Out of the Shadows: The Eclipse League - Page 29

luckymann · 11-23-2022, 05:37 PM

One of those guys who goes from club to club on one-year rental deals, Maikel Franco still seems to contribute albeit moderately wherever he goes. He is doing it again this year after the BYs nab him in the offseason, and this is undoubtedly a career highlight for him.

luckymann · 11-24-2022, 05:25 PM

TBH, I didn't even realise Junior had signed a minor-league deal with the BGs last season, putting father and son at the same club.

Then, at least as far as I can tell, today is the first time they have played together, with Jr going deep in a big win.

Love this sort of thing.

luckymann · 11-27-2022, 06:34 AM

No definitive breaks made as yet, although you'd already have to think the Lincoln Giants are on the outer. Might be saying the same thing about the A's were it not for their current 6-game win streak which has allowed them to reattach themselves to the peloton in the WC American.

I have the distinct feeling this is all going to get fairly ridiculous come stretch time. It's just got that look about it already.

FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Jose Ramirez (Monarchs) 298 / 8 HR / 23 RBI.
FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Jair Jurrjens (Monarchs) 4-1 / 1.35 / 29 K / 40 IP.
FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Felix Hernandez (Bacharach Giants) 3-2 / 2.93 / 37 K / 46 IP.
WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Luis Medina (Liberty Stars) 348 / 6 HR / 21 RBI.
WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Hulon Stamps (ABCs) 5-1 / 3.00 / 54 K / 48 IP.
WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Hulon Stamps.

Same goes with the TL.

CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Dwayne Murphy (Choo-Choos) 351 / 9 HR / 34 RBI.
CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: John Urrea (White Sox) 5-1 / 3.11 / 29 K / 46.1 IP.
FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Ty Gainey (Cubans) 432 / 2 HR / 19 RBI.
FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Tyson Ross (Black Sox) 4-0 / 1.15 / 33 K / 39 IP.

luckymann · 12-01-2022, 04:39 AM

Another classic case of false advertising here with one of the NeL's true mystery men, Wyman Smith. I've slowly been amassing reference books on the NeL, with my "library" now standing at five, but it is only in Jim Riley's book that Wyman is mentioned in any more than passing, and even then his entry is a mere paragraph long with little information of note other than the fact (?) that he was one of three players named Smith on the 1922 Baltimore Black Sox roster.

His Seamheads page shows him having played 85 official games over five seasons, all with Baltimore, and credits him with a career 315/361/457 slash line along with 6 homers and 50 RBI. EC parses that out to near enough 7 WAR in his MLEs - all in all, a nice albeit abbreviated career.

As far as the EL is concerned, Wyman's selection 9th overall by Brooklyn in the 1972 Draft is turning out to be a very astute one indeed for the RGs.

Now in his third season at the top level after spending '73 at the TL Eagles, Wyman is slashing 273/327/470 and has nearly matched his MLE output already with 5.9 bWAR to his name. After winning the 1974 Fowler Medal, Wyman's 124 RBI led the Fleet Conference in 1975, with his 35 HR also among the league's best and he was named to that season's All-Star Game. He's looking sharp again so far this year and seems set for a much more substantial career than his IRL equivalent.

luckymann · 12-04-2022, 08:20 PM

Rod Carew, Eric Chavez and Bob Oliver currently lead a pack that might give this a shake.

luckymann · 12-04-2022, 09:39 PM

Not a great season in progress for the Lincoln Giants, with an EL-worst 24-44 record and they'll have to find a way to somehow get back to competitiveness. Bob Oliver should definitely be a part of that future and he has a lovely game here against Cleveland. The Buckeyes are struggling as well this year, their cause not helped one jot by injuries to ShoTime and Juan Marichal. Still, at 33-34 and not far off the lead, they won't be counting themselves out yet.

Meanwhile, the A's and EGs give us one of the games of the season so far.

luckymann · 12-07-2022, 05:36 PM

Yes, superstars are great and all but you also need your everyday guys, your heavy-lifters who go out there and, without setting the league alight, simply do their job. Guys like Pedro Alvarez, who has a rare moment in the spotlight here with a big game for his Dodgers against the MoStars, but still can't quite get them home.

luckymann · 12-07-2022, 06:18 PM

luckymann · 12-07-2022, 07:32 PM

The MoStars and surprising Giants continue to set the pace, but once again this is looking like a rip-snorter of a second half to the season. The Grays lose ten on the trot en route to a 9-15 month, but remain in the hunt all the same. Meanwhile, after making a run for it early in the month a messy 1-9 dismount brings the Dodgers right back to the FCA pack.

FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Don Baylor (Black Barons) 290 / 5 HR / 25 RBI.
FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Louis Dula (Royal Giants) 6-0 / 1.85 / 34 K / 48.2 IP.
FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Erasmo Ramirez (Royal Giants) 2-0 / 3.21 / 11 K / 14 IP.
WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carlos Delgado (Athletics) 372 / 8 HR / 24 RBI.
WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Edsall Walker (Liberty Stars) 4-1 / 1.25 / 25 K / 50.1 IP.
WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Lefty Moses (Athletics) 0-0 / 0.00 / 8 SV / 13 K / 15 IP.

Top 20s - overall

Top 20s - NeL

Still no decisive moves as yet in the TL, with all four races staying tight.

CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Eric Thames (White Sox) 414 / 8 HR / 28 RBI.
CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Henry Rodriguez (Black Crackers) 3-1 / 2.13 / 5 SV / 11 K / 12.2 IP.
FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Juan Santaella (Black Sox) 443 / 5 HR / 18 RBI.
FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Samuel Burris (Hornets) 2-0 / 2.87 / 8 SV / 15 K / 32 IP.

luckymann · 12-07-2022, 08:03 PM

Another nice OotS segue courtesy of the recent Pitcher of the Month win by Louis Dula, who has been on my radar for one of these features for a while now.

Louis is another player who rates nary a mention in any of my array of sources (recently expanded to include Neil Lanctot's Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution), leaving us only with his raw stats. They show him having played for six seasons in the 1930s, all with the Homestead Grays, during which he fashioned a 14-10 record with a tidy ERA+ of 140. EC's MLEs pad this out to 35-30 / 118 with 8.7 pWAR allocated. He was also a fair hitter, slashing 325/351/484 with a 119 OPS+ according to Seamheads and, while I did give him some OF rankings and have seen him used as a two-way elsewhere, he has to this point been deployed purely as a pitcher in this league.

To some effect, as well. After taking Louis 38th overall in the 1970 Rookie Draft, the Grays in their infinite wisdom let him walk despite four solid seasons' work in which he went 68-63 with an ERA + of 120, good enough for 26 pWAR and an ASG appearance in 1973. He spent last year with the EGs before being signed as a FA by the Royal Giants on a 7-year deal worth in excess of $3m, one of the biggest the EL has seen.

That investment is already paying dividends, with Louis currently sitting at 11-6 / 3.32 and projecting to a 7-WAR campaign, with Brooky holding a narrow lead in the super-competitive FC American. As always, we'll keep tabs on him for the remainder of his career.

luckymann · 12-07-2022, 09:14 PM

Another cracking game here, with Jose Ramirez - in the middle of a breakout season - leading the Mons past a valiant Giants in extras.

I just don't see St. Louis being able to hold on here and, if J-Ram keeps up with this sort of form then I regard the Monarchs as the main threat in the FCN.

luckymann · 12-07-2022, 09:17 PM

luckymann · 12-08-2022, 05:07 PM

Newark's Jorge Soler wins the HR Derby, while the Francis Conference gets another win, beating the Catto 6-0 with Washington's Roosevelt Brown named MVP.

luckymann · 12-08-2022, 05:09 PM

Ohtani-san is hurt again, this time he's set to miss a chunk of games.

luckymann · 12-08-2022, 05:21 PM

An update to the PP is at hand, with some big names getting ready to unleash themselves on the EL. Al Smith is #1 overall, while the mighty "Smoky" Joe Williams is the highest-rated pitcher.

luckymann · 12-08-2022, 06:29 PM

It doesn't get much better than this, with a bunch of the league's biggest names just going at it from first out to last for 9 innings in front of close on 30000 people. When the dust has settled, the BYs have themselves a miraculous walkoff win.

EDIT They get amongst it again the following night.

luckymann · 12-08-2022, 06:55 PM

The stars of today:

And tomorrow:

Hank Thompson is the King of Swing, beating Big Papi in the final, while teammate Barry Bonds is named MVP in yet another Fleet Conference ASG win.

luckymann · 12-12-2022, 05:09 PM

luckymann · 12-12-2022, 06:34 PM

Poor pitching (most runs conceded in the FC) means it looks like a wasted year for the BBs and with only Lazaro Salazar currently in the wings, they'll need to get creative if they want to fix this.

The offence, on the other hand, is purring.

luckymann · 12-12-2022, 08:07 PM

His team might not be, but Atlantic City's Reggie Smith is enjoying a fine season, his second in the EL. After a passable if unspectacular 0.9 bWAR rookie campaign, Reggie has hit his straps and is on pace for at least 3 bWAR and around 25 homers. This game will help with both of those totals.

11-23-2022, 05:37 PM	#561
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Let's Be Franco One of those guys who goes from club to club on one-year rental deals, Maikel Franco still seems to contribute albeit moderately wherever he goes. He is doing it again this year after the BYs nab him in the offseason, and this is undoubtedly a career highlight for him. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS Last edited by luckymann; 11-23-2022 at 05:54 PM.

