The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League

[BirdWatcher]

On a day when the first place Philadelphia Mud Hens received a great shutout performance from their number 1 starter Rino Aguillon in an easy 9-0 win over the 7th place Milwaukee Cadets, they also finally got a prognosis from their medical staff regarding an injury suffered several days earlier by their talented 4-time All-Star center fielder Ryan Showalter, and it wasn't good news. Showalter is expected to miss at least a month of the season.



Showalter, who leads the team in batting average and on-base percentage, is on pace for his best season yet, with a projected 8.0 WAR. In his absence the plan is for David Littau, who is a capable enough but inexperienced outfielder and a much better middle infielder, will take his place. While Littau is a solid, veteran player, the drop off will be pretty steep and Philly will need a few other players to step up if they wish to protect their narrow lead over El Paso (1 game behind), or possibly even to hold off the recently surging Boston Berserkers, who now sit in 3rd place, 6 games back.

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 3-3 (week), 76-37, 1st place, MGL (season)

August 6, versus Baltimore: 4-8.

August 7-9, at Oklahoma City: 4-1, 7-6, 5-0.

August 11-12, versus Brooklyn: 1-9, 1-10.

The Brewers begin the week by losing the rubber match in the 3-game series against the Baltimore Lords as rookie hurler Jim Atwell (12-5, 3.04) has one of his worst outings of the season, giving up 6 runs (all earned) on 8 hits and 3 walks over 6 2/3rds innings pitched. Zacarias Martell was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 1 driven in, hitting his 14th double and 3rd home run in the loss.

Next up the team travels east to Oklahoma City to take on the 3rd place (tied with L.A. coming into this series) Diamond Kings.
In game 1, veteran right-hander Steve Green (9-7, 4.05) continues his second half resurgence, going the distance while allowing 1 run on just 4 hits and no walks, striking out 4. The only run he allowed was on an 8th inning pinch-hit solo homer. Val Guzman went 3 for 4 with an RBI and hit his 20th double of the season in the victory. Zacarias Martell, Bobby Erbakan, and Jake DiCesare also each picked up 2 hits in the game.

Game 2 saw the Brewers take an early big lead and then nearly give it back in the late innings before just barely holding on for the one-run win. Erik Sloan (6-3, 4.85) got the win, giving up 4 runs on 9 hits over his 7 innings pitched. Jason Gottula pitched the last inning and two thirds to earn his 3rd save of the season. Normally light hitting defensive specialist Nick Ward led the way offensively in this one, going 3 for 5 with a run scored and 2 driven in from the leadoff slot, collecting 2 doubles to get to 7 on the season. Brett Taranto, Bobby Erbakan, and Antonio Acuna, hitting in that order in the lineup behind Ward, all collected 2 hits in the game, with Bobby getting his 18th double and Acuna hitting 2 two-baggers to get to 8.

The Brewers got the road series sweep when staff ace Sadahige Kawasaki (13-6, 2.10) pitched another gem, getting a 5-hit shutout, striking out 5 batters and walking 2. Antonio Acuna, continuing to build his case for increased playing time and a big role in the Brewers outfield in the future, led the offense with a 3 for 5, 1 RBI game and hit his 3rd triple of the season while also stealing his 5th base (in as many attempts). Bobby Erbakan chipped in with a 2 for 5 game, hitting home run number 5.



Coming off a big sweep of a dangerous rival, the Brewers had a travel day off as they returned to Denver to take on an even more dangerous competitor, the second place Brooklyn Aces.

And the Aces drew first blood in the game 1, with an easy victory behind 3-time Pitcher of the Year and 2-time pitching Triple Crown winner Aaron McNally (16-6, 2.91). McNally held the Brewers to a single run on just 5 hits. The lone run was driven in by recently hot hitting catcher Zacarias Martell and was scored by Geoff Bartholomew, who had hit his 7th double of the season ahead of Martell's run scoring single. Bobby Erbakan also hit his 19th double in the loss. After his nearly perfect first half of the season, Sekien Hamasaki (14-4, 2.37) once again looked very human, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits over 5 1/3rd innings for the loss. Left handed reliever Victor Colon has had a few bad outings recently and this one was particularly painful as he allowed 4 runs on 7 hits in his 1 inning pitched, and sees his ERA rise from 3.33 on the 2nd of August to 5.53 at the end of this one.

And in game 2 the Aces humiliate the home team once again, this time behind their phenomenal young starting pitcher Jose Hernandes (10-3, 2.00) who continues to lead the league in ERA. Like McNally before him, he went the distance, allowing just 1 run on 7 hits. Jim Atwell (12-6, 3.26) suffered his second poor outing of the week, giving up 6 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks in 6 innings pitched. Antonio Acuna was 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base (6) in the loss. Geoff Bartholomew and Jake DiCesare each collected a pair of hits as well, with Bartholomew hitting his 8th double of the season.


With the two tough losses to their nearest competitor to end the week, the Brewers see their lead over Brooklyn in the MGL shrink to 10 games. Well, okay, sure, a 10 game lead if still pretty impressive. L.A. is next at 15 games out and Oklahoma City is in 4th place, 18 games off the pace.

Over in the SJL, where things are much tighter, the Philadelphia Mud Hens are holding onto a 2 game lead over the El Paso Dawgs while Boston and Columbus are in a tie for 3rd place, 6 games back.

[BirdWatcher]

To refer to the Denver Brewers 1977 10th round draft pick Joe Cook as a prospect might be overly generous.
Still, the hard working 22-year old infielder out of Chandler College has acquitted himself quite well in his two short seasons as a Brewers minor leaguer, and at the moment he is getting some attention with a 20-game hitting streak that has seen him raise his batting average from .229 to .302 since the streak started on July 20th.




And with his good defensive skills, great speed and savvy on the base paths and a mature approach at the plate, while he almost certainly isn't destined to ever be a big league starter, Cook looks like a young man who could well earn a job as a valuable utility infielder someday. (In fact, though he has not gained experience there yet, there are indications that he also has the skills to be a more than capable outfielder given the opportunity.)

[stevem810]

Love the Joe Cook stories. Usually fleeting fame, but, it makes it all the more extraordinary.

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 6-1 (week), 82-38, 1st place, MGL (season).

August 13, versus Brooklyn: 9-4.

August 14-16, versus Los Angeles: 3-5, 4-0, 5-4.

August 17-19, at Phoenix: 15-7, 6-1, 14-3.

After having been dominated by the visiting Brooklyn Aces in the first two games of the series (the offense shut down by the Aces twin aces- Aaron McNally and Jose Hernandes), the Brewers avoided getting swept largely due to a 6-run 4th inning that drove Brooklyn starter Joel Travino from the game. Steve Green (10-7, 4.04) got the start and the win for Denver, lasting 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits. Left fielder Val Guzman went 3 for 4 and scored two runs and Brett Taranto was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored, 2 more driven in, and hit his 11th triple of 1978.

In game 1 of 3 in Denver against the third place Los Angeles Spinners, the veteran great slugger Nate Bennett helped lead the visitors to a win with 3 for 4 game in which he hit his 14th home run (the 445th of his career) and his 2nd triple (only the 25th career 3-bagger for the very slow running slugger.) Erik Sloan (6-4, 4.68) took the loss, allowing 4 runs (only 2 earned) on 8 hits over 6 1/3rd innings. Jake DiCesare went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI in the game and hit his 7th double of the season. And Bobby Erbakan went 2 for 4 with a run scored and one driven and he hit his 20th double.

