ranked in the top 20. But while RHP Roberto Taváres (11-9, 4.06 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) struggled in December and January, LHP Daniel Pierson (11-9, 2.54 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) has had no such problems. His ERA in January was 2.88, his highest mark thus far. Key Injuries: None. --------  Wolseley sent four players to the all-star game: RHP Aaron Saunderson (2nd), 3B Fernando Gómez (1st), LF Zak Kidd (4th) and RF Rizalino Ringor (1st). Offense: .261/.327/.371 (8th/8th/4th); Pitching: 3.79/3.88/3.21 (5th/4th/5th); Defense: .690 (7th). Top Position Player: Despite his tender age, 21-year old RF Rizalino Ringor (.300/.392/.469, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 69 R, 55 BB, 23 SB) is playing like a seasoned professional and picked up his third Rookie of the Month honour for January. He is second in the United Leagues in stolen bases, behind Pulberry's Yoshino Ito. Ringor has also greatly improved his defense in right field (.961 PCT, 2.03 RNG, +5.4 ZR, 1.044 EFF). Top Pitcher: Alarmingly, RHP Aaron Saunderson (11-9, 3.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) saw his ERA shoot up in December and January (4.20/4.28), but he is still Wolseley's top pitcher. Key Injuries: Free agent rookie 28-year old 2B Oscar Agnolutto (.336/.381/.434, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 14 R, 10 BB) fractured his calf bone while running the bases back on November 22. He is out a further 6-7 weeks. --------  Three players represented the Trolleys at the most recent all-star game: RHP Patrick Tennant (1st), 2B Colin Strudwick (2nd) and LF Bruno Lapthorne (1st). Offense: .288/.347/.394 (2nd/3rd/3rd); Pitching: 4.29/4.30/4.25 (7th/7th/7th); Defense: .695 (5th). Top Position Player: 23-year old LF Bruno Lapthorne (.312/.348/.479, 9 HR, 63 RBI, 53 R, 25 BB, 19 SB) is currently leading the team in WAR, thanks in part to an outstanding January (.362/.391/.629) and great defense (.911 PCT, 2.40 RNG, +9.7 ZR, 1.073 EFF). Top Pitcher: RHP Patrick Tennant (12-5, 3.22 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) continues to lead the way for a pitching staff that is struggling for some consistency. Key Injuries: None. --------  Cambria sent three players to the all-star game: RHP Carl Luscombe (2nd), IF/OF Clint Jones (5th) and LF Nicky Willis (4th). Offense: .263/.331/.367 (6th/6th/5th); Pitching: 3.75/3.99/2.44 (4th/6th/1st); Defense: .695 (4th). Top Position Player: In this trying year for Cambria, the versatile IF/OF Clint Jones (.296/.358/.433, 12 HR, 62 RBI, 54 R, 41 BB, 4 SB) has seen action at seven positions this season and leads his teammates in WAR (3.3) by a healthy margin. Top Pitcher: Despite RHP Bradley Dodson (6-3, 2.79 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) solid play, the Cannons designated him for assignment and placed him on waivers back on January 4. He now finds himself toiling in AAA. The rest of the staff have not been very consistent. Case in point is 30-year old Jin-man Kim (7-14, 4.64 ERA, 1.54 WHIP). In December, he went 4-1, 2.38 ERA; in January, he went 0-5, 5.13 ERA. Key Injuries: 26-year old RF Ron Westmacott (.275/.378/.443, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 22 BB) injured himself in a collision at a base back on November 28. The diagnosis is brain fever. He is expected to miss three more months. 24-year old C Bob Spivey (.286/.346/.350, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 15 R, 14 BB) strained a rib cage muscle while running the bases back on January 26. He is out a further 3 weeks. Noteworthy: CF Brian Cosey went 5-5 with 3-2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI and 3 R back on December 20, against the Wolseley Unions. The Cannons won 12-7.  --------  2B Shaun Attenborough (1st) was Fort Richmond’s lone representative to this year’s all-star game. Offense: .276/.331/.353 (4th/5th/8th); Pitching: 4.38/4.66/2.81 (8th/8th/3rd); Defense: .678 (8th). Top Position Player: 26-year old C Heung-su Park (.301/.341/.427, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 27 R, 14BB) may make the loss of C Danny Trowbridge a little easier to take, as the former 7th overall pick from 1940-41 has settled into the No. 4 spot in the lineup just nicely and now leads the team in WAR (1.8), however modest that total may be. Top Pitcher: It appears the three year experiment of using 24-year old Dean Stroud (0-3, 3 SV, 1.56 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) as a starting pitcher has failed, as he went 26-42, 4.37 ERA over that stretch. Now back in the bullpen, Stroud is faring much better and is easily Fort Richmond’s best pitcher this season. Key Injuries: 24-year old RF Gavin Bansfield (.312/.353/.416, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB, 4 SB) suffered a swollen disc on a defensive play back on November 12. He is expected to miss 3-4 months. RF Al Tucker (.287/.370/.343, 8-2B, 5 RBI, 13 R, 18 BB) tore a knee ligament while running along the base paths back on December 8. He is out 5 more months. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-09-2017 at 12:08 AM. |
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05-08-2016, 09:01 PM
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#257 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,469
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Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report |
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05-16-2016, 11:30 PM
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#258 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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March 29, 1944