11-24-2022, 05:25 PM	#562
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	A Nice Touch TBH, I didn't even realise Junior had signed a minor-league deal with the BGs last season, putting father and son at the same club. Then, at least as far as I can tell, today is the first time they have played together, with Jr going deep in a big win. Love this sort of thing. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

11-27-2022, 06:34 AM	#563
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	May 1976 Recap No definitive breaks made as yet, although you'd already have to think the Lincoln Giants are on the outer. Might be saying the same thing about the A's were it not for their current 6-game win streak which has allowed them to reattach themselves to the peloton in the WC American. I have the distinct feeling this is all going to get fairly ridiculous come stretch time. It's just got that look about it already. FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Jose Ramirez (Monarchs) 298 / 8 HR / 23 RBI. FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Jair Jurrjens (Monarchs) 4-1 / 1.35 / 29 K / 40 IP. FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Felix Hernandez (Bacharach Giants) 3-2 / 2.93 / 37 K / 46 IP. WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Luis Medina (Liberty Stars) 348 / 6 HR / 21 RBI. WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Hulon Stamps (ABCs) 5-1 / 3.00 / 54 K / 48 IP. WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Hulon Stamps. Same goes with the TL. CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Dwayne Murphy (Choo-Choos) 351 / 9 HR / 34 RBI. CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: John Urrea (White Sox) 5-1 / 3.11 / 29 K / 46.1 IP. FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Ty Gainey (Cubans) 432 / 2 HR / 19 RBI. FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Tyson Ross (Black Sox) 4-0 / 1.15 / 33 K / 39 IP. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-01-2022, 04:39 AM	#564
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Out of the Shadows: Wyman Smith Another classic case of false advertising here with one of the NeL's true mystery men, Wyman Smith. I've slowly been amassing reference books on the NeL, with my "library" now standing at five, but it is only in Jim Riley's book that Wyman is mentioned in any more than passing, and even then his entry is a mere paragraph long with little information of note other than the fact (?) that he was one of three players named Smith on the 1922 Baltimore Black Sox roster. His Seamheads page shows him having played 85 official games over five seasons, all with Baltimore, and credits him with a career 315/361/457 slash line along with 6 homers and 50 RBI. EC parses that out to near enough 7 WAR in his MLEs - all in all, a nice albeit abbreviated career. As far as the EL is concerned, Wyman's selection 9th overall by Brooklyn in the 1972 Draft is turning out to be a very astute one indeed for the RGs. Now in his third season at the top level after spending '73 at the TL Eagles, Wyman is slashing 273/327/470 and has nearly matched his MLE output already with 5.9 bWAR to his name. After winning the 1974 Fowler Medal, Wyman's 124 RBI led the Fleet Conference in 1975, with his 35 HR also among the league's best and he was named to that season's All-Star Game. He's looking sharp again so far this year and seems set for a much more substantial career than his IRL equivalent. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-04-2022, 08:20 PM	#565
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Stat Check: BA *Rod Carew, Eric Chavez and Bob Oliver currently lead a pack that might give this a shake.* __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-04-2022, 09:39 PM	#566
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	There's Always Next Year Not a great season in progress for the Lincoln Giants, with an EL-worst 24-44 record and they'll have to find a way to somehow get back to competitiveness. Bob Oliver should definitely be a part of that future and he has a lovely game here against Cleveland. The Buckeyes are struggling as well this year, their cause not helped one jot by injuries to ShoTime and Juan Marichal. Still, at 33-34 and not far off the lead, they won't be counting themselves out yet. Meanwhile, the A's and EGs give us one of the games of the season so far. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS Last edited by luckymann; 12-07-2022 at 05:37 PM.