The Brewers bounce back with a shutout in game 2, with Sadahige Kawasaki (14-6, 2.00) continuing his strong second half of the season. In this one he got into a bit of a jam and ran out of steam in the 9th inning and needed Jason Gottula to come in to get the last out, but while Kawasaki gave up 8 hits he didn't walk a single batter and he struck out 4. Gottula, who struck out the only batter he faced, earned his 4th save. Zacarias Martell went 2 for 3 with a run scored and another driven in and hit his 15th double of the season in the win. Val Guzman was 2 for 4, also scored 1 run and drove in 1 and he hit his 5th triple.

And the Brewers take the series with a come-from-behind win in game 3, with Zacarias Martell getting the big two-out, 8th inning hit that drove in what turned out to be the winning run. Bobby Erbakan went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI and he hit his 6th homer of the season. Jake DiCesare went 2 for 4, hitting a pair of doubles to get to 9 and driving in a pair of runs. Sekien Hamasaki wasn't particularly sharp in the start, allowing 4 runs on 10 hits over 6 1/3rd innings and not getting a decision. Ben Flynn (5-2, 4.44) got the win in relief and Tim Shore pitched the 9th inning to get his 20th save in 21 chances.

Next up- a trip to the hitter's paradise of Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Brewers hitters have enjoyed their visits there in the past few seasons and Brewers pitchers have fared better against the Speed Devils sluggers than might be expected.
And this series was no different.

In game 1 Phoenix did put up a 5-spot in the 6th inning against starter Jim Atwell (13-6, 3.42) but given the booming Brewers bats that wasn't nearly enough to keep the rookie pitcher from getting another win. Atwell lasted 6 innings, giving up 5 runs on 4 hits while striking out 5 and walking 4. Josh Schaeffer, who has quietly been putting together an MVP-worthy season, went 4 for 5 in the leadoff slot, scoring twice and driving in 2 runs, hitting his 20th double and 15th home run. Bobby Erbakan contributed a 3 for 5 performance, scoring 3 runs and driving in 4 runs and he hit his 21st double and 7th home run, while also picking up his 7th stolen base. The Brewers swiped 6 bases in this one, without being caught stealing even once- in addition to Erbakan's stolen base, Antonio Acuna (who also hit his 4th triple) picked up 2 stolen bases to get to 8 on the season (without a single CS), Val Guzman got his 16th stolen base (and hit his 6th triple), Jake DiCesare got his 3rd stolen base, and Brett Taranto picked up his 16th.

Team captain Matt Helm (3-1, 2.18), having just returned from the IL and a rehab stint at AAA, got the start in game 2. And against all odds, with every scouting indication pointing towards a great diminution of skills for the veteran left-hander, with perhaps just his sheer determination and guile in his favor, Helm was once again magnificent. Matty worked 7 innings against the powerful hitting Speed Devils, giving up just a single run on 3 hits (a solo home run allowed being his only real blemish) for the win. If this is the swan song for the oft-injured veteran leader (Wrecked), it certainly is a sweet one. Brett Taranto helped provide the run support in this one with a 3 for 5, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI game in which he hit his 23rd double and 14th home run of the season (also picking up his 17th stolen base while getting caught trying for the 9th time.) Jake DiCesare continued his fine play at third base while going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI. And light-hitting utility infielder Nick Ward hit his 3rd homer of the season, driving in a pair of runs late in the game.

And the Brewers finish out the week with another convincing win against the Speed Devils and a series sweep.
Steve Green (11-7, 3.95) kept up his second half surge (rumor has it that his return to form may have changed the front office's mind about whether to buy out the last year of his contract at the end of this season). Green worked 6 innings, giving up just 1 run on 6 hits. Bobby Erbakan got Player of the Game honors with his 3 for 6, 2 run scored, 5 RBI performance. Bobby hit his 23rd double and 8th home run. Brett Taranto only got one hit in the game, but it was his 15th home run and he also walked twice, scored 3 runs and drove in 2. Jake DiCesare, who has been solidifying his hold on third base, got a hit in his lone at-bat but then was injured while running the bases and had to be pulled from the game. Fortunately it was found that he had an unserious intercostal strain which is only expected to sideline him for about day or so.


Having had a great week, the Brewers maintain their hold on first place in the Moonlight Graham League, though Brooklyn remains hot, having won six in a row and nine of their last ten, and they stay 10 games behind Denver. Los Angeles is in 3rd place, 17 games back. And the slumping Oklahoma City Diamond Kings have fallen to 21 games back in 4th place.

In the exciting Shoeless Joe League pennant race, El Paso and Philadelphia stay tied at the top of the table (okay, maybe watching too many Football Manager YouTube videos), with the Boston Berserkers next at 3 games back and Columbus in 4th place, 4 games out. And San Antonio stays within striking distance in 5th place, just 6 games off the pace.

[BirdWatcher]

Steve Green, Bryant Cox, and the Brewers 1979 projected rotation:

Steve Green was the Denver Brewers first round draft pick in 1968 (8th overall) after a distinguished collegiate career at St. Louis College. And while Green has never seriously contended for a Pitcher of the Year award and has only been an All-Star one season, he has been an important member of the Brewers starting rotation since his first full WPK season in 1971 and has earned 3 championship rings (granted, the first came in 1970, when he only pitched 3 games for the team as a September call-up.)
He has been in double digits in wins in seven of his eight full seasons as a Brewer (cheating a bit by including this unfinished season) and contributed at least 4.5 WAR in 4 of those seasons, and is on pace for a 5.5 WAR season in 1978.
But in spite of no indications of declining talent, Green struggled a bit in 1977, going 13-7 but with an uncharacteristically high 4.56 ERA. There were underlying indications though that this number was inflated due more to bad luck than bad performance, as his BABIP against was a career high .312, his FIP was a respectable 3.65 with a FIP- of 76, one of the best of his career, and his WHIP of 1.25, while not tremendous, was well within normal standards for him. The sense in the front office was that he would see a return to more typical back of the baseball card numbers in 1978.
As the 1978 season headed towards the All-Star break though that wasn't happening. Green got off to a horrible 1-5 start by May 20th, with an ERA of 6.04. And while things started to get a bit better after that he still had an ERA of 5.04 as late as July 4th. With his 32nd birthday approaching later in the month of July, those with inside knowledge were aware that the front office was seriously considering making use of the buy-out option they had on the last year of his contract at the end of this season.
Pitching prospect Bryant Cox was continuing his strong development at AAA and the thought was that he would likely be given the chance to earn a spot at the back end of the rotation in 1979, taking Green's spot on the active roster. The thought was that Cox would surely be a September 1st call-up and could get his feet wet at the big league level in the final month of this season before being thrown into the rotation in '79.

It was a solid theory and a reasonable plan.
But then a few things happened to throw it into doubt.
First of all, and this is the good news, Steve Green found his old rhythm after the All-Star break and started racking up wins, even pitching a few gems and seeing his ERA drop to 3.95 at present, with a 3.16 FIP, 77 FIP-, and still a slightly high BABIP against of .308 (career BABIP against of .284).
Then, and this is the bad news, Bryant Cox went down with a hamstring pull a little over a week ago and is expected to need at least another month to recover, meaning that any September call-up to the Brewers, if it happens at all, would be pushed back to the last week or two of the WPK season and offer very little chance for any significant innings in a Brewer uniform.