Eastern League: Barons, Legends to Battle for Pennant    After a two-year absence, the Stratford Barons are returning to the playoffs. The Barons finished the season with a comfortable 9-game lead over their nearest rival, the Brunswick Legends. As for the Legends, they managed to return to defend their title as United Cup Champions. Brunswick has won the crown the past two seasons and once again find themselves as the wild card team. But this is not the once dominant franchise from the past few seasons, as they had to fend off both the Braeland City Monarchs and the Queensland Eagles for the final playoff spot in the East. --------  The Stratford Barons took over first place in the Eastern League back in November and never looked back. While the rest of the league was in flux, the Barons remained the standard bearer and was simply dominant on both sides of the ball. After winning the United Cup in 1940-41, the Barons missed the playoffs and the chance to defend their title in 1941-42 by a single game. Last season they fell to 6th place with a 76-78 record. At the time I felt that their window of opportunity was not quite closed, despite their struggles. This season they managed to put it all back together and take advantage of the struggle of others. Offense: .275/.346/.375 (1st/1st/1st); Pitching: 2.85/2.78/3.41 (1st/1st/5th – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA); Defense: .694 (5th). Top Position Player – Season: No shortage of top performances to choose from, but I’m going to go with 24-year old 2B Maurice Keyworth (.289/.337/.367, 3 HR, 50 RBI, 72 R, 42 BB, 26 SB, 4.4 WAR). The former 2nd round pick from 1940-41 is in his second year in the ULB and led his team in hits (172), total bases (219), singles (136), stolen bases and WAR. He was outstanding on defense as well (.990 PCT, 5.75 RNG, +14.2 ZR, 1.060 EFF). Top Pitcher – Season: Another difficult choice. I’ll go with another 24-year old in RHP Donn Griffin (15-6, 2.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 2.88 FIP) who won Pitcher of the Month honours in February. Griffin has emerged as a premier pitcher also in his second season. Griffin led his team in ERA, winning pct. (.714), K/9 IP (4.4), H/9 IP (7.1), Opponents AVG (.213), Opponents OPB (.267) Opponents SLG (.287), Opponents OPS (.555) and BABIP (.235). Whew. Key Injuries: Stratford’s only injury heading into the playoffs is to little used LF Ben Watson (.248/.302/.357, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 46 R, 29 BB, 7 SB, 0.4 WAR) who strained his oblique back on March 19 on a defensive play. He is out for 2 more weeks. --------  The Brunswick Legends' resurgence from December to the end of February (where they went 50-28) propelled the defending champs back into the playoffs and another chance to defend their title. But the Legends are not the dominant team they once were and recent injuries could impact their chances at returning to the United Cup for the third year in a row. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about this outfit, it’s that they should never be counted out. They know how to win the big games. But this season, they won’t have the Embro Suns to beat up in the Eastern Pennant series. They will be facing the Stratford Barons, who know what it takes to win it all as well. Offense: .267/.338/.366 (3rd/3rd/3rd); Pitching: 3.14/3.04/4.02 (3rd/3rd/8th); Defense: .693 (6th). Top Position Player – Season: There was no standout performance like there was last season when RF Mark Elston finished with 7.2 WAR, winning the Babe Ruth Award as well as the Triple Crown. But 30-year old SS Matthew Shelley (.298/.363/.407, 5 HR, 63 RBI, 69 R, 55 BB, 3.9 WAR) was a steady presence all season and enjoyed his best year since 1939-40. Top Pitcher – Season: The rotation was steady all season and was led by 27-year old ace LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (20-10, 2.39 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.84 FIP). Rodríguez led his club in a slew of pitching categories, including complete games (23) and ERA. Noteworthy: C Maurice Evans (.257/.342/.363, 8 HR, 63 RBI, 52 R, 63 BB, 3.3 WAR) drove in 7 runs in a game against the Queensland Eagles back on March 8. Evan went 3-4, with 1-2B, 1-3B, 1 R and tied the team’s regular season record. The Legends won the game 12-7.  Key Injuries: 1B Stuart Bentham (.290/.386/.463, 19 HR, 60 RBI, 73 R, 80 BB, 3.3 WAR) strained an oblique in a collision at a base back on March 24. He should be back in 1-2 weeks. LF Terry Aspden (.278/.367/.425, 11 HR, 68 RBI, 86 R, 77 BB, 9 SB, 3.5 WAR) bruised his knee on a defensive play back on March 26. He could be back in another 6 days. --------  The Braeland City Monarchs put up a game fight, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough. The Monarchs bounced back from a sub-.500 season in 1942-43. But despite sterling offensive performances and a steady pitching staff, the club is once again on the outside looking in. Like Stratford though, this is a team that does not need to blow things up. With a strong core and a strong farm system (rated 3rd overall), the Monarchs can look to a bright future that should be arriving sooner rather than later. Offense: .271/.339/.370 (2nd/2nd/2nd); Pitching: 3.31/3.40/2.45 (4th/4th/1st); Defense: .704 (2nd). Top Position Player – Season: Although he faded in the final two months of the season, 29-year old 1B Dean Bishop (.295/.403/.475, 19 HR, 99 RBI, 79 R, 103 BB, 5.9 WAR) was Braeland City’s top offensive player. It was easily Bishop’s best season at the plate. He was also no slouch with the glove (.900 PCT, 10.35 RNG, +8.2 ZR, 1.063). Top Pitcher – Season: Perhaps if the starting rotation got off to a stronger start to the season, the Monarchs may be the ones squaring off with the Barons instead of Brunswick. The rough start is well illustrated by 34-year old LHP David Cooling (21-11, 2.90 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.00 FIP). In October and November, his ERA was 7.31 and 4.69 respectively in 12 starts (5-7 over that span). After that, his monthly ERA was 1.33, 1.66, 1.33 and 1.88 (16-4 over the final four months). Cooling wasn’t alone in having a slow start, but he was Braeland City’s best pitcher this year. Key Injuries: None. --------  The Queensland Eagles were unable to keep up with Barons and Legends of this world, but their 81 victories marks the first time since their inaugural season that they surpassed the 80-win mark and their second consecutive winning season. But whether they have the talent to take the next step and challenge for a playoff spot remains to be seen. They will have to get a little better production from their offense if they want to have any chance. While it wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t