The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



The Spinners veteran right-handed starter Kerry Krieg out-pitched Sadahige Kawasaki in game 1 of this series. Kawasaki gave up 5 runs on 10 hits while striking out 7 batters and walking 1 in taking his 3rd loss of the season. A 9th inning rally by the Brewers, which consisted of back-to-back solo home runs with 2 outs, falls short. Jose Figueroa and Rich White each went 2 for 4 in the loss, with White hitting one of the 2 homers for the Brewers, his 7th of the season.

Game 2:



Josh Schaeffer led off the Brewers portion of the 1st inning by hitting a massive home run, his 5th of the season, and went 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI in what would turn out to be his last game with the Brewers. Denver blew an early lead and then lost this one in extra innings. Starter Steve Green had a strong game, lasting 7 2/3rds innings, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 9 hits without a decision. Victor Colon took the loss in relief and was traded to Oklahoma City the next day, not entirely coincidentally, having seen his ERA rise to 7.98. Brett Taranto also hit a mammoth homer in the game, his 6th of the season. Antonio Acuna went 2 for 4 in the loss.

Game 3:



The Brewers avoid getting swept by the 2nd place Spinners by riding a 7-run 6th inning to an easy win in the final game of the series. Val Guzman (.291/.394/.439) led the way, going 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 driven in and hitting his 18th double and 5th home run of the season. (With Josh Schaeffer no longer on the club, Guzman takes over as the lead-off hitter in games where the Brewers are facing a right-handed starting pitcher.) Joe McPhillips (.289/.381/.451) went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI and hit his 16th double and 10th home run. Veteran left-handed starter Erik Sloan did not fare well, giving up 5 runs on 9 hits over just 4 1/3rd innings pitched, but the bullpen was strong with Javy Bermudez earning the win with a solid 2 1/3rd innings pitched.

Notes from around the league:



The most recent no-hitter in the WPK occurred on October 3rd of 1977 but earlier this week Philly's Jeff Tribble, who hurled a no-hitter back in May of 1972, nearly got his second career no-no in a win against the Houston Cavaliers. Tribble, the durable 32-year old who is the #2 starter in the Mud Hens rotation, had a no-hitter going Sunday afternoon that was broken up when Lazaro Lowndes legged out a 1-out infield single in the bottom of the 9th inning.
Tribble is a 2-time All-Star and led the league in pitching WAR during the 1974 season and wins for the 1975 season and while he is extremely popular with Philly fans he is only modestly famous outside of the City of Brotherly Love. But he is a key player in the Mud Hens push to move their way up the SJL standings in the 2nd half and claim their first SJL pennant.
Currently the Mud Hens are in 4th place with a 48-35 record, having won 8 of their last 10 games, and are 10 1/2 games out of 1st place. San Antonio (59-25) remain the frontrunners with Columbus (56-27) still in 2nd place, 2 1/2 games back. The Boston Berserkers (49-35) have been cooler of late but still hold onto 3rd place, 10 games off the pace.

In the MGL, the Brewers are still the front-runners but the L.A. Spinners, having taken 2 of 3 in Denver, move to within 8 games in 2nd place with a 50-34 record. The Brooklyn Aces (48-36) are in 3rd, 10 games out, while Detroit (46-38) retains solid control of 4th place, 12 games back of Denver.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



Phoenix Municipal Stadium is the best hitters' park in the WPK and it showed in the opening game of this series between the Brewers and the Speed Devils. Fortunately, the Brewers outslugged the Speed Devils, and not really by a little. To name all of the offensive heroes for Denver in this one would be to name nearly the entire roster of hitters. So just a few highlights, starting with the Player of the Game, Antonio Acuna, recently installed as the official starting right fielder with Josh Schaeffer traded to Oklahoma City. Acuna just went 3 for 5 with 4 runs scored and 3 RBI, hitting his 4th triple of the season and a pair of home runs to get him to 9 on the season. Val Guzman went 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI and hit his 6th homer of 1979. And, just sticking to the outfielders, Joe McPhillips was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI, hitting his 17th double and his 11th home run- a 2nd inning Grand Slam- and he also did some damage with his arm, throwing out 2 runners at home plate.
On the other hand, it wasn't the best introduction to Phoenix Municipal Stadium for young Bryant Cox, who started for the Brewers and lasted just 4 2/3rds innings while giving up 10 runs on 12 hits, including a pair of home runs. Cox did however himself have success at the plate in this one, going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 driven in. Ben Flynn was pretty good for 2 1/3rd innings and got the win.

Game 2:



The home club got the win in the middle game of the series, a much more low scoring affair. Jim Atwell went the distance, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits with 7 K's and 2 walks issued to take the loss. Val Guzman stayed hot and went 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI and hit his 19th double and 7th home run while also throwing out a runner at third base (though he did commit his 3rd error as well in this one.) It was his 3rd homer in as many games.