So while Cox will still almost surely be a member of the active roster starting the 1979 season, it will likely be as a member of the bullpen, pitching long relief and getting some spot starts, as he gets a first taste of WPK life and first look at WPK hitters while the veteran Green pitches at least one more season for the only WPK team he has ever put on a uniform for.

The 20/20 club and the Denver Brewers:

In the short history of the WPK thus far, 37 times a player has combined at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a single season, with only 3 seasons where both of those numbers reached at least 30 for a single player.
And among the members of that club only one was wearing a Denver Brewer uniform in the season he accomplished this and that was the soon to be retired Tanner Yurek, who hit 20 home runs while stealing 23 bases in the inaugural season of 1965.

But there is a pretty good chance that at least a few more Brewers will join the 20/20 club at the end of this season.
Brett Taranto is currently on pace to finish with 20 homers and 23 stolen bases, to match Yurek's 1965 numbers.
Joe McPhillips is currently on pace to collect 22 home runs and to steal the same number of bases.
And Josh Schaeffer is on target for 20 home runs and 18 stolen bases, so he could certainly get there also.
Val Guzman is another Brewer who certainly has the skills to join this club, but he would have to go on quite a homer tear as he is only projected to hit 11 this season, while being on pace for 22 stolen bases.
And if Antonio Acuna starts getting starter playing time at some point he is almost a shoe-in to join the club (maybe next season?). He is on pace this year to finish with 9 home runs and 11 stolen bases in just 188 plate appearances.
And finally, if veteran second baseman Bobby Erbakan could just stay healthy a full season, he would still have a shot at this. He is on pace for 11 home runs and 12 stolen bases this season, and that is in a projected 100 games played.

Will a Brewer join the 30/30 club anytime soon?
It says here that if there is a player on the current team who combines the power/speed combination of skills to do this it would have to be Antonio Acuna. The biggest roadblock in his way is getting enough playing time in the ultra-talented Brewer outfield.

[BirdWatcher]

For the 8th time in his career and the 3rd time just this season.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brooklyn Aces, winners of 9 straight, are probably the only team in the MGL with any realistic hope of catching the Denver Brewers for the MGL pennant (barring an epic collapse by Denver). They currently trail the Brewers by 10 games while the 3rd place L.A. Spinners have now fallen 20 games off the pace.

But it was not welcome news when they found out that they would be without the services of their veteran sparkplug third baseman Greg Alwardt, a 4-time Gold Glover and 3-time All-Star, for roughly a month and a half, which may see him return with very few games left in the 1978 regular season.



They are somewhat in luck to have another veteran Gold Glover to plug into the position in David Holland, but while Alwardt has had a down year at the plate, Holland has been absolutely atrocious with the bat this season. (And he is the opposite of Alwardt when it comes to work ethic reputation.)

[BirdWatcher]

Having recently made a list of the top players currently at each position, I thought it might be interesting to look at the players who most stand out on this list, position by position, as less well known than they should be and then most of the other players who qualify as among the best in the game.
(To simplify, the list was constructed by looking at current overall ratings by position, as seen by the Brewers head scout/scouting staff. The number of players varies a bit position by position as well as the cut-off point in terms of overall star rating, but generally this includes players with 4 stars and above.)
It is also a good time to take a high level view of what players are considered to be among the best at their position and to get a quick glance at some basic stats for them at this point of the 1978 WPK season.

So, without further ado, let's start with....

Starting Pitchers:

Among the top starting pitchers in the WPK are four Pitcher of the Year award winners, and three pitchers who are serious candidates to win the award this season who haven't yet added one of these trophies to their cabinet.
And then there is our guy- a top flight Ace (or near ace) who has yet to even be added to an All-Star squad.
But let's start with the well-known guys:
-Aaron McNally (Brooklyn), 3-time Pitcher of the Year, 2-time pitching Triple Crown winner, competing again for top honors this season with an 18-6 record, 2.90 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 6.9 WAR.
-Jim Norris (Columbus), 2-time Pitcher of the Year, 11-7, 3.02, 1.00, 2.9 WAR this season.
-Eduardo Obando (Los Angeles), 1976 MGL Pitcher of the Year, 12-6, 2.77, 1.16, 4.6 WAR this season.
-Mike Stagner (San Francisco), 1973 SJL Pitcher of the Year, 6-8, 3.72, 1.29, 2.5 WAR.
And the possible soon to be Pitchers of the Year:
-Sadahige Kawasaki (Denver), 14-6, 2.18, 0.97, 7.0 WAR.
-Luis Ramirez (Columbus), 15-6, 2.09, 1.06, 6.4 WAR.
-Sekien Hamasaki (Denver), 15-4, 2.37, 1.00, 5.7 WAR.

And here is your most unheralded starting pitcher among the best in the game:




Rino Aguillon was signed as a soon-to-be 17 year old out of Venezuela by his current club, the Philadelphia Mud Hens, on the last day of January, 1967. He rose quietly through the farm system, with his highest rating as a prospect being #35 in the WPK, and then as a 24-year old, in his first full WPK season, led the league in WHIP (1.10) and BB/9 (1.7). He has never even sniffed a Pitcher of the Year award, has never been an All-Star, never won any award at all, beyond a Pitcher of the Month award this past month. But he is 69-45 with a 3.06 ERA in his big league career thus far and is on pace to equal his previous season best WAR of 5.5. It would not be fair to say he is unknown, as particularly in the Philly area he is adored by the fans for his strong work ethic and team loyalty.
There are concerns about his injury proneness, but when healthy the groundball specialist with pinpoint control and four plus pitches belongs in the upper echelons of his position in the WPK, but remains the most unheralded of the hurlers with that distinction.


Relief Pitchers:

I won't try to list all of the relievers who are considered among the best, as it is lengthier than most positions. And with the inconsistency of relievers generally, some of the pitchers on the list aren't really having seasons that live up to their reputations.
But of course among them are some spectacular relievers who are well-known:
-Jamar Clay (Columbus), 5-6, 23 svs, 1.99, 0.91, 3.8 WAR.
-Ben Bakeman (Oklahoma City), 3-5, 26, 2.08, 1.03, 1.3 WAR.
-Tim Shore (Denver), 2-0, 20, 1.52, 0.89, 0.8 WAR.
A couple of well-known L.A. Spinners are on the list as well- Shouta Hori and Yu-bao Tong- but neither are having particularly good seasons. And much the same could be said of Denver relievers Ben Flynn and Jason Gottula (though Gottula has been mostly good), who are also on the list.

Here is your most under-appreciated reliever:



It isn't that Ault hasn't received any honors. He has been a 3-time All-Star, though that also is a product of playing for the expansion Chicago Fire. Somebody has to represent the team after all. Then again, Ault's lack of greater recognition probably also comes from being a member of the Fire. He is having a fine season this year- if he wasn't in the same league as the amazing Jamar Clay he might have a chance to win his first Reliever of the Year award- he is a team captain, and at age 26 he should have several more good years ahead.