quite enough to put them in the upper echelon of the Eastern League. If they can get production out of their up-and-coming prospects like they did from rookie C Elijah Sheppard, then the Eagles will be a team to watch. Offense: .263/.324/.356 (5th/5th/4th); Pitching: 3.04/2.96/3.79 (2nd/2nd/7th); Defense: .698 (4th). Top Position Player – Season: 25-year old rookie C Elijah Sheppard (.284/.335/.436, 11 HR, 71 RBI, 64 R, 39 BB, 4.6 WAR) blew down the doors in the East, winning 4 out of 6 Rookie of the Month Awards. Although he slowed down a little in December and January, Sheppard bounced back to finish the season strong. The 2nd round pick from 1939-40 is rated the ULB’s No. 6 catcher and he is just getting started. Top Pitcher – Season: 27-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (15-15, 2.54 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.79 FIP) didn’t always get the best run support, but the former 1st rounder from 1939-40 had by far his best season. Perhaps he could improve a little on his walk/strikeout ratio (107 BB, 108 K). Key Injuries: 23-year old SS Dermott Akers (.264/.343/.376, 5 HR, 62 RBI, 81 R, 69 BB, 2.4 WAR) suffered a torn meniscus (knee) in a collision at a base back on March 22. He is out 8 weeks. --------  The Embro Suns just could not get back on track and will have some soul-searching to do this off-season. After back-to-back first place finishes the past two seasons where they averaged 102 victories, the Suns fell 10 games below .500. The main culprit was their pitching; in fact, if not for the trade that brought RHP Oscar Burress aboard back in November, this team would probably have finished a lot further down in the standings. While the offense does not get completely off the hook, the rest of the rotation behind Burress did not exactly distinguish themselves. No doubt Embro will look long and hard at their pitching core and see what upgrades they can make. Offense: .265/.335/.353 (4th/4th/5th); Pitching: 3.71/3.76/3.29 (7th/7th/4th); Defense: .692 (7th). Top Position Player – Season: 29-year old 1B Jim Friend (.307/.388/.453, 14 HR, 102 RBI, 83 R, 83 BB, 5.2 WAR) had another solid season, both at the plate and defensively (.992 PCT, 9.90 RNG, +3.1 ZR, 1.020 EFF). 37-year old SS Gary Watkinson had another fine season at the plate (.311/.426/.373, 3 HR, 62 RBI, 100 R, 111 BB, 4.8 WAR) and won Batter of the Month honours in February. But he was a liability in the field (.963 PCT, 4.85 RNG, -12.0 ZR, .964 EFF). Defense has never been his strong suit, but he has really regressed. In fact, he no longer has a rating at SS (just a ‘20’ at 3B). Embro should really look at moving rookie 2B José Sánchez (.288/.341/.350, 13-2B, 27 RBI, 44 R, 25 BB, 16 SB, 1.9 WAR) to shortstop (‘60’ rating) next season. Top Pitcher – Season: It was a miserable season for the pitching staff, and it could have been much worse without 30-year RHP Oscar Burress (20-10, 2.53 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 2.74 FIP) coming over from Fort Richmond in a trade and establishing himself as the undisputed ace. Embro now just needs to upgrade the support behind him. Key Injuries: 31-year old RHP Chris Sappington (6-6, 4.01 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) tore his shoulder joint while pitching in a game back on December 18. He is gone 1-2 weeks. --------  For the first time since their inaugural season, the Cobourg Red Stockings managed to avoid finishing in the basement in the Eastern League. Some of that may be due to the regression of other teams, but Red Stockings have made some progress, if even modestly. Baby steps are the order of the day for Cobourg, especially with their young roster and deep farm system that leads the entire ULB. Offense: .262/.314/.349 (6th/7th/6th); Pitching: 3.68/3.76/3.12 (6th/5th/3rd); Defense: .690 (8th). Top Position Player – Season: 25-year old C Neil Voigt (.300/.343/.424, 12 HR, 71 RBI, 48 R, 34 BB, 4.7 WAR) finished the year off strong and enjoyed the best season of his young career by far (2.7 WAR last season). Top Pitcher – Season: 26-year old RHP Ramón Ramírez (11-9, 3.19 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 3.56 FIP) may have found his spot on a pitching staff. After toiling in the bullpen last season and seeing all of 35.1 innings, Ramírez pitched a career high of 177.2 innings this year and rewarded Cobourg with his best performance to date. While he doesn't have the stuff to be an ace, the former 2nd round pick from 1937-38 appears to be a mainstay as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter. Key Injuries: None. --------  The Wellington Athletics took a nosedive in the final two months of the season to finish a whopping 24 games below .500. It's the first time the Athletics finished below .500 in their seven year history. Despite the recent sell-off of veteran players, Wellington appears ill-prepared to deal with their recent reversal of fortune that actually has been ongoing for the past few seasons. Ever since they won 93 games back in 1939-40, they have steadily regressed with little or no significant activity to right the ship. Now, it appears lean times are here to stay for awhile until Wellington gets a solid game plan together. Offense: .256/.321/.332 (7th/6th/7th); Pitching: 3.65/3.79/2.69 (5th/8th/2nd); Defense: .699 (3rd). Top Position Player – Season: The offense was underwhelming overall for the Athletics. But 32-year old 3B Ryley McLarnon (.265/.299/.369, 3 HR, 67 RBI, 55 R, 27 BB, 14 SB, 3.2 WAR) provided respectable production from the hot corner and was outstanding on defense (9.60 PCT, 3.20 RNG, +13.2 ZR, 1.047 EFF). Top Pitcher – Season: He may not be the dominant pitcher he once was, but 34-year old LHP Clyde Boney (18-10, 3.00 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 3.09 FIP) is still a front-line starter and finished off strong, going 8-1, 2.74 ERA in February/March while the team as a whole went 18-31 over that span. Key Injuries: None. Key Trade: March 24 with the Cambria Cannons. To Cambria – 32-year old 1B Keane Fysh (43/43 – .316/.381/.378, 5 HR, 56 RBI, 62 R, 58 BB, 2.7 WAR) and 22-year old minor league RHP Arthur Collier (35/77). To Wellington – 30-year old 1B Rubén Sánchez (68/68 – .266/.309/.405, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 40 R, 19 BB, 2.2 WAR). Knee-jerk reaction: OK, so Sánchez is two years younger than Fysh, but I don't think this qualifies as 'getting younger'. Fysh may have won the Eastern League batting title this season, but the 5-time all-star's best days are clearly behind him. Cambria recognizes this and has placed him on their bench. So why they gave up Sánchez, a player with more upside to get him escapes me. If it was to acquire young reliever Collier, then that too makes little sense. Good young relievers are not exactly a scarce commodity. As for Wellington, they get the better player in the deal in my opinion (he figures to be their No. 4 hitter in the lineup), but Sánchez doesn't seem like a good fit for a team that needs a major young talent infusion pronto.  --------  The Downie Chiefs actually won five more games than they did last season and nine more than two seasons ago. Still, it represents their third consecutive season with 90 or more losses. Like the Cobourg Red Stockings, the Chiefs are slowly introducing prospects into the 25-man roster, but Downie has not been blessed with the quality of prospects that Cobourg has and their farm system is still lagging behind most teams in the United Leagues. However, that should change if Downie continues to occupy the Eastern League cellar over the next several seasons. Offense: .249/.304/.324 (8th/8th/8th); Pitching: 3.72/3.76/3.51 (8th/6th/6th); Defense: .704 (1st). Top Position Player – Season: 24-year old RF Ricardo Castellanos (.297/.347/.425, 8 HR, 61 RBI, 65 R, 40 BB, 11 SB, 5.3 WAR) had a terrific season and was sensational on defense (.990 PCT, 2.44 RNG, +15.1 ZR, 1.115 EFF). Not far behind was 25-year old 3B Elliot Tugby (.271/.352/.343, 1 HR, 36 RBI, 62 R, 64 BB, 20 SB, 4.7 WAR) whose defense was simply jaw-dropping (.963 PCT, 3.05 RNG, +21.1 ZR, 1.074 EFF). These are two players that any team would love to have. Top Pitcher – Season: Definitely not a stellar season for the pitching staff. I'll hold my nose and pick 32-year old RHP Reece Abberley (11-21, 3.51 ERA, 4.09 FIP). His loss total is more indicative of the poor run support than to his abilities as a starter. But the Chiefs are desperately in need of some quality pitchers, no doubt about that. Key Injuries: None. --------  
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-09-2017 at 12:13 AM. |
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05-18-2016, 03:24 AM
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#259 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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March 29, 1944
Western League: Pelicans, Giants Meet Again in Pennant Showdown    The Pennant match-up between the Kingston Pelicans and Balmoral Giants was long expected as the two teams enjoyed a comfortable lead over the rest of the Western League. Last season, the two teams finished just one game apart and battled it out for the Pennant all the way to Game 7 when Kingston finally prevailed. This year’s Pennant Series matches the same two clubs, but Kingston did not sneak up on anybody this time, taking over top spot in the West early in the season and did not look back. However, Balmoral is no slouch either and is eager for a rematch. It should be an exciting series between these two Western rivals. --------  The Kingston Pelicans have done a remarkable job not only in remaining the class of the Western League, but the entire United Leagues. When adversities faced the club, whether losing quality players to war restrictions, injury or just plain age, management has kept the club a playoff contender season after season. Last season, they acquired Katsunan Chikafuji from the Queensland Eagles to take over the shortstop position from gone-but-not-forgotten Okura Ito. This season, they went out and got Danny Trowbridge from the Fort Richmond Generals to assume Kingston’s regular catching duties, one area the Pelicans were regularly lacking. Both had tremendous years and contributed mightily to Kingston’s dominant season. They have also done a good job preparing their young pitching prospects RHP Charlie Gilbert and RHP Jim Hogue for regular rotation duties. Both have become pitchers that should be stalwarts in the rotation for years to come. Offense: .278/.344/.390 (3rd/2nd/2nd); Pitching: 3.02/3.05/2.75 (1st/1st/2nd); Defense: .707(1st). Top Position Player – Season: 28-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.307/.373/.452, 16 HR, 97 RBI, 99 R, 61 BB, 11 SB, 7.2 WAR) enjoyed a monster season and is rated one of the best shortstops in the ULB (along with Balmoral’s Francisco Rodríguez). He had perhaps his best season defensively as well (.967 PCT, 5.33 RNG, +14.3 ZR, 1.037 EFF). Top Pitcher – Season: Some really good performances to choose from as the Pelicans have one of the best pitching staffs in the ULB, but I have to give this to 34-year old RHP Francis Slocock (23-9, 2.36 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 3.02 FIP). Key Injuries: 39-year old RHP Simon Chell (0-3, 3 SV, 4.88 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) tore an elbow ligament while pitching back on January 24. He is out 4 more months. --------  The Balmoral Giants finished with 92 victories, their best regular season mark yet and qualified for the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Giants boast perhaps the best offense in the entire United Leagues. Their 5.0 R/G is the best in the land (Kingston is second with 4.6). They also lead the ULB as a team in AVG (.290), OBP (.350), SLG (.399) and OPS (.749) among other stats. Perhaps most impressively, they lead all teams in fewest strikeouts (267). Only one other team has fewer than 400 (Kingston again with 394). Their pitching was not quite as dominant as the offense, so if the Giants are going to have any success in the post-season, their bats cannot afford to be shut down. Offense: .290/.350/.399 (1st/1st/1st); Pitching: 3.68/3.76/3.13 (5th/5th/5th); Defense: .699 (5th). Top Position Player – Season: On a team with so many good offensive weapons, it’s remarkable how 25-year old SS Francisco Rodríguez (.321/.362/.435, 3 HR, 85 RBI, 105 R, 44 BB, 19 SB, 7.0 WAR) stood out. 3B Otton Overbeek was second on the team with 5.6 WAR. But Rodríguez is the complete package as he was outstanding on defense as well (.971 PCT, 5.11 RNG, +16.7 ZR, 1.044 EFF). Top Pitcher – Season: 36-year old RHP Tristan Purss (20-11, 3.06 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 3.45 FIP) had a fine season and enjoyed his first 20-win campaign. Although pegged as Balmoral’s No. 2 starter, the Giants no doubt will rely on him heavily in the playoffs, as he was easily their best starter this season. Key Injuries: None. Noteworthy: 3B Otton Overbeek (.338/.363/.502, 12 HR, 103 RBI, 87 R, 23 BB, 5.6 WAR) won the Western League batting title.  --------  The Cambria Cannons caught fire in February and March, finishing with a 32-17 record over that span, the best in the United Leagues. But their lacklustre 49-56 effort over the first four months doomed them to missing the playoffs for the second straight season. While it represented a 5 game improvement over last season, the Cannons are understandably concerned over their future. Considered in the pre-season to have the most impressive outfield in the ULB, that hope withered instead with the long-term injury to RF Ron Westmacott. But 22-year old rookie OF Brian Cosey (.285/.320/.363, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 51 R, 16 BB, 17 SB, 2.1 WAR) did not embarrass himself in relief and this team is just too talented to blow up. Their strong finish should give hope that better things are in store for next season. Offense: .265/.331/.367 (6th/5th/4th); Pitching: 3.58/3.68/2.94 (4th/4th/2nd); Defense: .702 (3rd). Top Position Player – Season: 27-year old LF Nicky Willis (.301/.399/.488, 20 HR, 94 RBI, 92 R, 98 BB, 5.2 WAR) had himself another outstanding season and led his team in a number of offensive categories. He finished the season with a bang, winning both Batter of the Month Awards for February and March. Top Pitcher – Season: Like Willis, 32-year old LHP Owen Tautor (17-12, 3.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 3.15 FIP) finished the year off strong. He won the Pitcher of the Month Award in February and just missed out on winning it in March (5-0, 2.33 ERA, 54.0 IP, 10 K, 1 BB). Key Injuries: 26-year old RF Ron Westmacott (.275/.378/.443, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 22 BB) injured himself in a collision at a base back on November 28. The diagnosis is now post-concussion syndrome. He is expected to be out three more weeks. --------  The Pulberry Trolleys have not had a lot to be optimistic about in their 7-year existence, but that may be about to change soon. Yes, the Trolleys once again finished below .500 and nowhere near a playoff spot, but their 76-78 record represents their best finish yet, allowing them to reach 4th place in the standings, the highest they have reached. Further, a glance at their roster reveals that they have at least seven players ranked 8th or higher in the ULB at their respective positions, including 1B Bruno Lapthorne (2nd overall), 2B Colin Strudwick (1st), 3B Joe Lock (3rd) and CF Jarod Dwyer (3rd). With the 5th highest rated farm system, the Trolleys are poised for even greater success in the coming years. But for all their young talent, they are still lacking in pitching depth, which could hold them back from taking the next step if they don’t address it soon. Offense: .279/.339/.383 (2nd/3rd/3rd); Pitching: 4.02/4.07/3.63 (7th/7th/7th); Defense: .701 (4th). Top Position Player – Season: The 23-year old LF Bruno Lapthorne (.305/.337/.471, 14 HR, 90 RBI, 80 R, 34 BB, 21 SB, 5.5 WAR) had a breakout season and has become Pulberry’s marque player. The former 2nd overall pick from 1940-41 had another great season in the field as well (.994 PCT, 2.32 RNG, +18.8 ZR, 1.099 EFF). Top Pitcher – Season: The Trolleys do not have a very strong pitching staff as previously mentioned, but 27-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (17-9, 3.19 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 3.70 FIP) enjoyed another fine season and was his team’s best pitcher. 31-year old RHP Bailey Keedwell (15-15, 4.19 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 3.61 FIP) really struggled in January and February, but caught fire in March, winning Pitcher of the Month honours. Key Injuries: None. --------  The Sherburn Tigers escaped the basement and won 9 more games than they did last season, but overall, it’s just more of the same. The Tigers have a few decent players on their roster but are woefully short on the type of impact players they need to really turn their fortunes around. That may change with the recent drafting of young starting pitchers like 19-year old LHP Dana Listman (3rd overall pick) and 18-year old RHP Harold Waymouth (19th overall pick) from this season’s amateur draft. But the Tigers appear to have a long way to go before they can boast the young talent of rebuilding teams like Pulberry or Cobourg. Offense: .268/.338/.351 (5th/4th/7th); Pitching: 3.45/3.35/4.34 (2nd/2nd/8th); Defense: .688 (7th). Top Position Player – Season: There was no overwhelming choice on this team, but 29-year old IF/OF Francis Pynchon (.302/.353/.463, 16 HR, 91 RBI, 78 R, 44 BB, 3.3 WAR) enjoyed perhaps his best season in the ULB. Last year he finished with 3.0 WAR. Top Pitcher – Season: 28-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (16-13, 2.76 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.33 FIP) faltered a bit in March (2-3, 4.58 ERA) but otherwise he was a steady presence in the rotation. This past season was his best since becoming a starter three season ago. Key Injuries: None. --------  The Hespeler Stars are facing a crisis, at least from what I can see. After spending three straight seasons mired in last place, the Stars finally escaped the basement in 1941-42 and reached .500 and 3rd place last season. But this season represents a definite setback. Their assembled talent has not progressed and it appears this outfit may be falling behind as other rebuilding clubs begin to gain traction. While the pitching staff has held its own, the offense has been curiously anemic. It may be coming time for Hespeler to reassess the talent it has assembled over