Game 3:



The Brewers, behind another strong start from staff ace Sadahige Kawasaki, win game 3 to take the series. Kawasaki got the complete game win, giving up 2 runs on just 3 hits while striking out 5 and walking none. Antonio Acuna (.363/.420/.553) continues to look like a a rising star as he went 3 for 5 and hit his 6th double of the season. Rich White (.310/.369/.491) was 2 for 4 and hit 2 doubles to get to 11.

Notes from around the league:



On the day when his replacement as the starting right fielder for the Brewers hit a pair of home runs and propelled his team to a big win in Phoenix, Josh Schaeffer, now the starting right fielder for Oklahoma City, had a 5-hit game. Schaeffer is off to a good start for his new team but the Diamond Kings still dropped 2 of 3 in their series with Detroit. The Diamond Kings (33-54) sit in last place in the MGL, 27 games behind the leaders. Those leaders are of course the Brewers who now have a 10 game lead on their two nearest competitors, the Brooklyn Aces and Los Angeles Spinners who each have a 50-37 record. Detroit (48-39) is in 4th place, 12 games back.

Over in the SJL, San Antonio (61-26) is playing well but so are the Columbus Whalers (58-28), who sit just 2 1/2 games behind in 2nd place. Boston (52-35), having won their last 4 games, are in 3rd, 9 games off the pace. Philadelphia (49-37) remain in 4th place, 11 1/2 games behind the Keys.

[BirdWatcher]

Along with his fellow corner outfielder Antonio Acuna, Val Guzman has been driving the Brewers recently with his continued great play, at the plate, in the field, and on the base paths. Guzman is also one of the most respected and well-liked members of the team and sets an example for other players to look up to and aspire to follow.

(In case you haven't noticed, while Acuna is probably the most exciting raw talent on the Brewers currently, this guy has become my personal favorite on the current club.)

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



Antonio Acuna, newly instated as the regular starting right fielder and cleanup hitter for the Brewers, seems to be very comfortable in his new role and he once again leads the Brewers to a big win in this first game of the series against the Lords. Acuna hits 2 more home runs to get to 11 on the season while going 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 4 driven in. Steve Green gets the win, having pitched 8 innings and allowing just 1 unearned run on 7 hits while striking out 11 and walking none. Bobby Erbakan and Brett Taranto each went 3 for 4 in the game- Bobby hitting his 9th double and team-best 14th home run and Brett collecting his 19th double. And Val Guzman was 2 for 5, scoring twice, and hitting his 20th double and 6th triple.
EDIT: And I completely forgot to note that Acuna's 2nd homer in this one was of the inside-the-park variety, to the best of my recollection the first such by a Brewers hitter this season.

Game 2:



Baltimore rallies late against an inconsistent Brewers bullpen to win game 2. Young left-handed reliever Rand Pinti was charged with 2 runs on 3 hits in his 1 inning pitched and was saddled with the loss. With his big league struggles continuing he was sent back to AAA Chester (with Brandon Veach taking his spot in the Brewers 'pen) after the game. Erik Sloan was pretty good in the start, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits over 7 1/3rd innings while walking 3 and striking out 5. Ben Flynn, getting another start at first base to give Brett Taranto, who has largely been slumping for weeks now, a breather, went 2 for 4 with one run scored and two driven in and hit his 7th double and 3rd home run of the season. Antonio Acuna homered again, his 12th, as part of a 2 for 4 game.

Game 3:



The Brewers return the favor in the rubber match, scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th to overtake the Lords and get the series win. A great deal of the credit goes to long-time utility infielder Joe Willemse, who almost always seems to come through in the clutch and makes the most of his rare opportunities to start. Willemse, giving Bobby Erbakan a breather at second base, went 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 1 driven in while providing wonderful defense up the middle. Eric Hammock, recently promoted from AAA after the trade of Josh Schaeffer, came off the bench to provide a huge 2-out, 2-run pinch-hit double in the 6th to help the Brewers get back into this one. Sekien Hamasaki, in his first start since returning from the IL and a rehab assignment, wasn't at his best, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits over 6 innings pitched. But the recently acquired left-handed reliever Nick Schroeder was excellent for 2 innings and got credit (deserved) for the win. Tim Shore pitched the 9th for his 21st save.

Notes from around the league:



It has been a few years since Obando-mania swept into Los Angeles and eventually around the WPK (1976), but when he is healthy the 30-year old right-hander out of Mexico remains one of the better pitchers in the league. Staying healthy is the trick for Eduardo though. He is currently having a solid, if unspectacular, season for the Los Angeles Spinners and held the hard-hitting Speed Devils to just 6 hits in his most recent start.
As for his Spinners, they are currently tied with Brooklyn for 2nd place in the MGL, a hefty 11 games behind the 1st place Brewers (both at 51-39). Detroit (49-41) remains in 4th place, 13 games out. (Phoenix is in 9th place with a 37-53 mark, 25 games off the pace.)

Over in the SJL, Columbus (61-29) has closed the gap to just 1 game as they put heat on the 1st place San Antonio Keys (62-28). Boston(52-28) has lost 3 straight and are 10 games out in 3rd and Philadelphia (50-40) has also dropped 3 in a row and are 12 games behind in 4th place.