Catcher:

Almost surely the best catcher in the SJL is Boston's Elvis Iniguez, who is generally considered the greatest defensive catcher of his generation. He is not a bad hitter but is having a bit of an off year at the plate (.242/.342/.393) but with his great defense he still has a fine 3.3 WAR and he has a reputation for being a quality guy on the field and in the clubhouse.
In the MGL Jason Ott of Los Angeles is the king of the position, primarily for his offensive upside though he is also a fine defensive backstop. (His average arm keeps him from being premiere defensively.) Ott is hitting .303/.397/.485 this year and has a WAR of 3.4.
Other standouts:
-Andrew Litteral (San Francisco), .317/.346/.417, 3.6 WAR.
-Lupe Ramirez (Seattle), .290/.355/.470, 3.9 WAR.
-Bryan Wojtach (Jacksonville), .264/.337/.466, 3.8 WAR.
-Greg Foster (Los Angeles), .358/.389/.504, 3.2 WAR.

And your most under-rated catcher:



Admittedly, David Clark is young and hasn't been in the league very long so he should get more attention in the future. While his defense is just average his bat and attitude should help make him a bigger star in the league.

First base:

Honestly, this is a position where it is hard to find a player who is truly under-rated among the best. Other than Philly's slugging rookie Mike Lovett (formerly of the Denver Brewers), most of the players at the top for this position are pretty well-known and well-established in the WPK.

Among them:
-Brett Taranto (Denver), .354/.392/.536, 6.1 WAR.
-Josh Schultz (Milwaukee), .276/.364/.466, 4.3 WAR.
-Danny Salvador (Brooklyn), .247/.362/.428, 3.3 WAR.
-Luis Gonzales (Washington), .291/.350/.488, 2.4 WAR.

So we will go with this veteran as the most un-heralded star first baseman:



It's not that the 27-year old Seattle first baseman is unknown and he has already been named to 3 All-Star teams, but among the best players at his position he may be a bit over-looked, and certainly playing for the usually dismal Alligators doesn't help. But with his line drive approach and great contact ability and decent power, and his strong leadership abilities, in spite of his extreme lack of foot speed, Reinhardt should remain among the best hitters in the game for some time to come.

Second base:

This is a position dominated by veteran players at the top of the list:
-Bobby Erbakan (Denver), .304/.347/.468, 3.2 WAR.
-Xiao-mei Mah (Philadelphia), .304/.384/.451, 2.9 WAR.
-Jared Hancock (San Antonio), .263/.303/.469, 1.3 WAR.
-Tony Knighton (Charlotte), .277/.388/.444, 5.1 WAR (Knighton, who at age 30 only has 1 AS game under his belt, was a candidate for most under-rated).
-Randy Keisel (Oklahoma City), .292/.325/.402, 1.7 WAR.

But this youngster is our pick for most under-rated:




Granted, Nathan Littlepage is only in his third full season as a big league second baseman, but with his fine all-around game it is hard to believe he hasn't received more attention already. At 25 years of age and with a reputation of great durability and good character, and with his El Paso Dawgs on the rise, count on Littlepage getting more positive attention going forward.

[BirdWatcher]

And now for the remainder of the positions, and our most under the radar stars at each position.

Third base:

Third base is a position in the WPK which is largely dominated by veteran players, with the 37-year old future Hall of Famer Jesus Hernandez still perhaps the best in the game. Trevor Leach, at 34, is perhaps just out of the list of the best at the position, but barely. Among the other at the top of the list are three 30 year-olds, Steven Brown, Kasey O'Neil, and Josh Connelly and a 26-year old in Ken Rowell.
Let's take a quick look at their numbers this season:
-Jesus Hernandez (Los Angeles), .289/.355/.524, 4.9 WAR.
-Steven Brown (Milwaukee), .360/.404/.511, 4.1 WAR (on the IL since July 17th).
-Kasey O'Neil (Boston), .266/.354/.445, 3.8 WAR.
-Josh Connelly (Washington), .269/.356/.431, 2.8 WAR.
-Ken Rowell (Columbus), .278/.349/.407, 3.0 WAR.

But the guy we chose as the most under-rated at this position is 31-year old Kevin Reed of Oklahoma City.




It is hard to believe that this 3-time All-Star and 2-time Gold Glove award winner was signed by the Diamond Kings on a minor league contract after his original team, the Portland Wild Things, who had drafted him 35th overall in the 1968 draft, released him in March of 1970. Not that the Portland organization is known for their great decision making. Reed is a smart ballplayer, a good leader, durable, a great defender and a decent enough hitter. He'll never be a superstar, but he's a heck of a fine ballplayer.

Shortstop:

When it comes to great shortstops in the WPK it is tempting to say the list is Bud Lindsay, and then a bunch of other dudes far behind him. Lindsay, when he can stay healthy (which thank goodness he has for the past nearly three full seasons) is the consensus best player in the WPK. Period. At any and all positions. (Yes, Justin Vargas might quibble a bit with this statement. But probably only a bit.)
And as if his on-field performance weren't enough, Lindsay is also the greatest team leader, greatest role model, greatest example of what a good human should be, this side of Jamar Clay. Sure there are the chants of MVP, MVP that reign down from the stands in San Antonio (and even on the road sometimes.) But beyond that even, it is common to see Lindsay for President signs all around the park, and not that uncommon even to see the more irreverent Lindsay for Supreme Deity signs.
Anyway, enough about the great one. This list is clearly not about the Bud Lindsay's of the world.

After Lindsay (who is hitting .329/.387/.557 with a WPK best WAR of 8.4 and a ZR of +9.5, and would appear to be well on his way to a third straight SJL MVP award), there is another San Antonio player who while he is considered a shortstop probably should have been on the second base list here, since that is the position he mostly plays. Talk about an embarrassment of riches- the Keys just have probably the two best shortstops in the game at the same time. Oh, the other guy is John Mussaw and he is just 24-years old and this is his first full season on the team. While he's hitting a modest .266/.328/.432 he has a fine 5.0 WAR as he is not only maybe even a better fielder than Lindsay (his somewhat weak arm might mean that second base is his future position regardless) and one of the fastest men in the game but also very smart, has plus plus contact ability and developing power. Lindsay light or the second coming of Bud? Too early to tell.

Okay- others on the list and then our choice for most unjustly unheralded:

-Bruce Heath (Jacksonville), .331/.362/.409, 4.6 WAR.
-Chris Blackmore (Brooklyn), .294/.350/.449, 3.9 WAR (maybe the best Canadian in the league currently).
-Mineto Kato (Philadelphia), .271/.316/.370, 2.4 WAR.
-Ren-qing Leong (Detroit), .244/.326/.398, 1.3 WAR (tough sophomore year).
-Chris Tobin (Baltimore), .282/.346/.399, 0.7 WAR (poor defense, -14.0 ZR, has caught up with last year's MGL MVP).
-Rich White (Denver), .293/.341/.405, 3.3 WAR (best ZR of the group at +10.6).

And our underdog:




In his 3rd full WPK season, Jason Damron has emerged as one of the better all-around shortstops in the game (not in a Keys uniform, that is) and thus far has 2 Player of the Week honors to show for it. But with his elite defensive skills and his incredible makeup, Damron should have an excellent career in front of him, in spite of his lack of great foot speed or a hit tool any better than average.