the past few seasons and determine if some of it is worth keeping. But maybe I'm just the impatient sort. Offense: .256/.327/.351 (7th/7th/6th); Pitching: 3.48/3.55/3.08 (3rd/3rd/4th); Defense: .703 (2nd). Top Position Player – Season: 24-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.241/.397/.407, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 69 R, 105 BB, 4.2 WAR) is the offensive leader on this team. He is productive and consistent, but his batting average and defense are not very good. His scouting report says that he will be nothing more than a .240 hitter and I guess I shouldn't put too much emphasis on batting average, but c'mon - .241? For a cleanup hitter? He definitely has the power, but it would be even better if could cut down on strikeouts and up his average even just a little bit (rant over). Top Pitcher – Season: 25-year old LHP Carlton Sherrell (16-11, 2.53, 1.30 WHIP, 3.05 FIP) had his finest season yet. He may be Hespeler's ace by default, but he gave consistent outings all season and still hasn't reached his potential. Key Injuries: 23-year old LF Marcus Peyto (.250/.321/.361, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 26 R, 23 BB) tore a finger tendon on a defensive play back on December 8. He should be fully recovered in 4 more days. Noteworthy: 3B Jayden Whiteway (.302/.348/.424, 9 HR, 68 RBI, 49 R, 30 BB, 3.5 WAR) went 6 for 6 in game back on February 22 against the Wellington Athletics. Whiteway collected 8 RBI, thanks to a three-run HR, a two-run double, a two-run single and a one-run single. He also hit two additional singles and scored 3 R. The Stars outscored the Athletics 15-13. Incidentally, the ULB record for most RBI in a regular season game by a single player is 9, accomplished by Wolseley Unions' 3B Fernando Gómez back on March 29, 1942. On the final day of the regular season that year, the Unions beat the Stars 10-1.  --------  The Wolseley Unions appear to be in a similar predicament as the Sherburn Tigers: they have a few nice players on their roster but nowhere near enough to get them out of the second division. They do have some talent in the system as well but its shaping up to be a painfully slow process as that talent takes time to develop in the minors. In the meantime, the Unions will continue to be a non-factor for at least a couple of more seasons in the West. Offense: .256/.325/.364 (8th/8th/5th); Pitching: 3.95/4.03/3.35 (6th/6th/6th); Defense: .688 (6th). Top Position Player – Season: 21-year old RF Rizalino Ringor (.290/.379/.424, 11 HR, 50 RBI, 99 R, 78 BB, 35 SB, 5.2 WAR) may be just a rookie, but Ringor led the way for a Unions team short on offense. Ringor finished the season strong on defense as well (.974 PCT, 2.11 RNG, +13.5 ZR, 1.078 EFF). Like Queensland's Elijah Sheppard in the Eastern League, Ringor won 4 of the 6 Rookie of the Month Awards in the West. I can't recall a season where two rookies made this much of an impact in the same year. Top Pitcher – Season: 24- year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (16-14, 3.31 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 3.01 FIP) was once again his team's best pitcher, even if it was a step below his performance last season. Despite his young age, it wouldn't surprise me if Wolseley decided to trade him this off-season, just as they did with 26-year old OF Nicky Willis last year. Key Injuries: None. --------  The Fort Richmond Generals sold off their premier talent this past season, when they shipped C Danny Trowbridge to the Kingston Pelicans and 3B Britt Wing and RHP Oscar Burress to the Embor Suns. So it is no surprise that the Generals went straight to the bottom of the standings this season. But give credit to Fort Richmond – they saw they were heading nowhere and did not waste time biting the bullet. Most important, they got quality prospects in return and now have one of the deepest farm systems in the ULB (just behind Cobourg). With the club poised to select first overall at next season's amateur draft, if not beyond, the Generals should have plenty of young talent to build solid nucleus – in time. Offense: .272/.330/.350 (4th/6th/8th); Pitching: 4.25/4.46/3.01 (8th/8th/3rd); Defense: .681 (8th). Top Position Player – Season: 26-year old C Heung-su Park (.288/.338/.398, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 49 R, 30 BB, 3.0 WAR) assumed full-time catching duties when Danny Trowbridge was traded away and ended up a pleasant surprise, leading the team in WAR. Trowbridge is considered the best overall catcher in the ULB, but Park is not far behind, as he is rated at No. 3 himself and is viewed already as Fort Richmond’s top player. Top Pitcher – Season: Oh dear. The rotation is an absolute nightmare and the rest of the staff fared little better. Still, 25-year old Dean Stroud (1-3, 4 SV, 1.55 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.64 FIP) responded positively to a return to the bullpen this season and gets my vote as Fort Richmond’s best pitcher. The good news is that help is on the way, but it will a little more time. Key Injuries: 24-year old RF Gavin Bansfield (.312/.353/.416, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB, 4 SB) suffered a swollen disc on a defensive play back on November 12. He is expected to miss 6 additional weeks. RF Al Tucker (.287/.370/.343, 8-2B, 5 RBI, 13 R, 18 BB) tore a knee ligament while running along the base paths back on December 8. He is out 3-4 more months. --------  
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-09-2017 at 12:18 AM. |
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05-19-2016, 05:30 PM
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#260 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,901