[BirdWatcher]

Los Angeles veteran outfielder Nick Haran had a 5-hit game yesterday against the Baltimore Lords which included 3 home runs, the first of which gave him 300 for his career.




Haran becomes just the 8th player in WPK history to reach this milestone and with his third home run he passed up Brad Tesh (who retired last year with 301 homers) for 7th all-time.



At age 37 there is much debate about how much more baseball Haran can get out of his well-worn body (Wrecked) but while he isn't among the most celebrated players in the league history (just 2 All-Star appearances and 1 Silver Slugger award) there can be no doubt that he has had a distinguished career, which at this point has given him 61.9 WAR over his 14+ big league seasons. Haran's best years came as a member of the Phoenix Speed Devils in the late 60's and very early 70's, with his 1969 8.6 WAR season, in which he led the league in runs scored, slugging, and OPS, being his finest individual single season. He also led the league in runs scored the following season and then, as a member of the San Antonio Keys, led the SJL in walks for both the 1972 and 1973 seasons. Haran no longer possesses anything more than average foot speed but he remains a good base stealer and in his earlier days he combined speed and power, having collected 232 career stolen bases also.
His defense was never great but he has a very strong throwing arm and has thrown out 86 runners from center field and another 85 from right field over the course of his career.

While Nick Haran is almost surely not a Hall of Famer, there can be no doubt that when he eventually hangs up the spikes he will be remembered as a very fine ballplayer whose peak seasons were at least nearly HOF caliber.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



The visiting Brewers win the series opener behind Sadahige Kawasaki- who went the distance, allowing 1 run on 6 hits- and powered once again by Antonio Acuna, who for the third time in just a little over a week had a 2-homer game. Val Guzman was 2 for 5 and drove in 3 runs (from the leadoff slot), hitting his 22nd double and stealing his 16th base. Kirk Patnode was 4 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 1 driven in and hit his 12th double. And Rich White went 2 for 3 with 3 runs scored and a walk, and hit his 12th double as well.

Game 2:



But although Val Guzman was great, winning Player of the Game honors, in game 2, the Brewers took the loss. Guzman went 4 for 4 with a walk and hit 2 doubles to push his team-high total to 24. Jim Atwell took the loss, having worked 7 innings while giving up 4 runs on 6 hits and 6 bases on balls (striking out just 1 batter). Ben Flynn started at first base again and although he only had 1 hit it was his 4th home run of the season and Joe McPhillips 12th homer accounted for the only other Denver run in this one.

Game 3:



And in the rubber match former Brewer Josh Schaeffer hit a pair of home runs to propel the Diamond Kings to a win, taking the series. Another former Brewer (from longer ago), Jacob Kieft, also homered in the game for Oklahoma City. Steve Green lasted just 5 1/3rd innings while giving up 4 runs on 9 hits, including 3 home runs, to take the loss. Another good game for Val Guzman, though, as he went 3 for 5 with an RBI and hit his 25th double of 1979. Jake DiCesare went 2 for 4 and hit a pair of doubles to get to 15. And Antonio Acuna was also 2 for 4 and hit his 7th double.

Notes from around the league:



The Brooklyn Aces have gone 12-6 since the All-Star break, the best record in that time in the MGL other than the San Francisco Velocity, who are 13-5. Detroit, meanwhile, is 9-9 in that span and just lost 2 of 3, including this series ending shutout at the hands of Joel Travino, against the Aces.
Brooklyn (53-40) is in 2nd place, 10 games behind Denver. L.A. (52-41) remains in 3rd, 11 games back. And Detroit (50-43), in 4th still, sit 13 games off the pace.

Over in the SJL, the San Antonio Keys (63-29) have just a half game margin over 2nd place Columbus (63-30), while Boston (54-39) is in 3rd, 9 1/2 games off the pace. Philadelphia (52-41) has been scuffling a bit of late and are 11 1/2 games back in 4th place, while the reigning WPK champion El Paso Dawgs are trying to fight their way back into contention, currently in 5th place with a 45-48 record and 18 1/2 games out of first.

[BirdWatcher]

Last season was Jose Hernandes first as a starting pitcher (and actually he started the season in the Brooklyn bullpen) and it was a fantastic one as he was among the best in the MGL and was edged out by Denver's Sadahige Kawasaki by the narrowest margin for the ERA title.
Thus far the 1979 season has seen Hernandes return to more modest levels of performance. But yesterday he once again displayed signs of his potential dominance when he hurled the first no-hitter this season in the WPK, and indeed the first in the league since late in the 1977 season.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



The Sting take game 1 of a 3-game series in Charlotte against the Brewers and give first place Denver their third straight loss. Erik Sloan allowed 4 runs on 11 hits in 7 innings pitched to take the loss. The Brewers only managed 3 hits in this one in spite of the fact that the talented young Charlotte starting pitcher Justin Matthews left early (having pitched 4 2/3rds innings) with back spasms. Val Guzman scored the lone Denver run, and although he was hitless in this one he did walk twice and swiped his team-best 17th base. Joe McPhillips had the only extra base hit for the Brewers, a pinch-hit 8th inning double, his 18th of the season.