Left field:

It is very tempting to call veteran El Paso left fielder Curtis Horah the most under-rated player at the position, in spite of the fact that he has a real chance of entering the WPK Hall of Fame when his career is over. Here is the essential fact that must be stated about Horah- he has a career ZR in left field of +293. Yes, you read that right- +293! He may just be a left fielder, but he is also almost without a doubt the greatest defensive player of his generation in the WPK. (He is Brooks Robinson, he is Ozzie Smith, he is Willie Mays and Andruw Jones. But in left field. You get the picture.)
At age 29 he has amassed an impressive 80.1 WAR total. And it isn't all defense. He has also put up a career slash line of .293/.356/.425 and has 346 career stolen bases. This season he is hitting .302/.363/.433 with a WAR of 6.6 and a ZR of +22.4. Oh, and he's considered wrecked, so only time will tell how much longer he can keep this up.

Anyway, he's not the guy we chose.
Let's look at some of the other best at the position first:
-Larry Leshane (Pittsburgh), .333/.474/.426, 3.2 WAR (okay, maybe actually this guy is the best Canadian in the game right now).
-Chia-ch'ing Chou (Baltimore), .288/.403/.432, 1.0 WAR (maybe the most over-rated at this point, though a great power hitter and OBP guy).
-Jeremy Brigatti (Brooklyn), .286/.354/.410, 3.8 WAR.
-Cody Kane (Boston), .308/.359/.545, 3.0 WAR.
-Matt Kinney (Baltimore), .290/.351/.500, 2.2 WAR.

And our most under-rated:



Hector Alvares is one of those guys who probably gets ignored too much because he is just so consistent and quiet. Over his 10+ year career he has a 162-game average of 5.0 WAR. He's been an All-Star twice and a Gold Glover twice, but only has led the league in two categories ever, and in the same season (1971) when he led in runs scored and bases on balls. His baseball smarts show up in his ability to steal bases with not tremendous foot speed, his disciplined approach at the plate, and his steady defense. Not a Hall of Fame guy, but a strong candidate for the Hall of the Very Good.

Center field:

This is a position that sees a few youngsters rising to prominence, and it is after all a position where youthful legs are needed.
So, we all watch the rise of El Paso's Pete Wierdekehr (.333/.432/.529, 6.3 WAR) and Pittsburgh's even younger Matt Van der Heyden (.296/.436/.516, 7.4 WAR.)
After that:
-Joe McPhillips (Denver), .274/.373/.471, 4.7 WAR.
-Chase DiMascio (Boston), 277/.339/.424, 3.2 WAR.
-Jose Gutierrez (Charlotte), .313/.362/.459, 3.9 WAR.
-Lazaro Lowndes (Houston), .279/.356/.377, 3.1 WAR.
-Zach McClelland (San Antonio), .296/.351/.411, 3.9 WAR.
-Ryan Showalter (Philadelphia), .326/.404/.515, 5.4 WAR.
-Tommie Signor (Brooklyn), .299/.370/.432, 5.1 WAR.

And our under-rated guy:



Heath Zwieg is such a stabilizing influence in the middle of that defense and the Spinners staff owe him a great deal. Of the center fielders on this list, he has the best ZR at +8.4. He also has that great arm which has led to 12 outfield assists this season, and likely a great many times when runners didn't chance advancement. He's a fine well-rounded ballplayer with great habits and plenty of smarts. He is a bit fragile, but overall he deserves more attention then he gets and it is hard to believe that playing in the biggest market in the game he doesn't receive more press.

Right field:

After Bud Lindsay, probably the two players who might have the greatest right to stake a claim to the title of best player in the game are both right fielders: Justin Vargas of Boston, a 2-time SJL MVP, and Pittsburgh's 28-year old star Bill Winchester. But they get plenty of attention.

Let's look at the list of best right fielders and then round out our list with the most under-rated right fielder.

-Justin Vargas (Boston), .312/.362/.568, 5.9 WAR.
-Bill Winchester (Pittsburgh), .346/.411/.579, 5.1 WAR.
-Jaime Benjamin (Oklahoma City), .292/.367/.498, 3.8 WAR.
-Ryan Rodgers (Brooklyn), .297/.424/.376, 3.9 WAR.
-Ju-ao Ju (Phoenix), .306/.393/.545, 4.4 WAR.
-John Kantlehner (Columbus), .310/.376/.422, 3.5 WAR.


And our final under-rated star:



Yes, that's right, the Brewers own Josh Schaeffer. Having been chosen in the 2nd round of the 1967 draft while his outfield mate Joe McPhillips was the 5th overall pick of the same draft, Schaeffer has been in the shadow of his more talented and charismatic teammate for his entire professional career. But this season Schaeffer is the one with a legitimate MVP claim (though he will have to go through another teammate, Brett Taranto, if he is going to earn it.) Schaeffer is not just the best OBP guy in the game, but he has consistently exceeded his expectations as a contact hitter, has a fair amount of power, and fields his position quite well (+4.0 ZR this season with 12 outfield assists). He has a 162-game average of 6.0 WAR and is on pace for a career-best 7.6 WAR. And while he does have a couple of championship rings, he only has 2 All-Star appearances to show for his efforts. And this is a guy who has been slapped with the lazy label (perhaps a bit too lazily). He may not be the sparkplug McPhillips is, but then again he also doesn't suffer the kind of silly injuries Joe does, and if just keeps consistently performing the way he has, who is to question his approach?

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 4-2 (week), 86-40, 1st place, MGL (season)


August 20-22, versus Charlotte: 8-7, 5-4, 8-0.

August 24-26, at Detroit: 1-4, 0-3, 5-1.

In game 1 of 3 against the Charlotte Sting in Denver, staff ace Sadahige Kawasaki was not at his best, giving up 5 runs on 9 hits over 6 innings pitched. But his team took him off the hook for a loss with a potent offensive attack led by Joe McPhillips, who went 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored, 1 RBI, and 2 doubles to get to 18 on the season. Brett Taranto was 4 for 4, scoring twice and hitting his 12th triple of 1978. Geoff Bartholomew was 3 for 5 with a run scored and 3 driven in and hit his 10th double. Ben Flynn pitched an effective 2 innings for his 5th hold but then closer Tim Shore (1-0, 1.57) suffered just his 2nd blown save of the season when he allowed 2 runs to the Sting in the top of the 9th, which tied the game. Shore got the win when Bartholomew hit the game-winning walk-off single shortly thereafter.

Game 2 was another 1-run squeaker for the home club. And another walk-off thanks to Geoff Bartholomew, who this time hit his 11th double of the season to win it. It was the rookie shortstop's lone hit, but he did walk once, scored a run, and stole his 2nd base of the season as a Brewer. Erik Sloan got the start and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits over 6 2/3rds innings, not getting a decision. Tim Shore (2-0, 1.52) picked up his 2nd win in 2 days, this time without blemish. Antonio Acuna was 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 driven in and picked up his 9th stolen base (in 9 tries). Josh Schaeffer contributed with a 2 for 3, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 HR (16) game, and also picked up his 14th stolen base. Bobby Erbakan got his 10th stolen base and Joe McPhillips threw out 2 runners at third base in this one as well.

After two walk-off wins in a row, the Brewers were happy to get an easy victory in game 3 for the series sweep. Sekien Hamasaki (15-4, 2.37), who had been sliding a bit since a great first half of the season, pitched a real gem in this one, allowing just 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 and throwing 99 pitches in the shutout ("pitched a Maddux").
The offense was highly efficient, scoring 8 runs on just 8 hits (though 5 walks and 2 Charlotte errors helped). Brett Taranto went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored, 2 walks, and hit his 24th double. Val Guzman had just 1 hit but it was his 9th home run of the season and he drove in 3 runs in the game (2-run HR and sac fly.) And Zacarias Martell's 1 hit was his 4th homer of the season.