12-07-2022, 05:36 PM	#567
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Pedro-ro-rowing the Boat Yes, superstars are great and all but you also need your everyday guys, your heavy-lifters who go out there and, without setting the league alight, simply do their job. Guys like Pedro Alvarez, who has a rare moment in the spotlight here with a big game for his Dodgers against the MoStars, but still can't quite get them home. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-07-2022, 06:18 PM	#568
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Stat Check: RBI __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-07-2022, 07:32 PM	#569
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	June 1976 Recap The MoStars and surprising Giants continue to set the pace, but once again this is looking like a rip-snorter of a second half to the season. The Grays lose ten on the trot en route to a 9-15 month, but remain in the hunt all the same. Meanwhile, after making a run for it early in the month a messy 1-9 dismount brings the Dodgers right back to the FCA pack. FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Don Baylor (Black Barons) 290 / 5 HR / 25 RBI. FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Louis Dula (Royal Giants) 6-0 / 1.85 / 34 K / 48.2 IP. FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Erasmo Ramirez (Royal Giants) 2-0 / 3.21 / 11 K / 14 IP. WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carlos Delgado (Athletics) 372 / 8 HR / 24 RBI. WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Edsall Walker (Liberty Stars) 4-1 / 1.25 / 25 K / 50.1 IP. WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Lefty Moses (Athletics) 0-0 / 0.00 / 8 SV / 13 K / 15 IP. Top 20s - overall Top 20s - NeL Still no decisive moves as yet in the TL, with all four races staying tight. CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Eric Thames (White Sox) 414 / 8 HR / 28 RBI. CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Henry Rodriguez (Black Crackers) 3-1 / 2.13 / 5 SV / 11 K / 12.2 IP. FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Juan Santaella (Black Sox) 443 / 5 HR / 18 RBI. FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Samuel Burris (Hornets) 2-0 / 2.87 / 8 SV / 15 K / 32 IP. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-07-2022, 08:03 PM	#570
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Out of the Shadows: Louis Dula Another nice OotS segue courtesy of the recent Pitcher of the Month win by Louis Dula, who has been on my radar for one of these features for a while now. Louis is another player who rates nary a mention in any of my array of sources (recently expanded to include Neil Lanctot's Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution), leaving us only with his raw stats. They show him having played for six seasons in the 1930s, all with the Homestead Grays, during which he fashioned a 14-10 record with a tidy ERA+ of 140. EC's MLEs pad this out to 35-30 / 118 with 8.7 pWAR allocated. He was also a fair hitter, slashing 325/351/484 with a 119 OPS+ according to Seamheads and, while I did give him some OF rankings and have seen him used as a two-way elsewhere, he has to this point been deployed purely as a pitcher in this league. To some effect, as well. After taking Louis 38th overall in the 1970 Rookie Draft, the Grays in their infinite wisdom let him walk despite four solid seasons' work in which he went 68-63 with an ERA + of 120, good enough for 26 pWAR and an ASG appearance in 1973. He spent last year with the EGs before being signed as a FA by the Royal Giants on a 7-year deal worth in excess of $3m, one of the biggest the EL has seen. That investment is already paying dividends, with Louis currently sitting at 11-6 / 3.32 and projecting to a 7-WAR campaign, with Brooky holding a narrow lead in the super-competitive FC American. As always, we'll keep tabs on him for the remainder of his career. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-07-2022, 09:14 PM	#571
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	J-Ram Jam Another cracking game here, with Jose Ramirez - in the middle of a breakout season - leading the Mons past a valiant Giants in extras. I just don't see St. Louis being able to hold on here and, if J-Ram keeps up with this sort of form then I regard the Monarchs as the main threat in the FCN. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-07-2022, 09:17 PM	#572
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Stat Check: OPS __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-08-2022, 05:07 PM	#573
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Transit League All-Stars, 1976 Newark's Jorge Soler wins the HR Derby, while the Francis Conference gets another win, beating the Catto 6-0 with Washington's Roosevelt Brown named MVP. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS Last edited by luckymann; 12-08-2022 at 06:02 PM.

12-08-2022, 05:09 PM	#574
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	SloTime Ohtani-san is hurt again, this time he's set to miss a chunk of games. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-08-2022, 05:21 PM	#575
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	EL Top 100 Prospects An update to the PP is at hand, with some big names getting ready to unleash themselves on the EL. Al Smith is #1 overall, while the mighty "Smoky" Joe Williams is the highest-rated pitcher. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-08-2022, 06:29 PM	#576
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Another Belter It doesn't get much better than this, with a bunch of the league's biggest names just going at it from first out to last for 9 innings in front of close on 30000 people. When the dust has settled, the BYs have themselves a miraculous walkoff win. *EDIT They get amongst it again the following night.* __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS Last edited by luckymann; 12-08-2022 at 06:56 PM.

12-08-2022, 06:55 PM	#577
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	1976 EL All-Star / Prospects Squads and Games The stars of today: And tomorrow: Hank Thompson is the King of Swing, beating Big Papi in the final, while teammate Barry Bonds is named MVP in yet another Fleet Conference ASG win. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-12-2022, 05:09 PM	#578
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Stat Check: pWAR __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-12-2022, 06:34 PM	#579
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Take it Easler Poor pitching (most runs conceded in the FC) means it looks like a wasted year for the BBs and with only Lazaro Salazar currently in the wings, they'll need to get creative if they want to fix this. The offence, on the other hand, is purring. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS

12-12-2022, 08:07 PM	#580
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 14,041	Registering an Interest His team might not be, but Atlantic City's Reggie Smith is enjoying a fine season, his second in the EL. After a passable if unspectacular 0.9 bWAR rookie campaign, Reggie has hit his straps and is on pace for at least 3 bWAR and around 25 homers. This game will help with both of those totals. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES MARINERS CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS Last edited by luckymann; 12-18-2022 at 06:42 PM.