Game 2:



The Brewers broke their mini-losing streak by scoring early and often in the middle game of the series. Joe McPhillips was one of the big drivers of the offense in this one, going 2 for 4, scoring one run and driving in 3, and he collected his 19th double and 13th home run. The other Joe, the little one, Mr. Willemse, was 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 1 RBI and picked up his 3rd stolen base of the season. Antonio Acuna was 2 for 4, scoring twice and driving one run in and both he and Joe McPhillips threw a runner out at home plate in this one. And Zacarias Martell contributed a 3 for 4, 2 RBI game and hit his 7th double. Sekien Hamasaki got the win, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits over 6 innings pitched.

Game 3:


And the Brewers win the series by taking game 3 behind another brilliant Sadahige Kawasaki performance, his 15th quality start, 10th complete game, and 5th shutout of the season. And he needed to be every bit as sharp as he was with his team only managing to score one run for him, that on Joe McPhillips (.295/.384/.486) 14th homer of the season. Antonio Acuna (.367/.422/.594) was 1 for 2 in the game, drawing a walk, being hit by a pitch, and stealing a pair of bases to get to 11 on the season. Brett Taranto (.327/.361/.435) was 2 for 4 and picked up his 15th stolen base.

Notes from around the league:



There was a time when some WPK experts projected Matt Buelvas, the Washington Night Train's 1st round pick in the 1970 amateur draft, to be one of the superstar outfielders in the game. And it is easy to see why as Buelvas has an athletic build with top of the line footspeed and base running abilities to complement an all around solid hit tool (well, other than a subpar approach in drawing walks) and adequate enough defense for a corner outfield slot. It hasn't quite worked out that way for the injury-prone young man though who recently turned 28 and put up just 1.3 WAR last year and is on pace for less than that this season. But this past week he gave the fans a tantalizing taste of what he is capable of when he is healthy and puts it all together. If only he could sustain something close to this over a longer period of time.
As for his Washington club, once among the mightiest in the SJL, they are on a bit of roll, having won 8 of their last 10, but still remain in a distant 9th place, with a 43-53 record, 23 games behind the leaders.
And that leader is now the always mighty Columbus Whalers (66-30), who have taken a 1 1/2 game lead over the San Antonio Keys (64-31). Philadelphia (55-41) is in 3rd place, 11 games back while Boston (54-42) sits in 4th place, 12 games off the pace.

In the MGL, the Brewers remain atop the standings and lead Brooklyn (55-41) by 10 games and Los Angeles (54-42) by 11. Detroit (52-44) holds onto 4th place, 13 games behind the Brewers.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



The Brewers get a big game from reigning MGL MVP Brett Taranto and a big 3-run 8th inning rally to win the series opener in Denver against the Brooklyn Aces. Taranto went 4 for 5, scoring 2 runs while driving in 3 and hitting his 20th double and 7th home run of the season. Jim Atwell got the win, having worked 7 1/3rd innings, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits. Val Guzman was 2 for 5 in the leadoff slot, scoring 2 runs and driving in 2 as well and he hit his 8th home run of the season.

Game 2:



Brooklyn's left-handed starter Joel Travino is one of the best in the game at getting swings and misses with his deceptive stuff (an elite changeup, a great curveball, and a just good enough fastball to keep hitters off balance) but he is also susceptible to the long ball and that is what did him in on Wednesday evening as the Brewers rode five home runs to an easy victory, all but one hit off of Travino. Rookie Eric Hammock led the way with a pair of home runs to get to 3 on the season. Bobby Erbakan and Antonio Acuna, in a friendly competition to top the team in this category, each hit their 15th home run of the season (though it should be noted that Acuna has done so in nearly 100 fewer plate appearances). Acuna also swiped his 12th base of the season. Steve Green picked up an easy win, having lasted 8 innings and allowing nary a run on just 4 hits while striking out 9 and walking 4 batters.

Game 3:



And the Brewers get the series sweep when veteran left-handed starter Erik Sloan allows just 1 run on 2 hits over 7 innings pitched and a rejuvenated and somewhat refashioned bullpen takes it from there with Tim Shore getting his 22nd save in 24 chances. Another great game for budding star Antonio Acuna (.373/.429/.624) who went 3 for 4 in this one, scoring a run and driving in another while hitting his 8th double, 5th triple, and team-best 16th home run. Ben Flynn got another start at first base and was 2 for 4 to lift his season slash line to .414/.400/.741 (60 plate appearances.)