After a day off for travel, the Brewers found themselves in a park that often seems to flummox them, Detroit's East Lake Park. Even though the Detroit Falcons have the overall worst record in the history of the MGL thus far, and even though East Lake Park only slightly favors pitchers, for some reason the Brewers often struggle to score runs here.
And that history played out once again in game 1 of this 3 game series.
The Brewers could only manage a single run on 6 hits against the Falcons veteran right-hander Kantaro Yasui and a fine start by rookie Jim Atwell was wasted. Atwell gave up just 1 unearned run on 4 hits in his 7 innings pitched for a no-decision. Atwell left with a 1-0 lead but relievers Walter Hackler (0-1, 3.24) and Jason Gottula (4th blown save) were unable to preserve it for him. Josh Schaeffer went 2 for 4 and drove in the lone Brewers run in the game, hitting his 22nd double. The Brewers uncharacteristically also picked up 4 errors on the game, with Zacarias Martell not only committing his 8th error (trying to throw out John Hemmah stealing 2nd- Hemmah picking up his WPK leading 54th stolen base) but also suffering his 5th passed ball of the season.

More of the same in game 2 as the Brewers fail to score at all against left-handed former Brewer Hector Hard (who had to leave the game early due to an injury suffered while running the bases) and the Falcons bullpen with veteran closer Lawrence Jones picking up his 24th save. (Another former Brewer, Josh McEwen, pitched 3 solid innings in this one to act as bridge to the closer.) Steve Green (11-8, 3.97) took the loss for Denver, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits over 6 innings. The Brewers got a grand total of 2 hits in this one and both were off the bat of back-up catcher Kirk Patnode. Patnode, a defensive specialist, is once again over-performing at the plate this season, as he has done in 3 of his 4 seasons as the Brewers backup backstop, with a slash line of .309/.382/.385. (So maybe it can't really be called over-performing any more. Maybe the scouts are simply wrong about his bat?)

But in game 3 the Brewers somewhat rediscover their bats and they get a great start from Sadahige Kawasaki (15-6, 2.13) to avoid getting swept by the lowly Falcons. Kawasaki lasted 8 innings, giving up 1 run on 6 hits. The interesting thing about the Brewers offense was that, facing a tough left-hander in Randy Cali, they got their biggest hits from left-handed batters Josh Schaeffer and Val Guzman, while the right-handers in the heart of the order- Brett Taranto, Bobby Erbakan, Antonio Acuna- remained quiet in this one as they had the entire series. (Granted, both Brett and Bobby did finally collect run scoring singles in the 2-run 9th inning.)
Schaeffer, who usually sits against left-handed starters, went 2 for 3 with a run scored and a walk, and hit his 23rd double of the season and Val Guzman only had 1 hit but it was a big one as his 7th inning double (22nd of season) broke a 1-1 tie at that point of the game. Jake DiCesare, a switch hitter who prefers to face left-handers, also contributed a 2 for 4, 1 run, 1 RBI game.

The Brewers finish the week with a still 10-game lead over 2nd place Brooklyn. And with September approaching there really is no other team with a reasonable chance to catch Denver. L.A. sits 19 games out in 3rd place and the fading Oklahoma City Diamond Kings are now 24 back in 4th place.

Over in the Shoeless Joe League, the once lowly El Paso Dawgs are hoping to head into the final month of the season on the top of the standings, and currently hold a 3 game lead over Boston and Philadelphia. San Antonio and Columbus are also fighting to stay in the race, both 5 games off the pace.

[BirdWatcher]

So, apparently the former Brewer phenom still has a little something left in the tank after all.

[BirdWatcher]

Same with our old friend Streak Souffront apparently, as well.
(Though it hasn't been a good season for Ruben overall.)

[BirdWatcher]

Yup, he might be the best reliever of his era in the WPK, but Jamel McNeil is no picnic in a clubhouse.
And with the Spinners far behind the leaders in the MGL and McNeil, at age 37, no longer unhittable, it is no surprise that tensions are rising.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



Three time All-Star Kyle Doss put together four straight seasons- from 1971 through 1974- with at least 3.6 WAR a season, walking more than 100 times in three straight seasons and leading the league in OBP twice and OPS once. And then after a slight decline in 1975, things went south for the fragile slugger. While at age 31 he isn't exactly having a renaissance season in 1978, for the month of August he did seem to recapture his youth temporarily and earned the Player of the Month honors in the process.

MGL:



Chris Murphy was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1967 draft by Phoenix and was a modest prospect when he was traded by Phoenix shortly before the trading deadline in 1972, along with the great Austrian reliever Benni Heregger to Brooklyn for catcher Joe Merritt and a starting pitcher who never made the big leagues and is now retired. Murphy proved to be a late bloomer, not getting a chance to start with the Aces until 1976 at the age of 27. And while he hasn't yet exactly emerged as a star (he has been in one All-Star game), he is having his best season yet in 1978 and is the team captain. He doesn't receive many accolades, but he fully deserves every honor that comes his way, and more.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



Adrian Moreno, who was the 13th overall draft pick in 1969, chosen by the Detroit Falcons, was then later grabbed by the Houston Cavaliers in the 15th round of the expansion draft. At the time he was rated the 31st best prospect in the WPK. In his first three years as a member of the Cavaliers he was a member of the bullpen, getting progressively better each season. And then finally, at the end of this May, Moreno was finally inserted into the starting rotation. And that has gone pretty well so far, with Pitcher of the Month honors for the hard working right-hander being the most recent happy result. Houston is currently in last place in the SJL, but with the 2nd strongest farm system in the league and Moreno at the top of the rotation, things could be looking much better in the not too distant future.

MGL:



Aaron McNally. Pitcher of the Month. What really is there to explain. On the verge of another 20 win season and with a strong chance to claim his 4th Pitcher of the Year award at the end of the season (can Sadahige Kawasaki somehow unseat him?), McNally continues to cement his position as the best ace in the game now that Jake Harris and Cheol-han Lee have departed the stage.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



If there is one thing the San Antonio Keys are definitely good at it is developing great hitters. John Freeman is the latest and one of the best, this side of All-World player Bud Lindsay. Unlike Lindsay, Freeman has no defensive skills. But the man can rake and that was good enough for him to win the August Rookie of the Month honors and will likely lead to the same honors for the season before too long.

MGL:



If the question is who is most likely to become the best right fielder in the game in the next decade, or if the question is who is most likely to become one of the best leaders- a true captain- in the game during that same time period, a pretty good answer to both questions would be Robert Mustard. He's also the guy most likely to deny Denver phenom Jim Atwell the Rookie of the Year honors at the end of this season.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



Well, this should be fun down the stretch. Maybe I should remain objective, but forget that- I say, Go Dawgs!

MGL:



Everyone in the Denver Brewers organization is staying on the same page in public. Still a lot of season to go, nothing is won yet, gotta stay focused, don't hand us the pennant yet.
But seriously, who are they kidding? Really, what are the chances anyone but Denver walks away with the Moonlight Graham League pennant at the end of this regular season?