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 Stratford Barons (93-61) vs. Brunswick Legends (84-70) Season Matchup: 11-4 in favour of Stratford Stratford: Runs scored – 673 (1st in EL); runs allowed – 539 (1st). Brunswick: Runs scored – 616 (5th in EL); runs allowed – 564 (2nd). For the first time in the Eastern League, two defending United Cup champions meet to battle each other for the Eastern League Pennant. The Stratford Barons return to try and reclaim the championship after missing the playoffs the past two seasons. Meanwhile, the Brunswick Legends have become a playoff fixture in the East (much like the Kingston Pelicans in the West) and are looking to return to the finals and try to win the United Cup for the third consecutive season. Once again, the Legends qualified for the playoffs as the wild card – they have never finished in first place – and will begin the series on the road. But that has never stopped them yet and their back-to-back sweeps of the Embro Suns in the previous two Series demonstrate that they are quite comfortable in playing the underdog. The Barons though enjoyed particular success in the regular season against Brunswick and look to keep that momentum going in the playoffs. The only significant injury that could impact the outcome of the series is to Brunswick’s 1B Stuart Bentham (.290/.386/.463, 19 HR, 60 RBI, 73 R, 80 BB, 3.3 WAR) who strained an oblique muscle in a collision at a base back on March 24. He will not be available to for the duration of the series. Daniel Martin (.276/.332/.388, 6 HR, 51 RBI, 50 R, 33 BB, 10 SB, 2.2 WAR) will start in his place. Stratford’s Bosworth Field played host to the first two games. 26,000 fans attended Game 1 under clear, beautiful skies with just a light breeze blowing out to left. It’s time to play some ball! -------- Game 1 LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (20-10, 2.39 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) started for Brunswick. LHP Ryan Borden (21-9, 2.70 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) took the mound for Stratford. Bottom of the 1st: SS Jake Walker gets the first hit of the series with a two-out triple. C Gavin Hurley immediately follows with a RBI double and the Barons are on the board. Brunswick 0 – Stratford 1 Top of the 2nd: RF Mark Elston leads off with a walk and advances to 3B when C Maurice Evans reaches safely on an error (E2). With one out, 2B Vince Bailey grounds out (5-3), scoring Elston to tie the game up. Brunswick 1– Stratford 1 Top of the 4th: With one out, LF Terry Aspden and Vince Bailey hit back-to-back singles. A 5-4 fielder’s choice moves Aspden up to 3B. Anastasio Rodríguez then reaches safely on an error (E4), allowing Aspden to score the go-ahead run. Brunswick 2– Stratford 1 Bottom of the 6th: Jake Walker leads off with a single but is thrown out on a 4-6 fielder’s choice. LF Don Adkins follows with a single to put runners on 1B and 2B. With two out, 1B Nam-cheol Oh singles in Gavin Hurley and the game is tied up once again. Brunswick 2– Stratford 2 Bottom of the 9th: RP Kelvin Hutchinson leads off with a first-pitch single from Anastasio Rodríguez. CF Brian Ilderton immediately follows with a sac bunt to move Hutchinson up to 2B. With two out, Jake Walker doubles in Hutchinson, giving the Barons a walk-off victory in Game 1. Brunswick 2– Stratford 3  Player of the Game: Ryan Borden pitched 7 innings, scattering 5 H with 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Jake Walker went 3-5, with 1-2B, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 1 R. For Brunswick: Anastasio Rodríguez took the loss, going 8.2 IP, 14 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (0-1, 3.12 ERA). -------- Game 2 Starting for Brunswick was LHP Matthew Monroe (19-11, 3.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP). LHP Joel Fearn (18-10, 2.29 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) took the hill for Stratford. Top of the 1st: 3B Laroya Quindiagan singles with one out and advances to 2B on a wild pitch. With two out, Mark Elston singles in Quindiagan to put Brunswick on the board. Brunswick 1 – Stratford 0 Top of the 4th: Maurice Evans takes Fearn’s first pitch for a single with one out. After Terry Aspden strikes out looking, Vince Bailey triples in Evans. CF Harry Chatwin is intentionally walked. Matthew Monroe then singles in Bailey and reaches 2B on an error (E9). Daniel Martin draws a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Laroya Quindiagan then draws a nine-pitch walk to drive in Chatwin. SS Mathew Shelley follows with his own 7-pitch walk to score Monroe and the Legends jump out to 5-run lead. Brunswick 5 – Stratford 0 Top of the 7th: Mark Elston and Maurice Evans lead off with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. A sac fly by Terry Aspden scores Elston, ending Joel Fearn’s day. Vince Bailey immediately follows with a double off of LHP Raúl Lucero to put runners on 2B and 3B. Evans then comes into score off of a Harry Chatwin 6-3 ground out. Brunswick 7 – Stratford 0 Top of the 9th: Terry Aspden and Vince Bailey lead off with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Harry Chatwin follows with a sac fly, allowing Aspen to tag up and score the game’s final run. In the bottom of the 9th, Jake Walker leads off with a single but is thrown out on a 4-6-3 double play. Don Adkins then doubles, but Mathew Monroe gets out of the game unscathed when RF Lyndon Inagaki pops out to end the game. Brunswick 8 – Stratford 0  Player of the Game: Matthew Monroe pitched 9.0 innings, with 8 H with 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Vince Bailey went 5-5, with 1-2B, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 1 R. Vince Bailey sets the Eastern League playoff game record for hits with 5. For Stratford: Joel Fearn took the tough loss, going 6.