Notes from around the league:



Former Brewer Mike Lovett is finally living up to his earlier predicted potential this season and is one of several strong candidates for the SJL MVP (with Bud Lindsay, once again, being the front runner, and Justin Vargas, Zach McClelland, and Lovett's teammate Xiao-mei Mah all very much in the mix as well.) With Lovett and Mah powering the Philly lineup (another former Brewer, Casey Bromwell is also making some strong contributions) and starting pitchers Jeff Tribble (11-2, 3.65) and Bobby Martinez (10-4, 3.29) also having strong seasons, the Mud Hens are doing their best to hang in there in the SJL pennant race. They have been playing well recently and have a 57-42 record, good enough for 3rd place, 10 games out of 1st.
First place is currently occupied by the mighty Columbus Whalers (and their impossibly deep and talented pitching staff), who are 67-32, with San Antonio (and their great offense led by Lindsay, McClelland, young star John Mussaw, John Freeman, etc.) now at 66-32, a half game behind the Whalers.
Boston meanwhile has hit a rough patch, having lost their last 7 games, and are 13 games out in 4th place, with a mark of 54-45.

Here in the MGL, the Brewers maintain a big lead, 12 games ahead of second place L.A. (56-43) and 13 ahead of Brooklyn (55-44). Detroit, who recently traded away their talented but troublesome shortstop Blake Brock to Boston for 27-year old left fielder Danny Rivera, is still in 4th place, 54-45, 14 games back. (In a separate deal, the Falcons also acquired veteran third baseman Howard Turnbull from Seattle. With Turnbull now at third, Mario Rivera takes over at second- where he is a gifted defender- and Ren-qing Leong takes over at short. All in all, an active trading deadline period for Detroit, and not a bad one, though Rivera, like Brock, can cause clubhouse troubles.)

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



The Brewers get an easy win in game 1 of 3 in Detroit with Sadahige Kawasaki continuing his push for another MGL Pitcher of the Year award. Kawasaki gave up just 1 unearned run over the course of 8 innings pitched, allowing 6 hits while striking out 3 and walking 1 batter. Brewer third baseman Jake DiCesare had a big game, going 3 for 5 with 1 run scored and 3 driven in and he hit his 12th homer of the season. Eric Hammock went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI, hitting his 3rd double and stealing his first base as a big leaguer (while he isn't what you would call fast he is pretty smart on the base paths.)

Game 2:



The Falcons get the win in the middle game of the series, getting to starter Sekien Hamasaki for 3 runs on 6 hits over the course of 6 1/3rd innings and then beating up on reliever Nick Schroeder, who allowed 4 runs on 6 hits while recording just 2 outs. Rich White was 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 driven in and hit his 9th home run in the loss and Val Guzman also homered for the 9th time this season and had a pair of hits.

Game 3:



The Brewers then crushed the Falcons in the rubber match to the take the series on the road, with Jim Atwell continuing his strong second half, lasting 7 2/3rds innings, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, and getting the win. Antonio Acuna and Jake DiCesare led the way offensively. Acuna (.373/.431/.623) was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI and hit his team-best 17th homer. DiCesare (.306/.352/.495) also went 3 for 5 while driving in 3 and scoring once and he hit his 1st triple of the season. Val Guzman (.313/.406/.493) hit his 26th double and stole his 19th base while going 2 for 4 and scoring twice.

Notes from around the league:



The San Antonio Keys' 27-year old center fielder Zach McClelland has had an impressive 6 plus season career in the big leagues already after having been the 4th overall pick in the 1970 draft, but he has kicked it up to another level in 1979. The two-time All-Star has previously led the league in stolen bases three times (the past 3 seasons), runs scored twice, and hits once, but this year he is on pace for his first 10 WAR season (his previous high was 7.6 in 1976). While McClelland had his recent 21-game hitting streak snapped yesterday, with his bat atop the Keys lineup, followed by young star John Mussaw (.293, 16 HR, 75 RBI), John Freeman (.347, 13 HR, 70 RBI) and the best player in the WPK Bud Lindsay (.367, 25 HR, 83 RBI) it is easy to see why San Antonio is in contention for their first SJL title.
As for that quest, the Keys are once again in first place (69-32), a game ahead of Columbus (68-33), and 11 1/2 games ahead of Philadelphia (58-44). The Boston Berserkers (56-46) have been slumping and are now 13 1/2 games off the pace in 4th place.

The Denver Brewers, of course, maintain the top spot in the MGL- and easily. Brooklyn and Los Angeles are each now 13 games back at 57-45 and the 4th place Detroit Falcons are 15 out with a 55-47 record.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



Well, we just talked about McClelland so there isn't that much more to say. But we will balance out all of the good press for Zach by pointing out that he does have a reputation for not being receptive to criticism (personality type: Outspoken, and low intelligence.) Then again, he's probably not receiving a great deal of criticism these days.


MGL:



Being handed the starting right field job with Josh Schaeffer having been traded away seems to have worked out well for Antonio Acuna, who is quickly emerging as a star and provides the Brewers with perhaps the most legitimate power bat they have had since Antonio Puente was traded away following the 1972 season (he retired from baseball this past off-season). Although Acuna has still started far fewer games this season than most of the Brewers top players he is second in WAR to only Val Guzman, with Val's 4.6 just edging out Acuna's 4.3.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



It has been a pretty disappointing season for the reigning WPK champs, the El Paso Dawgs, thus far but at least for their recently turned 26-year old #3 starter there are some good signs that the former #1 overall draft pick might be maturing as a pitcher. While few experts expect Kyle Newsome to ever live up to the heightened expectations of being the top pick of an amateur draft, Newsome does have the reputation of representing what is good about ballplayers and few work as hard as him which has led him to be a fan favorite. So it is good to see the groundball specialist with a fine forkball put together a strong month and headed towards his best season yet, even if that is still far from elite.