[BirdWatcher]

End of season award possibilities?:

As we enter the final full month of the season there isn't a great deal of suspense over whether the Brewers will be headed back to the Kinsella Classic Series. While it would be foolish of the team to let their guard down now and take the pennant for granted, realistically it is extremely unlikely anyone other than the Denver Brewers will end the season at the top of the standings in the MGL (or in all of the WPK, for that matter).

But where there is more suspense is on the question of whether any Brewer players will walk away with a major award at the end of the season?
Let's look at major award chances, starting with...

MGL MVP:

Last season many in the Brewers camp felt that veteran second baseman Bobby Erbakan deserved the league MVP award but with several players in the MGL putting up big offensive numbers, and particularly big power numbers, Bobby fell just short, finishing second to Baltimore's Chris Tobin.
This season looks quite a bit different as home runs are down and while the MGL continues to have better overall offensive numbers than the SJL, there are fewer standout individual performances.
At this time two Brewers teammates are at the top of the league in WAR among position players- Brett Taranto and Josh Schaeffer, both with 6.0 WAR.
Taranto continues to lead the MGL in batting average, though he has seen his average dip a bit lately, hitting at a .345 clip. His nearest competitor, Detroit's Bryan Whitehead, sits at .339 with Baltimore's Robert Mustard third at .331. Taranto is currently just 1 RBI off the lead league, shared by teammate Val Guzman and Phoenix' slugger Ju-au Ju, who each have 83 RBI. Taranto is first in hits in the MGL with 187, first in triples with 13, first in total bases with 282, second behind Ju-au Ju in extra base hits with 52. He is third in slugging percentage at .520, third in OPS at .903, second in runs scored behind teammate Josh Schaeffer with 98, fourth in Win Probability Added behind Mustard and teammates Josh Schaeffer and Val Guzman at 3.41, third in wOBA behind Schaeffer and Ju at .403, and eighth in isolated power at .175. And he has a very good chance at earning a Gold Glove award for his play at first base.

Schaeffer, meanwhile, is in the midst of a great second half of the season, and is now seventh in batting average (.316), first in OPS (.962), fourth in slugging (.513), first in runs scored (100), first in OPS+ (151), third in isolated power (.198), first in wOBA (.425), second in WPA (4.25), and of course, as pretty much always, first in walks (90) and OBP (.962). And he is a solid defender in right field (+4.0 ZR) with a plus arm (12 outfield assists).

Other than each other, who are Taranto and Schaeffer's biggest competitors for MVP?
The rejuvenated Ju-au Ju will certainly be in the mix. After winning the award in 1975, the slugging Phoenix right fielder struggled through a couple of injury marred seasons but currently leads the league in home runs with 25, is tied with Val Guzman for the RBI lead at 83, is fourth in OBP (.389), first in slugging (.538), second in OPS (.926), third in total bases (243), eight in walks (65), first in extra base hits (54), second in isolated power (.235) and OPS+ (139). He is also second in wOBA (.410) and fifth in WPA (3.17). But given that he is a poor defender and a slow runner, Ju's 4.6 WAR puts him well behind the leaders in the league.

What about veteran L.A. third baseman Jesus Hernandez, an almost sure Hall of Famer? Well, Hernandez, at age 37, is second in the league in home runs with 24, second in slugging (.524), fifth in OPS (.879), tied for fourth in extra base hits (46), first in isolated power (.238), third in OPS+ (.138), and fourth in wOBA (.392). And with still very good defense in spite of his age and lack of pure speed (he does remain a great base stealer and base runner for such a slow guy), Hernandez sits in fourth place in the MGL in WAR at 5.4. Hernandez could win this second MVP trophy on the strength of those fine numbers combined with his nearly matchless reputation.

And rookie Robert Mustard? He is among the league leaders not just in batting average (3rd) but also RBI (5th), OBP (7th), slugging (5th), OPS (4th), WAR (5th), hits (3rd), runs scored (3rd), doubles (1st place, tie), total bases (2nd), extra base hits (3rd), OPS+ (4th), WPA (1st), and wOBA (5th). The young man is almost surely the Rookie of the Year (sorry, Atwell) and should get strong support for MVP as well.

A few other possible strong candidates: Oklahoma City's Jaime Benjamin (.289/.363/.482, 3.8 WAR), Brooklyn's Tommie Signor (.302/.377/.447, 5.8 WAR), Detroit's John Hemmah (.319/.399/.414, 5.2 WAR).


Pitcher of the Year:

Aaron McNally of Brooklyn has won this three of the past four seasons. And this year he leads all of the WPK with 19 wins, is first in WAR at 7.6, first in complete games (13), second in FIP (2.47), second in rWAR (6.8), tied for second in quality starts (21), and eighth in ERA (2.87). Is all of this good enough for a fourth Pitcher of the Year trophy? Well, we wouldn't bet against him.

But if it isn't McNally then almost surely it should be Denver's own Sadahige Kawasaki.
Kawasaki leads the league in ERA (2.13), is tied for third in wins (with teammate Sekien Hamasaki) with 15, is second in WAR (7.1), first in K/BB (5.3), first in BB/9 (1.0), first in WHIP (0.97), first in FIP (2.43), first in ERA+ (190) and rWAR (7.5) and in quality starts (23).

And let's not count out teammate Sekien Hamasaki either. Hamasaki is just third in ERA (2.43), tied for third in wins (15), third in WAR (5.9), sixth in strikeouts (124), second in K/BB (3.2), third in K/9 (6.6), seventh in BB/9 (2.1), second in WHIP (0.98), third in FIP (2.51), third in ERA+ (167) and rWAR (5.9), first in opponents batting average (.206), third in winning percentage (.789), and seventh in quality starts (19).

There are other decent contenders, but really it should come down to these three.
Surely Brooklyn's Jose Hernandes (12-3, 2.30, 1.19 WHIP, 3.9 WAR), L.A.'s Eduardo Obando (12-7, 2.83, 1.17, 4.8 WAR), Oklahoma City's rookie Joe Shetler (14-9, 3.07, 1.24, 4.0 WAR), among others, will get some votes. But the good money is on either McNally or Kawasaki walking away with the hardware, with Hamasaki a bit of dark horse.

Rookie of the Year:

Folks in Brewers nation would naturally like to see budding future ace Jim Atwell get this one. And it's not that Atwell isn't deserving, what with his 14-6 record, 3.12 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 3.2 WAR. He is among the league leaders in several categories: wins (tied for 5th), shutouts (tied for 3rd), strikeouts (4th), K/9 (4th), WHIP (5th), rWAR (8th), opponents average (2nd), and win percentage (7th). We didn't mention him above, but surely he will even get some Pitcher of the Year votes.
But let's face it, this one is almost surely Robert Mustard's to lose. And he probably won't lose it.

Reliever of the Year:

Veteran Brewer closer Tim Shore should be a strong contender for this award, which he won while in the SJL in 1974. He is having a great season at age 32, with 22 saves in 24 chances, a 1.40 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. But as basically a one-inning closer he hasn't pitched a lot of innings and so has a WAR of just 0.9.

Oklahoma City's Ben Bakeman (one of my favorites) leads the league in saves with 27 (also with 2 blown saves), has a fine ERA of 2.03, a WHIP of 1.01, and 1.3 WAR.