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (0-1, 9.95 ERA). -------- Game 3 The series shifted to Brunswick’s Babe Ruth Stadium with 30,514 in attendance. LHP Hirotada Fukushima (15-13, 2.98 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) took the hill for Brunswick. RHP Bill Blair (16-11, 3.39 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) started for Stratford. The conditions were wet and there was a 21 minute rain delay in the 6th inning. Bottom of the 5th: A lead off walk by Mark Elston, a single by Terry Aspden and walk to Maurice Evans loads the bases with nobody out. Harry Chatwin then hits a sac fly to centerfield scoring Elston. Blair then gets Vince Bailey and Hirotada Fukushima to pop out to limit the damage. Stratford 0 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 8th: Fukushima runs into trouble when, after get two quick outs, Stratford loads the bases on two errors (E5 & E6) and a walk. Jake Walker then singles in two runs to give the Barons the lead. Stratford 2 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 8th: The Legends even things up on three consecutive singles by Laroya Quindiagan, Matthew Shelley and Mark Elston with two out. Stratford 2 – Brunswick 2 Bottom of the 9th: With RHP Kelvin Hutchinson pitching in relief, backup C Vinnie Edwards leads off with a walk. Harry Chatwin then doubles to put runners on 2B and 3B. With one out, PH Rhett Curnow is intentionally walked to load the bases. After Daniel Martin strikes out for the second out, Laroya Quindiagan comes through with a walk-off single, driving in Edwards for the winning run. Stratford 2 – Brunswick 3  Player of the Game: Hirotada Fukushima pitched 9.0 innings, with 4 H with 2 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 5 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Laroya Quindiagan went 3-4, with 1 RBI, 1 R. For Stratford: Bill Blair pitched a fine game despite the loss, going 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (0-0, 2.25 ERA). -------- Game 4 30,749 were in attendance to witness the rematch between the Game 1 pitchers: Stratford’s LHP Ryan Borden and Brunswick’s LHP Anastasio Rodríguez. The skies were partly cloudy and it remained cool. Bottom of the 5th: With one out, Terry Aspden doubles. Vince Bailey is then intentionally walked. But Harry Chatwin comes through with a double to score Aspden and Anastasio Rodríguez follows with a single to plate Bailey for Brunswick’s second run. Stratford 0 – Brunswick 2 Top of the 6th: Jake Walker leads off with a single and reaches 2B on a 3-1 ground out by Gavin Hurley. Don Adkins then hits a double to score Walker. With two out, Nam-cheol Oh singles in Adkins to tie the game up. But the inning ends when Oh is subsequently picked off by Rodríguez at 1B. Stratford 2 – Brunswick 2 Bottom of the 7th: Vince Bailey reaches base on a single with one out. Back-to-back errors (E5 & E8) allows Harry Chatwin and Anastasio Rodríguez to reach base safely and for Bailey to score the go-ahead run. Daniel Martin then singles in the insurance run. The Baron go down quietly in the 8th and 9th innings giving the Brunswick Legends a 3 games to 1 lead in the series. Stratford 2 – Brunswick 4  Player of the Game: Anastasio Rodríguez went 9.0 IP with 9 H with 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (1-1, 2.55 ERA). Harry Chatwin went 2-3, with 1-2B, 1 RBI, 1 R. For Stratford: Ryan Borden took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (0-1, 1.20 ERA). -------- Game 5 30,637 were in attendance at Babe Ruth Park as Stratford's Joel Fearn and Brunswick’s Matthew Monroe faced each other for the second time in the series. As in Game 2, it would be a high-scoring affair, especially in comparison to Games 1, 3 and 4. Beautiful clear skies and warm sunshine greeted the players and fans after the cold front finally moved on. Bottom of the 1st: Laroya Quindiagan triples with one out. He tags up and scores on Mathew Shelley's sac fly to left field. Stratford 0 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 2nd: Don Adkins leads off with a single. RF Lyndon Inagaki then takes Monroe's first offering and smashes it into the right field bleachers for a two-run homer – the first (and only) home run of the series. Stratford 2 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 3rd: Mathew Monroe reaches on a single with one out. After Daniel Martin strikes out, Laroya Quindiagan doubles to score Monroe. Matthew Shelley immediately follows with a single to score Quindiagan and give the lead back to Brunswick. Mark Elston then doubles but Shelley is thrown out at home to end the inning. Stratford 2 – Brunswick 3 Bottom of the 4th: Maurice Evans and Vince Bailey each hit singles to put runners on the corners with one out. Harry Chatwin then hits into a 5-4 fielder's choice, but Evans comes into score on the play for the Legends' fourth run. Stratford 2 – Brunswick 4 Top of the 5th: 3B Bart Wallwin leads off with a first-pitch single and reaches 3B thanks to a sac bunt by Joel Fearn and an error (E1). Maurice Keyworth then singles to score Wallwin and the Barons get to within one. Stratford 3 – Brunswick 4 Bottom of the 5th: Brunswick responds in a big way by loading the bases with one out, thanks to a single, an intentional walk and an unintentional walk. Terry Aspden then doubles to score two and put runners on 2B and 3B. After Vince Bailey is intentionally walked to reload the bases, Harry Chatwin singles to plate two more, ending Joel Fearn's day and giving the Legends a commanding lead. Stratford 3 – Brunswick 8 Top of the 6th: But the Barons do not give up. A walk to Don Adkins and back-to-back singles by Lyndon Inagaki and Nam-cheol Oh score a run. But Inagaki is thrown out at 3B on the play. Thanks to a wild pitch and a single by Bart Wallwin, Oh comes into score to get the Barons to within three. Stratford 5 – Brunswick 8 Bottom of the 6th: Laroya Quindiagan singles and Mark Elston draws a walk with two out. Then Brunswick pummels RP Larry Parrish with four consecutive singles to score four more runs before the inning is over. In the top of the 9th, Stratford loads the bases on back-to-back walks and a single with one out. But Maurice Keyworth then hits into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, the game and the series. Stratford 5 – Brunswick 12  Player of the Game: Laroya Quindiagan went 5-5, with 1-2B, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 4 R. Quindiagan set the Eastern League playoff game record for runs with 4 and ties the Eastern League playoff game record for hits with 5. Mathew Monroe went 9.0 IP with 11 H with 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (2-0, 2.00 ERA). Maurice Evans went 2-4, 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB. Harry Chatwin went 2-5 with 5 RBI. For Stratford: Joel Fearn was roughed up again, going just 4.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (0-2, 12.27 ERA). Bart Wallwin went 3-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-09-2017 at 12:22 AM. |
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