MGL:



Sadahige Kawasaki, on the other hand, is nothing if not elite. He appears to be well on his way to competing for a second straight MGL Pitcher of the Year award.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



Outside of the Columbus Whalers organization it is hard to think of a more promising young pitcher in the SJL than Seattle's Steve Rosales. What is particularly impressive about Rosales is how well he is pitching given that according to most scouts he is probably not even half-way developed towards his full potential, which if it comes to pass should make him a strong candidate for several Pitcher of the Year awards in the future. (With apologies to Houston's Jack Hettinger, who also looks like a budding future star, in spite of his continued struggles with control.)

MGL:



David Freeman, plucked out of an independent league ball by Charlotte this past March, has been a revelation this season. With his elite speed and defensive skills he has taken over as the starting right fielder for the Sting and leads the team's position players in WAR at 3.0. Although he doesn't have a great reputation as a team player (Personality class: Selfish) if he keeps playing like this it won't be a big issue. And he's only 22 years old!

[BirdWatcher]

Shoeless Joe League:



As we enter the month of August it still certainly looks like a great two team race in the SJL. And a fascinating contest between two very different teams: the high-powered offense of the San Antonio Keys against the world class pitching (as always) of the Columbus Whalers.
Of the remaining teams in the SJL, the Philadelphia Mud Hens would seem to be the team most likely to make a run at joining the Keys and Whalers in contention. But they will have to start making a strong move soon and will also likely have to hope that one or both of the teams ahead of them experience a bit of a prolonged slump between now and the stretch run.


Moonlight Graham League:



While there is still a lot of season left, things are looking pretty good for the Denver Brewers as they try to win the MGL pennant once again.
Brooklyn and Los Angeles remain talented teams that can't be written off and watch for the San Francisco Velocity, who have under-performed up to this point of the season, to possibly make a bit of a move upwards into a higher spot in the standings with their mix of veteran leadership and young talent.

[BirdWatcher]

On the final day of July Jamar Clay tied the WPK all-time single-season high mark for saves and on the very next day the Columbus closer and team captain set a new record.



With two full months of season left it certainly appears that the much beloved young man will establish a new mark that will be incredibly hard to top in the future. (He is on pace for 60 saves!)

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



The Portland Wild Things come into Denver and get a come-from-behind victory over the Brewers in the first game of the series as the inconsistent Denver bullpen once again implodes. Although Steve Green took the loss and was charged with 5 runs on 10 hits, he left the game in the 8th inning after having given up a leadoff single (to former Brewer John Flores) still holding onto a 6-4 lead, but four pitchers and eight batters later the Wild Things had taken a 9-6 lead that they would not relinquish. The loss officially went to Adam Buhman, who allowed a run on a hit without recording an out. In spite of the loss, Val Guzman was named the Player of the Game for his 3 for 5, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI game in which he hit his 10th homer of the season. Zacarias Martell also had a big game going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI and hitting a pair of doubles to get to 9 and also hitting his 4th home run of the season.
(There were earlier rumors that Martell might be moved before the non-waiver trading deadline, but he is putting together another fine season and remains a very well liked member of the team and when the deadline arrived hours after this game finished Martell remained on the Brewers roster.)

Game 2:



The month of August begins with the Brewers suffering another tough loss, seeing an early 5-0 lead evaporate in the 6th inning when Portland, the poorest offensive team in the MGL, scored 9 runs off starter Erik Sloan (5 IP, 9 hits allowed, 5 runs allowed) and reliever Ben Flynn (3 IP, 6 hits allowed, 4 runs allowed). A great day at the plate for Bobby Erbakan (.299/.354/.489) went for naught- Bobby was 3 for 5 with a run scored and 5 driven in and he hit his 12th double and 16th home run. Former Brewer John Flores hit 2 homers in this one- both of them coming in that 9 run 6th inning.

Game 3:



And the Wild Things completed the improbable road sweep of Denver in game 3 as the Brewers offense failed to provide run support for staff ace Sadahige Kawasaki and after 7 solid innings of work, including getting out of some self-inflicted jams, the Wild Things plated 4 runs off him in the 8th inning to saddle him with his 4th loss of the season. Kawasaki was credited with 7 2/3rds inning while giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 15 hits. Another former Brewer, reliever Antonio Nieves, played a key role in the Portland win as the starter Matt Toone had to leave the game after only 2 innings with a sore hand. Nieves worked a strong 5 innings for the win against his former club. Another good game for Val Guzman (.319/.411,.509), arguably the Brewers team MVP this season, who went 2 for 3, scoring twice, driving in a run with his 11th home run of the season, and drawing a walk, though he did get caught stealing for the 8th time this season.