Detroit's veteran closer Lawrence Jones has had the finest season of his long career. Jones has earned 24 saves (with 3 blown saves), has an ERA of 2.55, a WHIP of 1.26, but with more innings pitched has a WAR of 1.7.

These are probably the main candidates and it is hard to know who might win this, but my money is on Bakeman.


Ulrik's Update:

Head scout Ulrik Berthlesen has delivered his latest development report from the scouting staff.

Unsurprisingly the scouts see a decline in the value of veteran lefty Erik Sloan. There is also some sense that left-handed reliever Victor Colon is trending in the wrong direction.



On the other hand, they are pleased with how things are going for third baseman Jake DiCesare, who is seen as having developed into a superior defensive player.
And minor league outfielder Eric Hammock is now projected to be an offensive force in the WPK, and the sense is that his bat, at least, is big league ready right now. (No word yet on whether the team will call him up this season but he did just get moved up to AAA.)




Top outfield prospect Matt Catlett also is seen as exhibition growth in both his contact hitting abilities and his batting eye potential.




September call-ups:

With the calendar rolling around to September 1st, the Brewers have brought up several players from AAA Chester, including Rich White who had been on a rehab assignment since coming off the IL.
Two of the heroes of last year's Kinsella Classic Series return: pitcher John Weaver and outfielder Jon Williams.
Relievers Brandon Veach and Rand Pinti also return.
Catcher Erik Bettencourt, who has put up a slash line of .355/.410/.538 with 4.3 WAR at Chester this year, is back. Nearing age 26 and with all the indications of being able to be a starter at the WPK level, it is time for the Brewers to figure out how they are going to use this young man (possibly as trade bait?).

A surprise addition is 22-year old starting pitcher Antonio Valadez, who is a durable, hard working young man who has put up fine numbers in the minors in spite of not being considered a legitimate prospect. (Okay, this was a mistake- I was trying to drag and drop Weaver and accidentally got this guy. But then I decided it made sense to give him his cup of coffee as he has earned it and he doesn't have ratings that would indicate he is completely over-matched at the WPK level- just mostly over-matched. )



Other players are likely to join the Brewers as the month wears on, but with the Big Stick in first place it was decided to give them a chance to earn another championship and not strip them of all of their most valuable players. (The two young first baseman are both having tremendous years and likely one of them will be up soon with the other to follow later: Richard Escamilla has a slash line of .336/.422/.549 and 3.6 WAR and Bobby Stewart is hitting .336/.409/.500 with 1.4 WAR as his backup.)

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 4-3 (week), 90-43, 1st place, MGL (season).

August 27-29, at Portland: 3-7, 5-3, 9-3.

August 30-September 1, versus San Francisco: 7-0, 6-4, 6-8.

September 2, at Baltimore: 5-6.

The Brewers drop game 1 in Portland against the Wild Things when left-handed reliever Jason Gottula (5-5, 4.94), who had such a good first half of the season after returning from a long absence having seen his 1977 season be shortened by a serious arm injury, couldn't hold onto the lead for starter Sekien Hamasaki and picked up his 5th blown save and 5th loss. Hamasaki had allowed 3 runs on just 4 hits over his 7 innings pitched. Nick Ward went 2 for 4 in the leadoff slot and hit his 4th triple of the season.

The Brewers bounce back for a game 2 win with Joe McPhillips 7th inning run producing double (his 20th) being the big hit in the game. Joe went 3 for 4 with a run scored and that 1 RBI. Jake DiCesare pitched in with a 2 for 4, 2 RBI game at the plate, hitting his 11th double. Erik Sloan (7-4, 4.65) got the win, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits in 7 1/3rd innings pitched. Tim Shore pitched the 9th for his 21st save.

And Denver takes the rubber match for the series win with a lot of the credit going to veteran catcher Zacarias Martell, who went 2 for 3 with a run scored and 3 driven in. Val Guzman went 2 for 4, scored twice, drove in a run with his 1st inning solo homer, his 10th of the season, and swiped two bases to get to 18. Captain Matty Helm only lasted 4 2/3rds innings in this one, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks, but Ben Flynn (6-2, 4.11) came in and went the rest of the way for the win, shutting the Wild Things down on 4 hits.

Returning home to Denver to take on the San Francisco Velocity, the Brewers got a gem in game 1 from young Mr. Jim Atwell (14-6, 3.12), who went the distance, giving up just 5 hits while striking out 8 and walking 2 batters. The former collegiate first baseman also went 2 for 5 at the plate and scored a pair of runs. Brett Taranto, Joe McPhillips, and Bobby Erbakan each had 3 hits in the game, with McPhillips hitting his 21st double and Brett his 13th triple. And Geoff Bartholomew went 2 for 5 and hit his 1st triple.



It took an 8th inning 4-run rally, but the Brewers secured the series win in game 2. That 8th inning rally was keyed by a huge pinch-hit bases loaded and bases clearing double off the bat of Val Guzman (I am really becoming fond of this young man). It was Guzman's 23rd double of the season. Bobby Erbakan hit his 24th double and went 2 for 5 with an RBI. Steve Green didn't get a decision but pitched an effective 7 2/3rd innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits with 6 K's and just 1 walk allowed. And he hit his 3rd double of the season and scored a run. Victor Colon (2-1, 4.59) picked up the win in relief and Tim Shore finished things up for his 22nd save.

San Francisco avoided being swept with a 3-run rally in the top of the 9th in the final game of the series on the first day of September. Tim Shore (2-1, 1.35) suffered just his 3rd blown save of the season and took the loss in this one. Sadahige Kawasaki had not been sharp in the start, giving up 5 runs on 11 hits, though he did strike out 7 without walking any batters, over his 7 innings pitched. Joe McPhillips went 2 for 2, scoring twice, driving in a run, hitting his 17th home run, and drawing a pair of walks in the loss. Bobby Erbakan homered for the 9th time this season and drove in 3 runs. Brett Taranto went 2 for 4 with his 25th double and Zacarias Martell was 2 for 4 with his 18th two-bagger.

In the series opener at Baltimore's Community Stadium, the Brewers lost a back-and-forth game when the Lords got a walk-off single from second baseman Luis Rodriguez off Victor Colon, who was trying to bail out Jason Gottula (5-6, 5.02), who once again struggled, giving up 1 run on 3 hits and a walk and took the loss. Sekien Hamasaki, like Sadahige Kawasaki the day before, was not sharp, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits over 6 2/3rds innings. Brett Taranto went 2 for 5 in the game, hitting his 14th triple and 16th home run. Catcher Erik Bettencourt, a September call-up, hit his 2nd home run of the season (he was with the club briefly earlier in the season as well). Bobby Erbakan hit double number 25 and Joe McPhillips hit his 22nd. Val Guzman went 2 for 3 with a run scored, one driven in, two walks, and picked up his 19th stolen base of the season. Joe McPhillips got his 18th stolen base and Josh Schaeffer his 15th also in this one.

In spite of getting off to an 0-2 start in the month of September, the Brewers maintain an 11-game lead over Brooklyn while L.A. creeps a bit closer and now trails by 17 games.

In the SJL, El Paso keeps their lead and Philadelphia is in second, 4 games back. Boston and San Antonio both sit at 5 games out, while the slumping Columbus Whalers drop to 8 off the pace and see their chances of claiming their 4th straight SJL pennant dwindling quickly.