Notes from around the league:




This past off-season the Los Angeles Spinners added to their already strong bullpen (headlined by California-born closer Yu-bao Tong and Japanese scouting discovery Shouta Hori) when they signed the young and dynamic South Korean international free agent Yoo-hyun Yon. But as August begins the Spinners find out that they will be without the services of the 22-year old sidearming prankster for the remainder of this season and well into the next as Yon suffered a torn UCL that will require surgical repair. It is a tough loss for the Spinners as they work to make up ground on the MGL front-running Denver Brewers.
At this moment L.A. (59-46) is in 2nd place, 11 games behind Denver and Brooklyn (58-47) is right behind them in 3rd, 12 games off the pace. The Detroit Falcons (56-49) remain in 4th place, 14 games back.


Over in the SJL, the once again hot San Antonio Keys (72-32) remain in first with the best record in the WPK and hold a 1 game lead over the Columbus Whalers (71-33). Philadelphia (61-44) is in 3rd place, 11 1/2 games out.

[BirdWatcher]

The El Paso Dawgs 30-year old veteran star Curtis Horah collected his 2,000th hit in Saturday's win over the Washington Night Train. While Horah is particularly renowned as the greatest defensive player of his generation it has to be noted that he has put together a pretty solid career as a hitter as well and when combined with his defensive prowess and the damage he can do with his speed on the base paths the hard working native of El Cajon, California has accounted for 84 WAR over his 12+ year career thus far.



There are serious questions about how Horah will fare now that he is in his 30's, given that he has suffered many injuries over his career and most insiders feel that in spite of the fact that he still runs extremely well and remains a superb left fielder his body is bound to let him down before too long. Still, with his career ZR of +312.6, his 400 career doubles and 372 career stolen bases, his 11 Gold Glove awards and 8 All-Star selections, he is a likely Hall of Famer even without a great deal of production in his future. And given that he is on pace for 4.8 WAR this season, it doesn't appear he's done adding to this HOF credentials quite yet.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



Having lost three in a row in Denver against the Portland Wild Things, the home stand continues and the Brewers kick things off on a brighter note in the first game of three against the visiting San Francisco Velocity. Sekien Hamasaki holds the Velocity scoreless while allowing just 4 hits over his 8 innings pitched for the win and Tim Shore pitched the 9th to earn his 23rd save. The offense was led by Rich White who went 2 for 4 and hit his 10th home run of the season as well as his 13th double.

Game 2:



In the middle game of the series the Brewers offense carried the day, with Jake DiCesare being the biggest contributor, going 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI and hit his 16th double and 13th home run. Antonio Acuna was also 3 for 5 and he hit his 9th double and 18th home run while driving in 3 runs. Jim Atwell not only got the win, going the distance while allowing 2 runs- only 1 earned- on 6 hits, but he also was 2 for 3 at the plate and drove in a pair of runs. (He is clearly the best hitter among the Brewers starting rotation, though not the equal of reliever Ben Flynn in that regard.)

Game 3:



And the Brewers get the home sweep with Antonio Acuna once again in a starring role. Acuna (.375/.431/.625), who now has enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title and currently leads the MGL in that category, was 3 for 4 in this one, scoring twice and driving in 3 runs and hit his 10th double and swiped his 14th base. Bobby Erbakan (.298/.353/.485) was 2 for 4 with 4 RBI and hit his 13th double while also getting his 3rd stolen base of the season. Steve Green worked 8 innings, giving up 2 runs on 9 hits while striking out 8 and walking just 1 batter to get the win.

Notes from around the league:



Detroit's veteran control-artist starting pitcher Kantaro Yasui got the shutout against Phoenix in yesterday's game to give the Falcons the series sweep at home. Yasui's performance came a day after his teammate Lancarote Serr hurled a 5-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the Speed Devils.
Having won four in a row, Detroit remains in 4th place with a 59-49 record and are 14 games behind the first place Denver Brewers. Brooklyn and L.A. are each 60-48 and trail Denver by 13 games.

Over in the SJL, the San Antonio Keys (73-34) hold onto a 2 game lead over the Columbus Whalers (71-36). Philadelphia (63-45), in 3rd place, are 10 1/2 games behind San Antonio and the Boston Berserkers (59-49) are 14 1/2 games back in 4th place.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



Veteran iron man right-handed pitcher Devin Washburn shuts the Brewers down to lead his L.A. Spinners to a win in the first of three games at Avalon Park. Washburn gives up just 3 hits over his 8 scoreless innings, striking out 7 and walking 1. Erik Sloan took the loss for Denver in spite of giving up just 2 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits over 7 innings pitched. There is nearly nothing of note to mention about the Brewers offense in this one, though Brett Taranto did swipe his 17th base of the season.

Game 2:



The Brewers bounce back in game 2 behind their 30-year old center fielder Joe McPhillips, the 1974 MGL MVP, who was 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI, hitting his 23rd double and 15th home run of the season. Val Guzman also had a big game, going 2 for 4 with 1 run scored and 4 driven in and he hit his 27th double. Sadahige Kawasaki got the win, giving up 3 runs on 9 hits over 8 innings pitched.

Game 3:



The Spinners score 2 runs in the 8th inning to overcome a 1-run deficit and take the series against the Brewers. Brewers starter Sekien Hamasaki had to leave the game early with a strained back, having given up 1 run on 4 hits over his 4 innings pitched. Javy Bermudez, who has had a fine season after missing much of last season due to a torn rotator cuff, took the loss in this one, not recording an out while walking a pair of batters, allowing 1 hit, and giving up proved to be the winning run. Antonio Acuna went 2 for 4 in the loss.

Notes from around the league:



Long-time members of the Brewers organization are thrilled to see former Brewer Eric Johnson having a career year at age 32. The Trinidad, Colorado native has leveraged his great control, his tremendous intelligence, and his durability to achieve much more success than he ever has over the course of his 8 plus big league seasons. And although it is unfortunate that his Pittsburgh Roadrunners club has under-achieved, currently with a 50-60 record and 26 games out of first in 7th place, it does make his numbers even more impressive.
The San Antonio Keys remain the top team in the SJL, with a 76-34 mark. The Columbus Whalers, at 74-36, are 2 games behind the Keys. And the Philadelphia Mud Hens continue to play well although they are still 11 1/2 games off the pace with a 65-46 record.

In the MGL, the Brewers are still in first place, with three teams trailing them by 12 games- the Brooklyn Aces, the Los Angeles Spinners, and the Detroit Falcons, who have won their last 7 straight, all with 62-49 records. No other team in the MGL has a winning record.

[BirdWatcher]

The Scouting Report:



Game 1:



After having a rather subpar first half of the season, the Brewers veteran second baseman Bobby Erbakan has been slowly picking up steam in the second half and he led the Brewers to the win in the opening game of this three game series against the slugging Phoenix Speed Devils. Bobby was 3 for 4 in this one, scoring twice and driving in 3 runs and he hit his 17th homer of the season. Antonio Acuna also helped drive the Denver offense (as he often does these days) as he went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI and hit his 11th double while also stealing his 15th base. And veteran center fielder Joe McPhillips is also in the midst of a good second half of the season. Joe hit his 16th home run of 1979, going 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 driven in. Jim Atwell wasn't at his best, allowing 6 runs on 8 hits over 6 1/3rd innings pitched but with all of the run support he was able to claim his 15th victory of the season.

Game 2:



Steve Green, on the other hand, was quite good in game 2, allowing just a single run while scattering 9 hits over his 8 innings pitched, striking out 6 and walking 2 batters. Young reliever Brandon Veach got into trouble trying to finish this one out and veteran Adam Buhman had to come in to preserve the victory, earning his 1st save of the season. Another excellent game for Joe McPhillips (.305/.396/.500), who was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and hit his 24th double and picked up his 13th stolen base, as he begins to move into league MVP contention once again. But fellow outfielder Antonio Acuna (.373/.433/.611), who started the season as the Brewers 4th outfielder, is in an even better position to vie for that award and Acuna went 2 for 4 with a run scored and another driven in and also swiped 2 bags to get to 17 stolen bases on the season.

Game 3:



The Brewers secure the series sweep behind a strong start by veteran lefty Erik Sloan, who gave up 2 runs on 7 hits over 6 2/3rds innings, and good performances from their often maligned (and rightly so) bullpen, with Tim Shore (never maligned and having a great season at age 33) pitching the 9th for his 24th save of the season. Jake DiCesare (.319/.359/.505) was 2 for 4 with a run scored and hit his 18th double. Val Guzman (.308/.401/.501), the third Brewers outfielder with a legitimate hope of contending for the MGL MVP award at the end of the season, only had one hit in this one but it was his 13th home run of the season and second in two days.

Notes from around the league:



In his first full season in the big leagues, Boston's 26-year old first baseman Chase Moeller, who was the 16th overall pick in the 1974 draft (out of Memphis College), is having a terrific season and added 3 home runs to his total in Saturday's win over Pittsburgh. The big, durable kid out of Long Beach, California combines a good contact bat with plus power and hitting in the three spot in the potent Berserkers lineup ahead of probable future Hall of Famer and 2-time league MVP Justin Vargas he certainly sees a lot of good pitches to hit. He should be a strong SJL Rookie of the Year candidate.
As for this Boston club, they are still battling to stay within some reasonable distance of the front-runners in the SJL, with Boston currently 17 1/2 games out in 4th place with a 62-52 record. First place belongs still to San Antonio (79-34), who have increased their lead over the Columbus Whalers (76-37) to 3 games. The Philadelphia Mud Hens continue to be one of the hottest teams since the All-Star break and are in 3rd place with a 68-46 record, but given that they trail by 11 1/2 games they really need the two clubs ahead of them to falter a bit at some point in order to make a move into strong contention.

In the MGL, the Denver Brewers, of course, remain in 1st place, with Los Angeles and the recently very hot again Detroit Falcons (their starting rotation has been carrying them of late) both 13 games back with matching 64-50 records. Brooklyn (62-52) has lost 3 straight and now trail the Brewers by 15 games in 4th place.